In this Hearings newsletter:

1. How Lawrence could get involved in the 2026 World Cup 👀

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EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Hearing: KU and the 2026 World Cup 🌎🏆

I’m Hearing FIFA officials visited Memorial Stadium and Rock Chalk Park earlier this month to consider including Lawrence in its 2026 World Cup festivities. This could be a significant development as the Kansas Athletic Department continues to re-imagine the events that its soon-to-be-renovated football stadium could hold.

The current idea proposes Lawrence as a home base for two World Cup teams. I’ve even Heard Memorial Stadium could host World Cup friendlies — or other notable soccer matches — if it can make the field big enough for FIFA Compliance.

Serving as a “home base” for World Cup teams means Lawrence would host virtually all of the clubs’ operations for the entirety of their participation in the Tournament. This would include trainings and events during an electric time for the entire country.

I’ve Heard Cliff Illig, Sporting KC owner, and a major player in bringing the 2026 World Cup to Kansas City, has pushed for including Lawrence in the events. The idea would stretch the World Cup across the region, beyond just Arrowhead Stadium and deeper into Kansas. I’ve even Heard Illig has met with football coach Lance Leipold as the stadium rebuild nears.

It’s not a guarantee that Lawrence will host any matches, or even the teams. If the city isn’t paying to host the events, it could cause tension in other cities or states contributing more money for the tournament.

Still, these conversations have been going on for some time. I first mentioned the possibility in October.

Again, this is not a sure thing. But it is being discussed. I’ll keep you posted as the situation continues to develop.

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