The athletic program of the University of Missouri–Kansas City was renamed the Kansas City Roos on July 1, 2019. Before that, the team was known as the UMKC Kangaroos or the Kansas City Kangaroos.
The genesis of the UMKC Kangaroos can be traced back to the foundational period of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, marking the start of a significant chapter in collegiate sports history. This inception was not merely the birth of a sports team but the commencement of a legacy that would intertwine with the university’s identity. Throughout their journey, the Kangaroos have been a beacon of athletic excellence. Their story is peppered with remarkable feats across various sports, with exceptional performances in basketball, soccer, and tennis standing out. These milestones have not only heightened UMKC’s stature in the realm of college sports but have also knitted a fabric of unity and pride within the university community.
Fast forward to the present, the UMKC Kangaroos continue to be a formidable force in collegiate athletics. Their trajectory is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence, adaptability to the dynamic nature of college sports, and an unwavering commitment to sportsmanship. Today, they are not just participants but trendsetters in the collegiate sports arena, continuously redefining excellence and inspiring future generations.
What is UMKC Kangaroos?
UMKC Kangaroos is the name of a college athletic program from the University of Missouri — Kansas City. The program was established at the beginning of the 1930s and today competes in eight various sports disciplines, with 14 teams (men’s and women’s).
The Kangaroos logo created in 1987 featured a cool and modern abstract image of the kangaroo’s silhouette in blue with some white horizontal lines on it, symbolizing motion and speed. The emblem was placed between the text lines — the enlarged geometric “UMKC” in yellow with a thin blue outline, and the “Kangaroos” in blue extended sans-serif.
The redesign of 2005 introduced a new drawing of a kangaroo. This time it was a more caricaturish image, with the yellow animal wearing a blue jersey with a yellow “UMKC” inscription on it. The animal looked determined and reflected power and willingness to fight. This version only stayed with the teams for a couple of years.
In 2008 the concept was changed again. The logotype in two levels — with the stylized blue “UMKC” in a thin black outline, placed above the “Roos” in black custom sans-serif. The smooth lines were balanced by the sharp angles of the letters. The next part of the visual identity was accompanied by a yellow jumping kangaroo image, which was drawn in profile facing to the right.
The updated UMKC Kangaroos logo, which has been introduced together with the new name, features the head and the upper part of the torso of a kangaroo. Below, you can see the words “University of Missouri” in smaller letters and “Kansas City” in large yellow letters.
BLUE
PANTONE: PMS 301
HEX COLOR: #005293;
RGB: (95,37,159)
CMYK: (76,96,0,0)
YELLOW
PANTONE: PMS 116
HEX COLOR: #FECB00;
RGB: (254,203,0)
CMYK: (0,18,74,1)
BLACK
PANTONE: PMS BLACK C
HEX COLOR: #000000;
RGB: (0,0,0)
CMYK: (0,0,0,100)
GRAY
PANTONE: PMS COOL GRAY 1 C
HEX COLOR: #DCDDDE;
RGB: (220,221,222)
CMYK: (0,0,0,15)