By MATT PIKE
A 10 year long agreement with Children's Mercy has come to an end and Sporting Kansas City will have to once again rename it's stadium.
Children’s Mercy confirmed in a news release on Friday that it would no longer be the team’s health care and sports medicine partner.
“As our 10-year naming partnership comes to a close, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Sporting Kansas City organization, its players and staff, and the fans who have embraced Children’s Mercy as part of the team’s story. From player visits that brought joy to our patients, to collaborative efforts that elevated awareness for children’s health, this partnership has been a meaningful part of our journey,” the release read.
Reports show that Children’s Mercy Park will be renamed ahead of the KC2026 World Cup. The Sporting KC Training Facility will serve as a team base camp for at least one club during the World Cup.
Additionally, Sporting KC’s kits will now feature their new partner, Saint Luke’s Health System. The team showed off those kits were at a news conference today.
“Our two organizations have deep roots in Kansas City, and we are excited to join together to make a difference in local communities across the area through this partnership,” said Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City during the news conference. “Saint Luke’s is an industry leader in many facets including patient experience, which aligns perfectly with our core values and focus on the experience for all our fans. We look forward to teaming up on impactful initiatives that will support Saint Luke’s patients and staff as well as Sporting Kansas City players and fans as we approach an incredibly exciting year for our sport and our region in 2026.”
Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on February 21st during MLS Is Back Weekend with the team’s first of 34 regular season games. Led by Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia, Sporting Kansas City will also compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after reaching the tournament final in 2024 and previously winning U.S. Soccer’s club championship four times.
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