UMKC Roos basketball tips off downtown
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Roo up! Photo: Chloe Gonzales/Axios
The University of Missouri-Kansas City men's and women's basketball teams are tipping off their season Friday night at Municipal Auditorium for the first time since 2019.
Why it matters: Expect a lot more Roos downtown as students and fans put the streetcar — and the highly anticipated new coach of the men's team — to the test.
The latest: City council last week named UMKC Athletics as Kansas City's hometown D1 program.
State of play: UMKC's men's team went 4-27 last season and has never made it to the NCAA tournament.
- New coach Mark Turgeon, who turned a struggling Wichita State into a powerhouse, is expected to raise the Roos' rank.
- The women's team last season didn't fare much better at 7-23.
What they're saying: Playing at Municipal Auditorium "will be a game-changer for our program," Turgeon said in a statement in May.
- "We'll need KC to show up and support its hometown team," he told Axios earlier this year.
Context: The Roos played on campus the past five seasons. A new deal with the city, announced earlier this year, will bring them back to the historic 90-year-old venue, which hosted the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship in the spring.
- The streetcar's extension to campus that opened in 2025 will make it easier for students and faculty on campus to get downtown and back.
Follow the money: Both the city and the university are hoping to cash in. Kansas City is on the hook to reimburse up to $650,000 for renovations at Municipal Auditorium, including a coach's suite, KCUR reported.
- UMKC will share sponsorship profits in return, with 35% going to the city.
- That's not to mention the influx of fans spending money at bars and restaurants along the route.
If you go: The women's team plays Wichita State at 5:30 pm Friday, followed by the men's team versus Southern Illinois at 7:30pm.
- Tickets start at $10.