Chiefs Leaving KC? Kansas Governor Teases ‘Special Announcement’

The Chiefs could be on the cusp of finalizing a deal to move across the state line to Kansas and build a domed stadium there, as Gov. Laura Kelly has slated a “special announcement” Monday regarding the team.

The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council is scheduled to meet Monday afternoon and consider approving bonds funding up to 70% of a stadium project, with Kelly scheduled to speak in Topeka after that. For more than a year, Kansas has been making an aggressive push to lure the NFL team across the border, and has approved and then extended the bonding framework that would fund much of the stadium cost. 

As that has happened, the Chiefs have been actively deliberating whether to renovate the 53-year-old Arrowhead Stadium or build a new venue on either side of the Missouri-Kansas line. The construction of the new venue opens up the Kansas City area to host major events it currently cannot hold, including the Super Bowl, Final Four, and College Football Playoff. The Kansas funding mechanism, meanwhile, would not go on a public ballot, saving the Chiefs from a possible repeat of a 2024 rebuke by Jackson County, Mo., voters. 

The Chiefs have not commented on the latest developments, but are expected to follow the Kansas LCC meeting Monday. 

Show Me a Plan

Missouri, meanwhile, still has not given up its pursuit of keeping the Chiefs, and Jackson County executive Phil LeVota has detailed a “Operation Save Arrowhead” plan that would involve using part of a local sales tax to help renovate the current facility. That effort, however, is similar to what voters have already rejected, and the latest measure would go back up for a vote. 

“The people need to hear from us and know we’re fighting,” LeVota said. “We’re fighting hard to keep the [Chiefs] here. I wasn’t ready for this, but I think it’s time and I think everybody needs to know we’re working in Jackson County.”

The current Arrowhead Stadium lease expires in January 2031, placing a heightened level of urgency on finalizing a course of action soon. The forthcoming decision is set to arrive as the Chiefs will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and have lost star quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the rest of the season due to injury. 

MLB’s Royals, which are also determining their facility future, are not part of the discussions involving the Chiefs.