Sporting KC president and CEO Jake Reid wins 2024 MLS Executive of the Year award
It has been a monumental year for soccer in Kansas City. Between the opening of CPKC Stadium to the Lionel Messi and Copa America games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, there is real traction as the 2026 World Cup approaches.
And despite a lack of success on the field for Sporting KC in 2024, one man is being recognized for his work off of it.
On Monday, Sporting KC president and CEO Jake Reid was named the Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year. The honor is Major League Soccer’s annual award for business leadership.
In an interview with The Star, Reid said he was “surprised” when he received the call informing him he had won the award as “these aren’t things I think about over the course of the year.”
“For me, these are a great spotlight for the organization, what the team has done here,” Reid said. “I know that’s a sports cliché, but it’s not about me. Obviously, I couldn’t have done what I did without a great supporting cast. So, I’m excited for the group and the ownership team.”
Reid joined the team in 2010 and has served as the club’s president and CEO for the last seven years, overseeing its business operations. Major League Soccer’s news release noted the club set new records in ticket sales and sponsorship, merchandise and concessions revenue.
One place to look for those records was the match on April 13, when Sporting KC returned to Arrowhead for the first time since 2010 and for a league match for the first time since 2007. Despite a 3-2 loss, 72,610 fans packed Arrowhead to watch Sporting KC take on Lionel Messi and the star-studded Inter Miami CF team.
It was the highest-attended match in Major League Soccer this season, the largest attendance for a soccer match in Missouri history and the fourth-highest attendance in MLS history. It also brought the largest ticketing revenue of any match during the 2024 MLS regular season.
While that is one of the many outward-facing accomplishments of 2024 that Reid takes pride in, he also noted the club’s move of its main offices from the Crossroads Arts District to the River Market into a new 30,000-square-foot space.
The club made the move in April, and Reid noted the impact it had on the organization.
“It has been a huge culture boost for the staff and the organization and a real sense of pride for everybody who works here,” Reid said. “It has been really exciting to see everyone get into the space and really thrive here through the course of the year.”
Among other accomplishments, Reid and the club are proud of the improvements they made to Children’s Mercy Park this year. The south stand scoreboard was completely redone, the lighting was overhauled — including a new and larger LED ribbon board of the East Stand — and fan entry was eased with a new security scan system.
Reid says more improvements will be made in the offseason, particularly focused on the match-day experience.
“Our job is to try to put the best experience out there for our fans whether we win, lose or draw,” Reid said. “Make no mistake, it’s a lot more fun for everybody when we win. But our job is to make sure we show up every day regardless of that and put on a great show. Whether that’s an event in the community, a match, or (the fans) engaging anywhere in between.”
Major League Soccer’s 2024 season officially came to a close on Saturday, as the Los Angeles Galaxy won a record sixth MLS Cup with a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls.
While the 2025 MLS schedule has not been announced yet, Sporting KC will play its first game during the first week of February, as the club qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup by reaching the 2024 U.S. Open Cup Final. The date and opponent will be known after the draw takes place Tuesday, December 10.
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.