Total Pro Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs are overwhelming winners of their new stadium, which is slated to open in 2031.
On Monday, news broke that the Kansas City Chiefs will relocate from Kansas City, Missouri, to Kansas City, Kansas. This will make them the third NFL team to relocate out of Missouri, joining the St. Louis Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams).
The AFC West club has played at Arrowhead Stadium since 1972, but will move into a domed stadium in Wyandotte County, approximately 12.6 miles away from Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs’ new home will consist of at least 65,000 seats.
As Chiefs fans in Missouri know, it was strictly a business decision by the football team and Kansas officials. However, a deeper dive into the stadium deal reveals just how significant a victory this is for Clark Hunt’s franchise.
Entrepreneur Joe Pompliano read the terms for the Kansas City Chiefs’ new stadium and made some interesting points that show how the football team is winning the agreement in place. The state of Kansas? Not so much.
More from Pompliano:
“Kansas is essentially giving the Chiefs $3 billion (stadium funding + mixed-use development funding + tax incentives), yet getting virtually nothing in return. The Chiefs get to keep 100% of the revenue from all stadium activities, including ticket sales, concessions, sponsorships, naming rights deals, personal seat licenses, and more.
That applies to NFL games and all other events (concerts, basketball games, etc.). Kansas will own the stadium, with the Chiefs paying $7 million in rent annually. But that money doesn’t go back to the state; it goes into an account the Chiefs can use for renovations, repairs, and operational expenses.”
Arrowhead Stadium is the third-oldest venue in the NFL, behind Soldier Field (Chicago Bears, which opened in 1924) and Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers, opened in 1957).
The new stadium plan is a marquee story in the 2025 season that has quickly gone downhill in Kansas City.
Although the Chiefs are the big winners, the state of Kansas will also benefit from a significant economic boost. There’s no telling how many football fans outside the Midwest will be coming to see the team in their shiny new stadium.
News of Kansas City’s new stadium comes amid a forgettable season that is easily the most disappointing in franchise history. Patrick Mahomes suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a must-win Week 16 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
At 6-9, the Chiefs have already clinched their first losing season since 2012 and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. They’ll also be out of the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2017.
