College Cup Q&A with Jillian Carroll Letrinko 

The 2025 NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup is set to descend upon Kansas City on Dec. 5 and 8, as the four best collegiate teams from across the country are set to do battle for a national championship. For the first time ever, the 2025 Women’s College Cup will be held at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team.  

Friday night’s first semifinal features No. 2 seed TCU, the Big 12 regular season champions making the program’s first-ever College Cup appearance, against No. 3 seed Florida State. The Seminoles are the 2023 national champions and will be making the program’s 15th College Cup appearance this weekend at CPKC Stadium.  

The second semifinal features No. 1 seed Stanford, making its third consecutive and 13th overall College Cup appearance, against No. 2 seed Duke. The Blue Devils are making their sixth College Cup appearance and second in a row.  
 
Ahead of this weekends can’t-miss action, Kansas City Current Broadcaster Jillian Carroll Letrinko — a former Division I soccer player herself at the University of Northern Iowa — shared the importance of College Cup from both a student-athlete perspective and in the overall soccer landscape of Kansas City.  
 
Q: What would it mean to play at CPKC Stadium as a collegiate athlete? 

When you’re a collegiate athlete, you have to sacrifice a lot for your team and for your sport. And some of the biggest moments are when you get to the big stages, and you get to travel to stadiums to play in championship games or cup games. So, if I could take myself back to my days playing, if I had the chance to come to CPKC Stadium to play a game, I would just be mind blown. 
 
This is not just any other stadium, it’s the first of its kind built for women and women’s soccer players. Not only is it the first of its kind, but it’s also intentionally built for women. And think about some of the players on that pitch! Some of the absolute best in the world call it their home. I think for college students, college athletes to come to CPKC Stadium, home of one of the most loud, raucous crowds and experience that atmosphere would be absolutely incredible. The fan experience is top notch, the player experience is top notch, and it’s the first of its kind for so many different reasons.  
 
I think it would be so cool, and I’m kind of jealous that some of the players get to come here as college athletes and play!  
 
Q: What does having the College Cup in Kansas City for the first time ever mean for women’s sports? 
 
The College Cup is obviously the pinnacle of collegiate women’s soccer. And having it come to Kansas City, the soccer capital of America, and be played at CPKC Stadium is going to be transformational as far as what the future of this cup holds. Because this is the first stadium built for the women’s game, built for a women’s professional soccer team, so why wouldn’t one of the biggest tournaments, the College Cup, be played there?  
 
Q: What makes College Cup a can’t-miss event for Kansas City sports fans? 

Kansas City, you have to come out and catch some of the College Cup at CPKC Stadium. This is going to be some very high-level soccer, I mean these women are going to be pros in the next few years. Who knows, maybe you’ll catch a game and see the next Lo’eau LaBonta, Michelle Cooper, Mary Long, right here on the pitch at CPKC Stadium. These games are going to be top-tier, and we just might see some of these athletes in the NWSL in the next few years.  
 
Kansas City is such a sports town, we all know it’s the soccer capital of America, and a lot of that is the way we show up for matches. These athletes deserve that when they’re come to Kansas City. It’s really important that Kansas City shows up and shows out for College Cup this weekend! 
 
Tickets for the College Cup Semifinals and Championship are available for purchase. More ticketing information, including information on purchasing parking passes and additional ticketing packages, can be found HERE.