KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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A behind-the-scenes look at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, previews the amenities it would offer to a 2026 World Cup team if it's chosen by a country as a training site.
Rock Chalk Park is home to the University of Kansas women's soccer and softball teams, but its amenities can serve teams on the road: a laundry room, a medical room, a weight training room, and what Jason Booker with KU Athletics calls a locker room made for match days.
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"I think they (countries) were a little bit surprised because they've seen some photos and things like that, but until you actually walk the facility, they were like, 'Oh, OK, now I get it,'" Booker, KU deputy athletic director for external revenue, said. "These are large countries you would consider the A-class of soccer."
Booker said two countries have toured the facility, and KU anticipates several more tours throughout the year.
"Getting the read on their faces, it felt like it was very special, made us feel like we were onto something, that we were really going to do a great job being able to host," he said.
Booker serves on the executive board of the Kansas City Sports Commission.
"I think what's unique about this market is the opportunity to potentially host three base camps," he said. "Two in Kansas City and one here (Lawrence), and we really consider ourselves as part of the Kansas City market."
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He said countries touring base camps seem interested in Midwest sites due to their centralized location and distance from both coasts.
But, it wasn't just the countries impressed by the tour, according to Booker. He said officials with FIFA took notice of the pitch.
“They came out and did a soil sample and said it would hold up to any English Premier League soccer pitch," he said. "They were almost surprised when they came out and walked on the field, and they kind of looked at each other and were like, ‘Is this really a college soccer field?’”
Booker also mentioned Rock Chalk Park's proximity to Lawrence Memorial Health West Campus and Topeka Regional Airport, where KU teams charter planes for sporting events, as external but nearby amenities for a team.
Booker said resources from the University of Kansas could help with hosting an international team, and the university itself could benefit from being in the spotlight.
"To be able to showcase this facility, we hope it will help with future recruiting, not only of student athletes but students on campus from an international perspective," he said.
Booker said on open practice days, fans could fill the 2,000 seats around the pitch, and an additional 4,000 could watch from the lawn that surrounds the field.
Booker is planning alongside the City of Lawrence, which he said could see thousands of soccer fans next summer.
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