The Chiefs’ stadium is empty prior to the game between the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs … [+]
The Kansas City Chiefs expect their 13th training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. to be their highest attended ever.
However, much of the talk has centered on their permanent home — not their summer residence.
With the Chiefs’ Harry S. Truman Sports Complex co-tenant — the Kansas City Royals — likely leaving for a new location in the Kansas City area, what that does that mean for the Super Bowl LVII champions?
There are three options: the Chiefs could renovate the existing GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, they could build an entirely new stadium on the existing land or they could build a new a stadium at a new location.
The Chiefs are hoping for the former.
“Our preference is to upgrade and renovate the stadium,” said Chiefs president Mark Donovan, “and make GEHA Field at Arrowhead even better.”
Since the Royals, who share a parking lot with their NFL neighbors, made it official that they are looking for a new baseball park, this is as declarative statement as the Chiefs have made about their desire to stay at Arrowhead.
Complicating any possible renovations, however, is that Kansas City was named one of the 16 cities hosting the 2026 World Cup, and Arrowhead will be the venue.
That may seem far off, but Arrowhead will have to be retrofitted to meet FIFA’s exacting specifications. Then after the World Cup, the seating and dimensions would have to be returned for the Chiefs’ NFL season.
“It’s going to be a challenge,” Donovan said. “And it’s going to be a three- or four-year challenge as we roll this out.”
It, though, is worth the effort because the World Cup offers a unique opportunity for the city.
Players and fans from all over the world could stay for a month in Kansas City. In 2018, for example, an estimated 6.8 million tourists visited host cities, and a combined 3.572 billion viewers watched the World Cup.
“The World Cup is unprecedented,” Donovan said. “It’s going to be the biggest thing this whole region has ever seen by a lot.”
The region’s Truman Sports Complex has a lease that goes through 2031, and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said they studied the integrity of Arrowhead and concluded that renovations could extend its life another 25 years.
Perhaps the stadium, which opened in 1972, being in fairly good shape is why Donovan indicated the Chiefs may be leaning toward keeping the current facility.
“We think the building itself is actually structurally pretty sound,” he said. “Having said that, we’ve learned that it’s going to take a significant annual investment to keep that building structurally sound.”
Donovan spoke as Chiefs training camp, which is expecting bustling crowds, was poised to open for fans.
The fervor regarding training camp is no surprise, considering the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs are defending Super Bowl champions.
Tickets to camp are free but must be acquired through the Chiefs’ website. As of Friday, the Chiefs already had 80,000 tickets claimed. The maximum capacity for the Missouri Western facilities is about 7,000 per day.
The Chiefs will be at St. Joseph for at least one summer after this one, but the question of how long they’ll be at their fall and winter home remains up in the air.
“If the Royals decide to stay in Jackson County, we’ve had discussions about how we do that together,” Donovan said. “And if they go, then that is a variable, and we’ve got to be ready to either continue on that path or pivot.”