From CPKC Stadium to campus, UMKC students see women’s soccer gaining ground in Kansas City

CPKC Stadium made history as the first stadium built specifically for a women’s professional sport. Home to the KC Current, the venue was named the 2025 Sports Field of the Year.

“Women’s sports is not something that usually gets a lot of attention, or a lot of money,” said Anika Patton, a UMKC biomedical engineering student and soccer player. “For them to have their own stadium, to have such big crowds and such big attention, I do think it brings a light to the sport and to women’s involvement in it.”

The KC Current also maintains a higher education partnership with UMKC, and players from the team have visited campus.

“I just remember KC Current, there were all these girls on the team and they were saying hi, and I’m not from here either. I’m from Chicago, and I’ve never seen that,” said Aaria Gandhi, a sophomore nursing and psychology double major at UMKC. “Kansas City respects their women.”

The UMKC women’s soccer team finished the 2025 season with a 9-8-3 record, an improvement over the previous year.

“The women’s soccer team played very well this season. They made it pretty far,” Gandhi said. “They’re growing and getting better each year.”

UMKC nursing student and soccer player Lydia Safly said the visibility of professional women’s soccer carries meaning for younger athletes.

“I think it’s really cool for younger athletes to see that it’s possible,” Safly said. “You can play your whole life if you want to, and that’s an opportunity.”

Safly said she has also noticed growth in women’s sports at the college level.

“I just see all the sports here, and women’s sports just continue to grow,” she said. “I think that’s really cool to see.”