The Kansas City Chiefs have always been a trendsetter. Once they arrived in town in 1963, when I was just over a year old, little did I know I’d love this franchise. I’ve been around this football team my whole life, and now I get to see firsthand the construction of a new cathedral in Wyandotte County as the Chiefs move across state lines.
The announcement today by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly should not surprise anyone who has followed her political career. She did something Missouri could never accomplish to gain support from Democrats and Republicans to ensure the deal to lure the Kansas City Chiefs from Missouri to Kansas.
Today’s announcement will see the Chiefs play their final season at Arrowhead in 2030. In the massive new stadium, the surrounding infrastructure will likely include a Casino Hotel, Shops, Restaurants, and potentially apartments or condos, making it a destination location for the region.
The state of Missouri did what it could to show it had a plan, but in the end, it could never raise enough money to surpass Kansas’s offer. In recent days, after the Chiefs and the state of Kansas reached an agreement on Friday, the state of Missouri presented a more detailed plan to the Chiefs, but it was too late.
Listen, I could lay plenty of blame on the political infrastructure in Kansas City and Jefferson City, but Missouri chose the emotional connection of the Truman Sports Complex over a solid financial business plan that relied heavily on county taxes.
The Kansas plan, which will include a new training facility and corporate office for the Chiefs in Olathe, Kansas, will be financed by state and business leaders without asking taxpayers for a dime.
The news has some Chiefs fans upset, but the NFL is a business, and, as Clark Hunt stated in his comments today, he’s always viewed his family as one with big ideas and willing to take risks.
Lamar Hunt moved the team from Dallas and spearheaded the drive for a modern new stadium at the Truman Sports Complex. Once considered the jewel of the two-stadium plan, the Chiefs and the Royals spent over five decades together.
It’s not known what the baseball team will do, but most believe they are headed to Overland Park, Kansas, once they work out a few more details.
On this day, with the Chiefs out of the playoffs and limping toward the end of the season, this move will ultimately be an excellent boon for Kansas and the Chiefs. I do not doubt that if Missouri had Governor Kelly’s leadership, it would have stayed in Kansas City.
She played Kansas politics, where people didn’t care which side of the aisle you posted your flag. She commanded a bipartisan plan that turned this moment from a dream to reality.
There were so many hands in this cookie jar, and while many doubted the Chiefs would leave Missouri, perhaps they didn’t understand the business of professional sports.
This deal will allow the Chiefs to be part of the winter Super Bowl rotation. Additionally, beginning in 2031 or sooner, they could also be part of the Final Four and Regional Final weekend in college basketball.
The NFL has already started rotating the NFL Combine, and now the new Arrowhead Stadium will host stadium concerts, political conventions, and even a college football championship game.
This would have never happened in Missouri, and I think most people in the know understood it was a long shot to remain in Jackson County.
If you live in Missouri, don’t be too concerned about the Chiefs’ loss, because Kansas isn’t that far away. Most fans who attend games at the Truman Sports Complex live in Kansas, so in the end, the Chiefs felt this move was worth any backlash.
The project timeline begins now, and the goal remains 2031 for the new domed stadium. Construction in Olathe should be completed sooner, and it will resemble the Las Vegas training complex in Henderson, Nevada.
Today’s announcement will forever change Kansas as a destination for entertainment. Once the full scope of this plan is revealed, folks from both sides of the state line will enjoy a whole new experience that includes their beloved tailgating on game days.
