Presented by the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design, in partnership with the Keystone Innovation District

Kansas City is the sports architecture capital of the world — and the 2026 World Cup is proof. Twelve of the sixteen tournament stadiums have a direct connection to Kansas City design firms and University of Kansas Architecture alumni.

To celebrate that legacy, the KU School of Architecture & Design is taking over the East Crossroads with Shaping the Future of Football — an immersive exhibition reimagining the fan-to-athlete experience and exploring how design bridges the gap between the pitch and the stands.

By merging the expertise of KU's Sports & Leisure, Design-Build, Interaction Design, and Visual Communication studios, the show treats football as a holistic ecosystem — a network of physical and digital touchpoints, each one shaped by people-centered design.

What you'll see:

• UX/UI design for smart shin guards that deliver real-time athlete performance data
• Stadium interfaces and brand identity for Atlanta's future NWSL team
• Architectural analyses of all 16 World Cup venues
• A monumental thin-shell concrete structure anchoring the exhibition — where architecture and interaction design meet

Together, the work spans the entire fan and athlete journey, demonstrating how the future of football is being redefined right here in Kansas City — one connected, intuitive moment at a time.

Register