(March 2, 2023) - Sporting Kansas City II has announced that for a second straight year, the club will host home matches at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, and Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri, for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.
Rock Chalk Park will host all Sporting KC II home matches from the start of the season in late March through mid-August, then will play all remaining MLS NEXT Pro home matches at Swope Soccer Village.
Sporting KC II, one of 21 founding members of MLS NEXT Pro, is gearing up for the second season in the league. Seven new clubs will join MLS NEXT Pro this year, bringing the total number of clubs to 28. SKC II will compete in the Frontier Division of the Western Conference.
Considered one of the top soccer facilities in the Big 12 Conference, Rock Chalk Park opened in 2014 and hosts the KU soccer, track and field, softball and tennis teams. Conveniently located near the conjunction of I-70 and K-10, the natural grass surface hosted SKC II on eight occasions last year.
The stadium features a players’ lounge, athletic training room, equipment room and multi-level press box for broadcasts and media members. Sporting KC II and the University of Kansas sports management program will continue to work closely together, providing students with real-world experiences.
Led by head coach Benny Feilhaber and assistant coach Ike Opara, both long-time Sporting KC fan-favorites and U.S. Men’s National Team players, Sporting KC II will feature MLS players on loan from Sporting Kansas City, top Sporting KC Academy prospects and a core of MLS NEXT Pro players.
Current SKC II Roster (as of March 2, 2023):
- Goalkeepers (1): Ethan Bandre
- Defenders (8): Mo Abualnadi, Aljaz Dzankic, Coby Jones, Mikey Lenis,
Nassim Mekideche, Jahon Rad, Lucas Rosa, Diedie Traore - Midfielders (3): Ethan Bryant, Josh Coan, Enzo Mauriz,
- Forwards (5): Bakary Bagayoko, Andrew Draper, Yeison Mejia, Amadou Traore, Pau Vidal
Sporting KC II will return to Swope Soccer Village in August for the remainder of the MLS NEXT Pro season. Children’s Mercy Victory Field hosted the club’s first two seasons in 2016 and 2017 as the team won back-to-back USL Championship Western Conference titles. The team returned to Swope for four matches last season.
Sporting KC II’s 2023 regular season schedule will be announced in the coming days. Tickets will be available to purchase online via SeatGeek at a later date. All Sporting KC season ticket members will receive complimentary tickets to Sporting KC II matches upon request.
