Sporting Kansas City and Saint Luke’s announced today a new multi-year partnership between the local organizations. Saint Luke’s will serve as the official health care provider and official team care provider of Sporting KC beginning with the highly anticipated 2026 Major League Soccer season.
“Our two organizations have deep roots in Kansas City, and we are excited to join together to make a difference in local communities across the area through this partnership,” said Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City. “Saint Luke’s is an industry leader in many facets including patient experience, which aligns perfectly with our core values and focus on the experience for all our fans. We look forward to teaming up on impactful initiatives that will support Saint Luke’s patients and staff as well as Sporting Kansas City players and fans as we approach an incredibly exciting year for our sport and our region in 2026.”
“As Kansas City’s health care provider for nearly 150 years, Saint Luke’s is deeply committed to supporting our community. This partnership reflects that commitment, uniting us in a shared mission to champion health, wellness, and pride across Kansas City,” said Julie Quirin, president of Saint Luke’s. “From the pitch to the stadium to every corner of our community, Saint Luke’s and Sporting Kansas City represent the great history of this area and the exciting future ahead.”
The multi-faceted partnership will be woven into the fabric of the community with touchpoints visible across the region and threads imprinted throughout the Sporting Kansas City enterprise. This includes the launch of a forthcoming health and wellness initiative as well as joint support of Saint Luke’s Foundation and The Victory Project.
The historic Saint Luke’s logo will be proudly worn as a patch on the right sleeve of Sporting KC’s primary and secondary jerseys on gamedays. In addition, the jersey fronts of Sporting Kansas City training gear and themed pre-match tops for league-wide initiatives will also feature Saint Luke’s branding, as will the training tops for Sporting KC Academy Affiliate Sporting Blue Valley.
Saint Luke’s medical staff will be embedded across the club’s pro player pathway with personnel assisting the Sporting KC Academy in MLS NEXT, Sporting KC II in MLS NEXT Pro and Sporting Kansas City’s first team at the MLS level. Likewise, Sporting Kansas City players will make monthly appearances at Saint Luke’s hospitals and events to visit with patients and employees.
The expansive partnership will be further promoted with in-stadium activations, broadcast integration and signage surrounding the super pitch at Compass Minerals National Performance Center. Saint Luke’s will also become a presenting partner for Sporting Kansas City’s preseason campaign and the team’s weekly player status report throughout the regular season.
One of Kansas City’s oldest healthcare institutions, Saint Luke’s has a prominent history dating back more than 140 years to 1882 when the organization was founded to improve hospital care within Kansas City. Saint Luke’s has since flourished into a comprehensive health care organization with 10 hospitals and campuses, multiple health service organizations, and more than 100 primary and specialty care offices.
Serving the West Region of BJC Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States, Saint Luke’s provides the highest levels of quality and compassionate health care and health-related services for patients in urban, suburban, and rural communities in 65 specialty services across 67 counties in Missouri and Kansas. Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report and is one of the elite hospitals in the region.
Sporting Kansas City will kick off the 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on Feb. 21 during MLS Is Back Weekend with the team’s first of 34 regular season games. Led by Designated Players Dejan Joveljic and Manu Garcia, Sporting Kansas City will also compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2026 after reaching the tournament final in 2024 and previously winning U.S. Soccer’s club championship four times.
The club’s 2026 preseason, presented by Saint Luke’s, will officially begin on Jan. 10 when players report for entrance physicals. Sporting will then travel to Palm Beach, Fla., from Jan. 11-31 for training sessions and scrimmages before concluding preseason in Palm Springs, Calif., from Feb. 3-14 as part of the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational.
About Saint Luke’s
Saint Luke’s serves the West Region of BJC Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States. Through its 10 hospitals and campuses, multiple health service organizations, and more than 100 primary and specialty care offices, Saint Luke’s provides the highest levels of quality and compassionate health care and health-related services for patients in urban, suburban, and rural communities in 65 specialty services across 67 counties in Missouri and Kansas. Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report and is one of the elite hospitals in the region. Saint Luke’s is committed to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education.
BJC Health is one of the largest employers in Missouri and comprises 24 hospitals and hundreds of clinics and service organizations, operating in two distinct regions, serving patients in its East Region as BJC HealthCare.
About Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is owned by Sporting Club, an entity comprised of local business and community leaders. Sporting prides itself on a commitment and vision to provide high-performance experiences. Sporting Club purchased the team from the Hunt Sports Group in 2006, and under its direction has launched Swope Soccer Village, Children's Mercy Park, Compass Minerals Sporting Fields, Compass Minerals National Performance Center and Central Bank Sporting Complex while investing in the Sporting KC Academy and Sporting Kansas City II for developing local youth into homegrown talent. A charter member of Major League Soccer, Sporting are two-time MLS Cup champions (2000, 2013) and four-time winners of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017).
