Pro Football Rumors
Over the past few days, indications have emerged that the Chiefs would finalize an agreement to relocate to Kansas. On Monday, that news became official.
A new stadium will be built for the team in Kansas City, Kansas, as first reported by Matthew Kelly and Sofi Zelman of the Kansas City Star. The Chiefs have since confirmed the news, ensuring the franchise will depart its longtime home (Jackson County, Missouri) in the relatively near future. The team will begin playing in Kansas in 2031.
“Today we are excited to take another momentous step for the future of the franchise,” a statement from Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt reads in part. “We have entered into an agreement with the State of Kansas to host Chiefs football beginning with the 2031 NFL season. In the years ahead, we look forward to designing and building a state-of-the-art domed stadium and mixed-use district in Wyandotte County, and a best-in-class training facility, team headquarters, and mixed-use district in Olathe.
“I want to thank the State of Kansas, and its legislative leaders. We have a lot more work to do to make this vision a reality, and I am excited to pursue this project together. I also want to thank the State of Missouri, Jackson County, and the City of Kansas City for their long-standing partnership. I look forward to watching Chiefs football at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium together over the next five seasons.”
A Kansas City Star report from this past Friday noted how discussions between the Chiefs and Kansas legislators were set to take place. At that point, no deal had been finalized but there were strong indications an agreement could be struck. It is now official, thanks to a unanimous vote which took place earlier today. The proposed stadium deal was worked out by Chiefs officials along with Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland on behalf of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
In 2024, a measure aimed at generating $800MM in funding for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium failed to pass. Chiefs president Mark Donovan made it clear shortly before that development the team would explore relocating in the event of the measure being voted down. Rather than mere posturing, Donovan’s comments have proven to be quite substantive given today’s news.
Last April, Dallas mayor Eric Johnson publicly called for the Chiefs to return to Dallas, where the franchise originated prior to its rebranding in 1962. Nothing pointing to such a move transpired afterwards, but the Chiefs will nevertheless be on the move once their existing lease expires following the 2030 campaign. By July 2024, the state legislature in Kansas had passed a bill allowing for the funding of a new stadium. Since then, a relocation deal has loomed as a distinct possibility.
The Chiefs have called Arrowhead home since 1972. The franchise first played at Municipal Stadium upon relocating from Dallas, but the departure of Major League Baseball’s Athletics and the arrival of the Royals prompted the construction of a new, larger stadium....
