The Kansas City Current has announced that railroad company CPKC will be the naming rights holder of the first venue purpose-built for a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise.
The 10-year contract, financial terms of which were undisclosed, will see the facility, which the club also claims represents the first built in the world for a women’s professional sports team, named CPKC Stadium.
CPKC, which has its US corporate headquarters in Kansas City, was created with the combination of the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railways back in April. In addition to naming rights for CPKC Stadium, the outdoor gathering space at the entrance to the venue will be called CPKC Plaza.
The plaza will provide space to gather before stadium events, while also housing the permanent location of the Current team store. CPKC will also be involved in the Current’s community initiatives.
KC Current co-founders and owners, Angie and Chris Long, said: “As we embarked on finding the perfect naming rights partner, it was always about finding an organisation where our values and vision align. CPKC is that partner.
“Our organisations share a commitment to strive for excellence, invest heavily in our communities and raise the bar with global influence. We are extremely excited to work with CPKC on this historic agreement and know our partnership will create long-standing positive impact.”
Keith Creel, CPKC president and CEO, added: “We are incredibly proud to sponsor the Kansas City Current and support this history-making project here in the city that is at the heart of our North American rail network.
“CPKC has been a longtime champion of women’s sports and of investing in our communities. This stadium and this partnership with the Current will build on that legacy as together we write a new chapter here in Kansas City.”
The Current broke ground on the stadium in October last year and the venue is scheduled to open in time for the 2024 NWSL season. The facility is being built at Berkley Riverfront Park and will cost $117m (£96.5m/€110.6m) to build.
In March, the Current released renderings of a planned Pitch Club space which is hoped will serve as the premier fan experience at the downtown stadium, which will have a capacity of 11,500. The club released new renderings of the stadium back in December.
