Chiefs to move to Kansas: Local fans react

The Kansas City Chiefs are moving from Arrowhead Stadium in Jackson, Missouri to a new stadium in construction in Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas. The Chiefs were planning to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, but Jackson County residents voted against a tax extension in April of 2024, which would have helped to fund it.

The new stadium will have a lot more quality of life additions than Arrowhead, including a retractable roof, more luxury suites and more amenities. The new stadium also has the potential to host concerts, events, college football games and even the Super Bowl. All of this will bring a big revenue boost to not only the team, but to the state of Kansas and the new stadium.

“Having a major stadium like this in Kansas that could possibly be used for concerts or the Super Bowl is a big step in the right direction for us,” Wichita State University (WSU) student John Cotton said. “This state is really boring, so having this here would bring us a lot more attention.”

According to kansascommerce.gov, the new stadium and practice facility will cost a combined $4 billion, and will be financed through a public-private partnership, including State Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds and the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas fund. These funds are to ensure that there will be no new taxes or impacts on the state’s budget.

Because of the new stadium, 20,000 new construction jobs and 4,000 new stadium development jobs will open up. The Chiefs will pay $7 million annually for rent and will contribute $3 million annually for community benefit. These combined will add over $1 billion in annual economic impact.

According to chiefs.com, Kansas is working with two well-known design firms, MANICA and Populous. MANICA has worked on various projects, including the stadiums in Nashville, Tennessee, Las Vegas, Nevada and Birmingham, United Kingdom. Populous has also worked on projects including a stadium in Buffalo, New York, a stadium in Rome, Italy and even the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“I think it would be cool to have such an important stadium in Kansas," Chiefs fan Courtney Mathenia said. “Hopefully with all of the new practice facilities and everything else coming with the stadium, it could help make this team better.”

The Chief’s new stadium is not only beneficial to the team, but also for the entire state, increasing the state's annual revenue and bringing in more jobs for the economy. The new stadium is scheduled to open for the 2031 NFL season.

“If the Chiefs moved, that means that more Kansas City, Missouri teams could make the move over here, too,” Kansas resident Victoria Sanders said. “The Royals and even some minor league teams could find their way over here.”