Kansas City Roos
Kansas City Roos | |
---|---|
University | University of Missouri–Kansas City |
Conference | WAC (Summit League in 2020) |
NCAA | Division I |
Athletic director | Brandon Martin |
Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
Varsity teams | 16 |
Basketball arena | Swinney Recreation Center (men and women) |
Softball stadium | Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex[1] |
Soccer stadium | Durwood Soccer Stadium |
Other venues | Plaza Tennis Center[2] Hy-vee Arena (Track & field) |
Mascot | Kasey Kangaroo |
Nickname | Kangaroos or Roos |
Colors | Blue and gold[3] |
Website | umkckangaroos |
The Kansas City Roos, known before July 1, 2019 as the UMKC Kangaroos and also sometimes called the Kansas City Kangaroos,[4] are the intercollegiate teams representing the University of Missouri–Kansas City that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The Roos have been members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) since 2013, but will leave that league in July 2020 to return to their previous conference home of the Summit League.
Nickname
The name was chosen in the 1930s for the school's debate team, following the acquisition of two baby kangaroos by the Kansas City Zoo.[5]
Sports sponsored
A member of the Western Athletic Conference, but preparing to rejoin the Summit League in 2020,[6] the University of Missouri–Kansas City sponsors seven men's and nine women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports.[7]
Men's sports | Women's sports |
---|---|
Basketball | Basketball |
Cross country | Cross country |
Golf | Golf |
Soccer | Soccer |
Tennis | Softball |
Track and field† | Tennis |
Track and field† | |
Volleyball | |
† = Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. |
Name note
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",[8] and officially unveiled its full rebranding as the Kansas City Roos on July 1 of that year.[4]
While its current conference, the WAC, has used "UMKC", its previous conference, The Summit League, persisted in using "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.[4]
The national media had been inconsistent in usage prior to the 2019 rebranding.
References
- ^ Missouri 3&2
- ^ "Plaza Tennis Center - UMKC Athletics". Umkckangaroos.com. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
- ^ Kansas City Athletics Visual Identity Guide (PDF). July 1, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c "UMKC Athletics Completes New Brand Identity" (Press release). Kansas City Athletics. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Evolution of the kangaroo". Retrieved 2011-12-29.
- ^ "Summit League welcomes back UMKC". The Summit League. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
- ^ "UMKC Roos". University of Missouri-Kansas City. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- ^ "UMKC Athletics Launches New Brand Identity" (Press release). UMKC Kangaroos. June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.