CITYPARK, the home to Major League Soccer’s St. Louis CITY SC, will host one of the most historic rivalry matches in NCAA Division I soccer when Saint Louis University (SLU) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s (SIUE) men’s teams compete for the Bronze Boot on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The game is part of an evening doubleheader which also will feature the SLU and SIUE women’s teams facing off earlier in the evening.
The women’s match will kick off at 5:00 p.m., with the men’s match kick off following at 7:30 p.m.
“The Bronze Boot is synonymous with collegiate soccer history and its impact on St. Louis is far and wide – it’s an honor for CITYPARK to be part of its story,” said Carolyn Kindle, CEO, St. Louis CITY SC. “We are excited to welcome SLU and SIUE fans to CITYPARK and watch as soccer’s superstars of tomorrow take the pitch in front of a loud hometown crowd.”
Bronze Boot History
First played in 1969, the Bronze Boot is one of NCAA’s most anticipated soccer rivalries and a strong reflection of St. Louis’ storied soccer culture. A well-attended local bout, the men’s series was held in Downtown St. Louis at Busch Stadium II from 1972-1986 to accommodate large crowds. Following a 23-year hiatus, the rivalry was re-established in 2018.
The Bronze Boot is responsible for three of the 15 largest crowds in NCAA history, with the most attended game in NCAA history being the 11th annual Bronze Boot meeting, which saw 22,512 fans watch the Billikens and the Cougars play at Busch Stadium on October 30, 1980.
“We are thrilled to showcase the Billiken men’s and women’s soccer teams at CITYPARK in September as we play SIUE,” said Chris May, Director of Athletics, Saint Louis University. “There is an unparalleled history between SLU and SIUE in men’s soccer, and we are excited to showcase the Bronze Boot match on this stage. The Billiken women’s team, which has won five consecutive A-10 conference championships, is fired up to kick off the night. We look forward to partnering with St. Louis CITY SC to showcase college soccer in their world-class facility, CITYPARK. A special thank you to Carolyn Kindle, Jason Thein, and the entire St. Louis CITY SC organization for their support in making this great event a reality.”
“SIUE Athletics is excited to partner with Saint Louis University and St. Louis CITY SC in this showcase of high-level men’s and women’s college soccer,” said Andrew Gavin, Director of Athletics, SIUE. “CITYPARK and St. Louis CITY SC are amazing new additions to our community, and the state-of-the-art CITYPARK provides a fitting venue for the next chapter of the historic Bronze Boot rivalry. Our student-athletes will be honored and excited to take the pitch and compete at CITYPARK, and we’re so grateful to Carolyn Kindle and the St. Louis CITY SC organization for providing this opportunity.”
St. Louisans and soccer greats Chris Carenza, Al Trost, Dan Flynn, Brian McBride, Tim Twellman and Ed Huneke, as well as current St. Louis CITY SC players John Klein and AJ Palazzolo, all played in the Bronze Boot during their collegiate careers.
The Billikens own a 27-9-3 advantage in the men’s overall series, including a 23-5-3 lead in the Bronze Boot series. Since the series was brought back in 2018, three out of four games have gone to overtime. The Cougars’ last win in the series came in 1982.
The women’s teams have played eight times since 2011. SLU women’s soccer has a 6-1-1 edge in the series.
Tickets
General admission tickets will go on sale to the general public Monday, July 31 at noon. (One ticket provides access to both the men’s and women’s matches.). Tickets are $20, and $10 per person for groups of 10 or more. (Please note, fees will apply.)
To purchase tickets, visit seatgeek.com.
For group tickets, visit stlcitysc.com/bronze-boot or call 314-924-6800.
Monday, July 31 – tickets on sale:
- 10:00 a.m.: St. Louis CITY SC Season Ticket Member presale
- 11:00 a.m.: St. Louis CITY SC myCITY+ Member presale
- 12:00 p.m.: On sale to general public
Mick Lite served for 12 years in the military and is now an entrepreneur and photographer. Has worked as the official scorer and social media manager for the River City Rascals, Statistician for the Missouri Monsters and St. Louis Attack arena football teams, and as the Team Photographer and social media consultant for the St. Charles Chill, SLU Hockey, St. Louis Slam, and Gateway Grizzlies.
