Kansas City is adding another professional sports team with The Arena League announcement of the Kansas City Goats at a press conference on July 17, 2023.
The Goats will play games inside historic Municipal Auditorium and will be led by an ownership group consisting of Chiefs Hall of Famer Christian Okoye, George Gates of Gates Bar-B-Q and Steven St. John of Sports Radio 810 WHB.
“This arena was built almost 100 years ago,” St. John explained about the team’s name tied to paying homage to the building and history of Kansas City. “The construction of this arena happened during the Great Depression. This building kept Kansas City moving during a difficult time. The construction of this arena was pushed through by a very influential man in Kansas City history. His methods were controversial, but Tom Pendergast advanced Kansas City more than anyone even to this day.”
After announcing the team’s name would be the Goats St. John continued, “That’s also a tie to Tom Pendergast and his followers were the goat-faction. There’s a lot of history with his name and ties to the history of Kansas City and this building.”
The Goats will take the latest stab at making Kansas City a successful market for indoor football. The city previously hosted the Kansas City Brigade for three seasons from 2006-2008 before the franchise returned as the Kansas City Command for two years from 2011-2012. Other teams that have called Kansas City home include the Renegades (2013) and Phantoms (2017-2018).
Arena League commissioner Tim Brown, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Heisman Trophy winner with Notre Dame, is excited for the potential of Kansas City’s franchise with this ownership group, “This group of individuals possesses all the attributes needed to successfully run a team both on the field and off the field.”
Kansas City’s newest team will be a charter franchise in The Arena League, a new arena football league set to begin play in June 2024.
“I would like to congratulate the people of Kansas City for earning a franchise in The Arena League,” Brown said. “We decided to launch this league and wanted the community to have a voice in where we played.”
In its inaugural season, the league will also have teams in Duluth, Minnesota; Waterloo, Iowa; and Springfield, Missouri after each market won a vote involving six other possible destinations.
The people of Kansas City emphatically answered the call to become home to an Arena League franchise and submitted over a thousand name suggestions. One of the league’s main points of focus will be accessibility. With a downtown arena, games will be at a more centralized location.
“When you are at a game, you will have access to the players,” Brown said. “This is going to be a totally different league than you’ve ever seen before.”
Tickets will be affordable and fans will have the ability to come on the field after every game to get autographs from players.
The game will also look different than most other arena football. Teams will have rosters of 15 players, with six players on the field per team and expectations that players will play on both sides of the ball. Games will take place on a 50-yard field in a fast-paced without huddles and a 20-second play clock. There will be one referee on the field and two upstairs in a booth.
Until the league starts in June 2024, fans can stay updated with the Goats by visiting kcgoats.com where fans can place season tickets deposits for the inaugural season.
Kansas City Sports Magazine 