Chiefs will move from Arrowhead to Kansas in 2031 to open a dome stadium

The Chiefs are anticipated to travel across the border to play at a projected new stadium in Kansas after more than 50 years at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt declared on Monday that “today is an extraordinary day in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs.” “We are thrilled to work with the State of Kansas to provide our supporters with a top-notch stadium. Our tradition of innovation and fan-first approach, which began with my father, Lamar Hunt, continues with this endeavor. The stadium, practice facility, and surrounding development will help the entire area and improve Kansas City’s reputation both domestically and internationally.”

Governor Laura Kelly announced Monday that the stadium development project would be finished in time for the 2031 NFL season after lawmakers in Kansas passed the legislation. The Chiefs’ joint proposal starts the process of leaving Missouri, where they have lived since 1963, and move 20 minutes west to Kansas City, Kansas, which is close to the Kansas Speedway.

The plan, which includes an estimated $3 billion stadium in Wyandotte County, calls for the Chiefs to relocate their headquarters and practice facilities. Olathe, Kansas, in Johnson County, will host a new training facility and team headquarters along with mixed-use buildings that include “sports, entertainment, dining, shopping, office, hotel, and residential properties.”

“This deal to bring the Chiefs to Kansas elevates our state to a new level. “With this new stadium, we’re bringing in tourists from all over the world, creating thousands of jobs, drawing young people, and most importantly, we’re continuing to make Kansas the best place in America to raise a family,” Kelly stated. “This is a game-changer for Kansas, and it’s a signal to America and the world that our state’s future is very bright.”

According to Kelly, there won’t be any new state taxes or changes to the state budget thanks to a public-private partnership that is 60% public and financed by sales tax and revenue (STAR) bonds and the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund, two funding sources created especially for this purpose. The Legislative Coordinating Council voted bipartisanly on Monday to fully authorize the STAR bonds.

The Kansas City Royals might depart what is effectively a joint property in Missouri encircled by a large parking area, just like the Chiefs’ team did. Since Jackson County voters rejected keeping a 3/8 of a cent sales tax to fund improvements at the Chiefs’ longtime home, Arrowhead Stadium, a move was considered the most likely answer for both professional sports teams. A new ballpark for the Royals would have been partially financed by the same measure in April 2024.

In 2024, Hunt made it apparent that the Chiefs would probably look for better opportunities if a tax proposal to finance major Arrowhead Stadium upgrades was rejected. Through 2030, they will continue to play outside. The noise level attained by the crowds in the 76,000-seat stadium makes Arrowhead, which was renamed as GEHA Field in a corporate sponsorship deal, one of the NFL’s best home-field advantages.

According to plans at the new building site, the Chiefs will use a cutting-edge stadium that can be used all year long and host important athletic events like college football conference championship games and the Final Four.