The Kansas City Roos, known before July 1, 2019, as the UMKC Kangaroos and also sometimes called the Kansas City Kangaroos, are the intercollegiate teams representing the

University of Missouri–Kansas City The University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) is a public research university in Kansas City, Missouri. UMKC is part of the University of Missouri System and one of only two member universities with a medical school. As of 2020, the university ...

that compete in the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

's Division I. The Roos formerly competed in the

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas. Due to mos ...

(WAC) but, as of July 1, 2020 the Kansas City Roos became members of the

Summit League The Summit League, or The Summit, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic conference with its membership mostly located in the Midwestern United States from Illinois on the East of the Mississippi River to the Dakotas and Nebraska on the W ...

in all 14 varsity sports.

Sports

As a member of the

the University of Missouri–Kansas City sponsors seven men's and nine women's teams in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

-sanctioned sports.

Soccer

Among the notable Roos soccer players have been goalkeepers Kevin Corby (

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a North American professional indoor soccer league. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. MASL is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. MASL players ...

and

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

(USL)) and Connor Sparrow ( Major League Soccer and USL), defenders

Coady Andrews Coady Andrews (born January 31, 1989) is a former American soccer player who last played for Oklahoma City Energy. Career After splitting time with MidAmerica Nazarene University and University of Missouri–Kansas City, Andrews spent time with ...

( Major Indoor Soccer League, USL) and Roberto Albuquerque (USL), forwards Levi Coleman (USL,

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially affiliated to the Uni ...

(NPSL)), Eric McWoods ( League of Ireland Premier Division), and Jordan Rideout (USL), and midfielders Manny Catano (

USISL United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

, Eastern Indoor Soccer League, and the NPSL), Jony Muñoz (2020 Gatorade Boys' Soccer Player of the Year) and Bryan Pérez (

United States Soccer Federation The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...

and USL). Former professional soccer player

Ryan Pore Ryan Pore (born September 23, 1983 in Mansfield, Ohio) is an American former professional soccer player and the current head men's soccer coach of he Kansas City Roos men's soccer team at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Career Youth a ...

has been the head coach of the Roos men's soccer team since January 2020. The team was a member of the NCAA Division I

from 1994 to 2013, and won the league men's soccer championships in 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2010. It then played seven seasons in the NCAA Division I

, returning to the Summit League in 2020. The team set an NCAA record on October 12, 2001, with the fastest trio of goals scored in Division I soccer during the MLS era, by scoring three times in 1:46 against

Valparaiso University Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...

Conference affiliations

* 1969–70 to 1985–86 – NAIA Independent * 1986–87 to 1993–94 – NCAA Division I Independent * 1994–95 to 2012–13 –

* 2013–14 to 2019–20 –

* 2020–21 to present – Summit League

Name

The nickname was chosen in the 1930s for the school's

debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...

team, following the acquisition of two baby kangaroos by the Kansas City Zoo. The school has long branded itself for athletic purposes as "UMKC", but in June 2019, shortly before it announced its return to the Summit League, it unveiled a new logo and branding strategy emphasizing "Kansas City", and officially unveiled its full rebranding as the Kansas City Roos on July 1 of that year. While its previous conference, the WAC, used "UMKC", its current conference, the Summit League, uses "Kansas City". As part of the 2019 rebranding, the program is now known as Kansas City Athletics. Teams will be known as the Kansas City Roos, with "Roos" having long been used as a short form for the historic nickname of Kangaroos. The national media had been inconsistent in usage prior to the 2019 rebranding.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Umkc Kangaroos