Kansas City Chiefs Announce They’re Changing States
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce waves to fans as he walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
The Kansas City Chiefs will relocate across the Kansas-Missouri border to a new $3 billion domed stadium set to open by the 2031 season, the team announced Monday. After years of discussions and negotiations with both states, the Legislative Coordinating Council in Kansas unanimously approved a bond package to fund most of the stadium and its surrounding district at a meeting in Topeka, the AP reports.
The Chiefs have been based in Missouri since 1963 and have called Arrowhead Stadium home since 1972.
Kansas Officials Celebrate:
“Kansas is not a flyover state. We are a touchdown state,” Gov. Laura Kelly said, celebrating the news, according to KMBC. State officials estimate the project will create 20,000 construction jobs and generate more than $4.4 billion in economic impact. The new complex will be located in Olathe, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Missouri Response:
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city was simply outbid. “One city or one county cannot outmatch competing offers from a state in modern professional sports,” he said, wishing the Chiefs well, per KCTV. Earlier, Jackson County official Manny Abarca criticized the process on social media, writing, “I refuse to play in this game where taxpayer dollars are pit against each other in an effort to make millionaires/billionaires richer, and put the needs of taxpayers 2nd or 3rd chair.”
Team Reaction:
Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt, present at the Topeka meeting, said the team will continue working with governments in both states. “Today’s announcement ensures that for generations to come, Chiefs fans will have the best game-day experience in the entire National Football League,” Hunt said.
Fans and Players:
Reactions among fans were mixed. Some expressed relief that the team remains in the metro area, noting that state lines are irrelevant. Others lamented leaving Arrowhead, comparing it to iconic stadiums like Lambeau Field, Fenway Park, and Wrigley Field. Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz summed up the sentiment on social media simply: “Do not like.”
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