The NWSL has selected CPKC Stadium, the newly constructed home of Kansas City Current, as its venue for the 2024 NWSL Championship, the league’s Announced Wednesday. The football-specific stadium, which opened in March, is the first stadium built specifically for a women’s professional sports team.
Kansas City will now host the NWSL Championship, which will air in primetime on CBS on Saturday, November 23 at 8 p.m., and will stream on Paramount+.
CPKC Stadium opened at the start of the 2024 season. The stadium has a relatively small capacity, with room for 11,500 fans. Coupled with the popularity of the Currents, who dominate the league with a record 17-game unbeaten streak, the venue has been full all season, with a waiting list of 3,000 people, according to the website. Wall Street Journal.
The ambitious project was spearheaded by Chris and Angie Long, co-owners of the team along with Brittany and Patrick Mahomes. According to the Wall Street Journal, about 40 banks refused to finance the $70 million project, and the Longs were told by the owners of the men’s teams that it was not viable.
“CPKC Stadium epitomizes the explosive growth and investment we’re seeing in the NWSL, women’s soccer and women’s sports around the world,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said at a league news conference. Press release“It was a natural choice to host the league’s premier event at a venue that exemplifies the profound impact of infrastructure, investment and community support on the continued development and success of our sport.”
In a league where teams that share stadiums sometimes find themselves squeezed out of home venues, the new stadium gives Kansas City more control over schedules and ticket sales. The Current has played most of its home games during coveted Saturday night slots, while other clubs are forced to play on Sundays or in the afternoon to accommodate MLS teams.
The fact that Kansas City consistently sells out makes it a logical choice to host the NWSL final. However, the size of the venue has raised some concerns: compared to CPKC Stadium’s 11,500 capacity, More than 25,000 people filled San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium for last year’s final.
The announcement comes as the NWSL is achieving record viewership thanks to a new broadcast deal signed in November. According to the NWSL press release, attendance has already surpassed 1 million fans, reaching the milestone earlier in the season than in previous years, and broadcast viewership is up 95% from the 2023 season.