A USL Championship club will rebrand prior to the 2020 season, as the Swope Park Rangers will become Sporting Kansas City II.
The Rangers have played under their current name since their inaugural 2016 season, but are now set for a change. Beginning with the 2020 campaign, the club will play as Sporting Kansas City II, effectively aligning its brand with MLS parent Sporting Kansas City.
As noted, the name change will go into effect for the 2020 season, so the club will carry the Rangers branding through the end of the 2019 campaign. More from SportingKc.com:
“With the emergence of Sporting Kansas City II, all members of our player pathway will effectively represent the same club, whether they compete in MLS, the USL or the Academy,” said Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes. “The development of young talent is a crucial part of our organization’s vision, and we are excited about the role Sporting II will continue to play moving forward.”….
Founded in October 2015 as Sporting’s USL Championship affiliate, the Swope Park Rangers are nearing the conclusion of their fourth season. SPR reached the USL Cup Final as Western Conference champions in 2016 and 2017 before returning to the playoffs last year.
The club played its first two seasons at the Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, MO. It has staged 2019 home matches at Sporting KC’s Children’s Mercy Park, which is located in Kansas City, KS.
Image courtesy Sporting KC.