Sporting Kansas City II announced today that the club has signed 24-year-old defender and former Indiana University star Spencer Glass to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract, pending league and U.S. Soccer Federation approval. The left back has joined Sporting KC II for the team’s first season in MLS NEXT Pro, a new professional league that will debut this spring.
Glass enjoyed a brilliant five-year college career at Indiana, where he amassed 11 goals and 24 assists in 93 appearances as a Hoosier. The left back was a three-time All-Big Ten honoree and a 2020-21 United Soccer Coaches third team All-American who guided Indiana to three NCAA College Cup appearances as well as three straight Big Ten Championship regular season and tournament doubles spanning the 2018, 2019 and 2020-21 campaigns.
A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Glass developed in the Indiana Fire Academy and notably competed for the Chicago Fire in the 2013-14 Generation adidas Cup. He made 18 appearances in his debut season with the Hoosiers, recording a goal and four assists as Indiana fell to Stanford in the national championship game.
Indiana made its second straight College Cup appearance in 2018, winning the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles as Glass appeared in all 24 matches and hit career-highs with five goals and eight assists. The Hoosiers repeated as conference champions in 2019, with Glass starting all 22 matches and adding three goals and four assists.
The 2020-21 campaign saw Glass start Indiana’s first eight matches before missing the rest of the season through injury. Despite the setback, he was named a United Soccer Coaches third team All-American and the Hoosiers finished as national runners-up to Marshall.
In his fifth and final college season last fall, Glass started 19 of 21 matches and helped the Indiana backline post 13 shutouts, including a streak of seven straight clean sheets in October. He tallied three assists and two goals in his farewell campaign, with both goals coming in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Glass was also an All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Tournament Team selection.
Last month, Glass was one of 10 finalists in NCAA Division I men’s soccer for the Senior CLASS Award, an honor that recognizes student athletes for their impact as community leaders. In the classroom, he was a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and a four-time All-Big Ten Academic Team selection.
On Saturday, Glass started and played 45 minutes for Sporting Kansas City’s first team in a 0-0 friendly draw against the Colorado Rapids in Tucson, Arizona.
Glass is one of three Sporting KC II players under professional contract for the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season alongside defender Aljaz Dzankic and midfielder Jahon Rad, both of whom have also spent the last two weeks competing with Sporting in Arizona.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II signs defender Spencer Glass to an MLS NEXT Pro professional contract.
VITALS
Spencer Glass
Position: Defender
Born: 1/23/1998 (24 years old)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 165 lbs.
Hometown: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Birthplace: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Citizenship: USA
College: Indiana University
Twitter: @Spencer_Glass21
Instagram: @spencerglass21
