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| Formerly | OnGoal, LLC |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , United States |
Sporting Club,[1] formerlyOnGoal, LLC, is a group ofKansas City investors that owns or represents a portfolio of athletic organizations under the Sporting Club umbrella. Its flagship property isMajor League Soccer franchiseSporting Kansas City.
Sporting Club consists of four principals: Clifford Illig (co-founder and vice-chairman of the Cerner board), Greg Maday (CEO of SpecChem), Robb Heineman (CEO of Sporting Club), andKansas City Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes, who joined the ownership group in 2021.[2] Pat Curran (founder of C3 Holdings) andNeal Patterson (CEO and co-founder of theCerner Corporation) were prior partners before dying in 2017[3] and 2024, respectively.[4]
On August 31, 2006, Sporting Club bought the Wizards from their previous owner,Lamar Hunt, for about $20 million, shortly before Hunt's death that December. In June 2007, Sporting Club opened a world-class training center atSwope Soccer Village. The training facility was developed through a public-private partnership between the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department and Sporting Club.[5] In December 2007, Sporting Club received approval for approximately $275 million of public financing to create asoccer-specific stadium inKansas City, Kansas.
In October 2015, the club announced the formation ofSwope Park Rangers, aUnited Soccer League club serving as the senior team's reserve squad.[6] The team is now known as Sporting Kansas City II and started competing in theMLS Next Pro league in 2022.
The Sporting KC Academy was formed in 2007, and the development program consists of six teams: U12s, U13s, U14s, U15s, U17s, and U19s. The U15s, U17s, & U19s teams compete as members of theU.S. Soccer Development Academy. SKC academy players have the opportunity to eventually join the Sporting Kansas City first team without going through the MLS draft process. SKC academy home games are played at the Sporting Club Training Center.
The club maintains theSporting Club Network, with clubs in Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Arkansas.[7]
In October 2015, the club was linked to a potential purchase ofBarclays Premier League clubEverton F.C. for $347 million.[8] Heineman addressed these rumors and confirmed that they had been interested in buying Everton and explored it in August but never entered serious talks to buy. Heineman didn't rule out the prospect of a future takeover of a Premier League club.