Hosting a World Cup team may sound like a financial win, but an official says KU Athletics expects to break even as Team Algeria trains in Lawrence this summer.
It was announced in February that Team Algeria had chosen Rock Chalk Park as its base camp. The team will arrive Sunday and start practicing Monday.
Although the World Cup is expected to bring an influx of visitors to Kansas City and the surrounding areas, KU is breaking even, according to Jason Booker, deputy athletics director.
“This is not a major money-maker for KU by any means,” Booker said. “We’re breaking even at best to provide support staff services for six weeks, and the amount of security and things that go into it.”
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He said that hosting the team is about supporting the Lawrence community and the KC26 initiative by hosting a base camp and welcoming teams.
FIFA originally reached out about five years ago to discuss a base camp in Lawrence, but the process became more official 2 1/2 years ago, Booker said. After applying to be a base camp, Booker said, KU Athletics hosted FIFA representatives to inspect the facilities. Once chosen, they began hosting countries for visits 18 months ago.
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KU offers some advantages that other facilities in the Kansas City area do not. Rock Chalk Park is about 20 minutes from the university’s charter planes in Topeka, which Team Algeria plans to use when it flies to California for its second match.
Rock Chalk Park also includes an indoor training facility for inclement weather — a key selling point for Algeria — along with weight facilities and laundry.
“We have 500 student athletes here, so it’s kind of in our fabric of what we do every day,” Booker said.
The facility was also resodded just less than a year ago for the last season.
Our news team requested additional details about the financial terms of the agreement from KU Athletics and through open records requests, but those details were not provided.
Booker said Team Algeria will stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton, bringing an estimated 90 to 100 extended-stay visitors to the city during the tournament. Heather Shull, the hotel’s general manager, declined to comment.
As for safety during the team’s stay, KU has been heavily involved in the local unified command group, which meets every Friday and includes representatives from KU’s campus police, Lawrence police, fire, medical, the Department of Homeland Security and FIFA security, Booker said.
Algeria is scheduled for three group stage matches: June 16, against Argentina, in Kansas City; June 22, against Jordan, in San Francisco; and June 27, against Austria, in Kansas City.
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Courtney Lane (she/her), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. She can be reached at [email protected].
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