Mayor Lucas and UMKC Announce Roos Basketball's Return to Historic Municipal Auditorium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Mayor Quinton Lucas and the University of Missouri-Kansas City today announced that Kansas City Roos basketball will return to Municipal Auditorium, bringing Kansas City's hometown university team back to one of the city's most storied venues. The partnership marks a new era for Roos athletics and a defining moment for downtown Kansas City.

Opened in 1935 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Municipal Auditorium has served as the backdrop for generations of Kansas City's most iconic moments. Under the partnership, the Art Deco-style arena will be transformed into a modern home for Roos basketball while honoring its architectural legacy and its central place in the city's story.

"Municipal Auditorium is one of the great civic treasures of Kansas City, and bringing Roos basketball back home is great for our city," said Mayor Lucas. "The Kansas City Streetcar gives students, faculty, and fans a direct link between campus and the Auditorium, deepening the bond between our university and the heart of Kansas City."

"The Kansas City Municipal Auditorium sits right in the heart of downtown, energized by the action surrounding it," said City Manager Mario Vasquez. "As the Roos basketball program continues to grow, we're proud to show up for our hometown team and welcome them into this historic venue."

The Roos are no stranger to Municipal Auditorium. The team played its first game there on Nov. 30, 1987 vs. Rice University, and then occasionally in subsequent years until they moved in full time from the 2013-14 season through the 2018-19 season. After that, the Roos returned fully to the Swinney Center on the UMKC Volker Campus where they have played until now, building up regular season attendance at men's and women's basketball to record highs. With new coaching staffs, a renewed sense of direction and the KC Streetcar, UMKC is making a triumphant return to Municipal.

Planned enhancements to Municipal Auditorium will elevate the fan experience and position the venue as a true destination for Kansas City basketball fans.

"UMKC has always been Kansas City's top university, and now our basketball program will call Kansas City's most iconic arena home," said Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal. "Being part of a constellation of athletic excellence in the heart of downtown is a transformative moment for our students, our program, and our city."

"This is a defining moment for Kansas City athletics and for our student-athletes," said Dr. Brandon Martin, UMKC Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics. "Municipal Auditorium gives our programs the opportunity to compete on a bigger stage in the heart of downtown while creating an unmatched experience for our fans, recruits and the entire Kansas City community. We are building something special at UMKC, and this partnership reflects the energy, ambition and momentum surrounding Roos basketball."