Photo by: Hoi Nei Haokip
Tulsa’s Alex Cunningham Signs with Sporting KC
2/10/2026 2:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa sophomore Alex Cunningham signed a professional contract with Sporting KC, the club announced Monday.
Cunningham, a Springfield, Mo. product, will compete for the team following his second season at Tulsa, where he started 16 matches for the Golden Hurricane. He returns to the top level of his home organization after playing club soccer with the Sporting KC Academy prior to his time at Tulsa.
Over his career with the Golden Hurricane, Cunningham started all 31 matches he appeared in, totaling three goals and two assists while contributing to four career shutouts.
This past season, Cunningham scored the lone goal in the conference opener against Charlotte and recorded both of his career assists, coming against Memphis and FIU. In postseason play, he netted the tying goal against South Florida in the first round of the American Championship, helping Tulsa advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2021.
As a freshman, Cunningham finished the year ranked as the 78th-best freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer and earned a spot on the American Conference All-Freshman Team. He was named American Conference Freshman of the Week once and was also selected to the American Conference All-Academic Team in 2024. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, he was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Freshman Best XI.
"We're incredibly excited for Alex to earn this opportunity to play at the next level, and I'm grateful for everything he gave to our program," said head coach Tom McIntosh. "Alex chose Tulsa because of our track record of helping players reach the professional level while receiving a top-tier education. Our program allows student-athletes who sign professional contracts to return and complete their degree after competing at a high level, and Alex fully embraced that process both on the field and in the classroom. Now it's time for him to take the next step, and we wish him continued success in his professional career!"
Cunningham, a Springfield, Mo. product, will compete for the team following his second season at Tulsa, where he started 16 matches for the Golden Hurricane. He returns to the top level of his home organization after playing club soccer with the Sporting KC Academy prior to his time at Tulsa.
Over his career with the Golden Hurricane, Cunningham started all 31 matches he appeared in, totaling three goals and two assists while contributing to four career shutouts.
This past season, Cunningham scored the lone goal in the conference opener against Charlotte and recorded both of his career assists, coming against Memphis and FIU. In postseason play, he netted the tying goal against South Florida in the first round of the American Championship, helping Tulsa advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2021.
As a freshman, Cunningham finished the year ranked as the 78th-best freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer and earned a spot on the American Conference All-Freshman Team. He was named American Conference Freshman of the Week once and was also selected to the American Conference All-Academic Team in 2024. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, he was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Freshman Best XI.
"We're incredibly excited for Alex to earn this opportunity to play at the next level, and I'm grateful for everything he gave to our program," said head coach Tom McIntosh. "Alex chose Tulsa because of our track record of helping players reach the professional level while receiving a top-tier education. Our program allows student-athletes who sign professional contracts to return and complete their degree after competing at a high level, and Alex fully embraced that process both on the field and in the classroom. Now it's time for him to take the next step, and we wish him continued success in his professional career!"
Players Mentioned
Defender
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