While the Kansas City Chiefs have called Arrowhead Stadium home for over 50 years, the club might have to start looking for new digs.
On Tuesday, voters in Jackson County, Mo., rejected a stadium sales tax proposal that would have funded renovations at Arrowhead. Had the measure passed, a current 3/8th-cent sales tax would have been extended until 2064.
Instead, 58% of voters rejected the proposed tax, which will now expire in 2031 — the same year the Chiefs’ lease at Arrowhead ends.
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The Chiefs’ future in Jackson County is now in question after Tuesday’s vote that denied the club $800 million in public funding.
“We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said. “We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”
Where could the Chiefs go? Let’s rank four possible landing spots.
1) Kansas
Could the Chiefs simply move across state lines and enter into neighboring Kansas? If that state’s decision-makers have any say, it’s a plan that might already be in the works.
Former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. is involved in a project to bring the Chiefs to Kansas, as the Kansas City Star reported this week.
“Jackson County fumbled. Now there will be a mad scramble for the ball and we’re in the best position for a scoop and score,” Ryckman told The Star in a text message.
Meanwhile, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has also discussed luring the Chiefs to her state. Kelly, who agreed to an economic ceasefire that stopped the use of incentives in a state-line business battle, suggested in March 2022 that Kansas is ready for an NFL club.
“You know, I would be all for it, obviously,” Kelly said. “When I signed the border war truce with Missouri, it didn’t include the Chiefs.”
2) Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City already has one pro sports franchise — the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder — and is just a five-hour drive south from Kansas City. Could Patrick Mahomes and Co. relocate?
The Chiefs would need to have a new stadium built, but they could use the University of Oklahoma’s digs for the time being. Oklahoma’s Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium can seat up to 80,000 fans.
3) St. Louis
Moving to St. Louis would keep the Chiefs in Missouri. St. Louis has been without an NFL organization for nearly a decade after the Rams moved to Los Angeles after the 2015 campaign.
St. Louis is only four hours from Kansas City by car, and the proximity could be helpful to Chiefs fans living in the area. But St. Louis showed no interest in renovating the Rams’ Edward Jones Dome before they left town and might not be willing to pay for a new Chiefs locale.
4) San Antonio
With a population of nearly 1.5 million, San Antonio is the largest American city without an NFL team. Texas already has two clubs in the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, but arguably the most football-loving state in the country can probably handle another franchise.
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San Antonio already has experience housing an NFL team. In 2005, the New Orleans Saints relocated to San Antonio after Hurricane Katrina, playing two home games at the 73,000-seat Alamodome.
Wrong! The article states that San Antonio is the largest city without an NFL team. Wrong! San Diego is much larger and does not have an NFL team.
Whoever wrote this article is a dumbass
Your a trash raiders fan stfu …sleeze ball
Sit down and Shut up. You haven’t a clue what’s going on and you are doing nothing to help the situation by running your mouth. The vote on Tuesday was a referendum on the Royals trying to force an ill conceived, untenable, and unwanted taxpayer funded downtown stadium on the city. Period. Linking the Chiefs to this whole story was cheap and sleazy tactic to guilt us into voting yes. This city values the Chiefs and we’ve 12 more years before the current tax runs out to vote to provide them everything they need.
Now You can just go away.
Thats why the chiefs stated theyre not dealing with Jackson County anymore… sit down and shut up. Kiss both teams goodbye MO. Idiots.
Two big reasons St. Louis will never get another NFL team. First, the fans are done with the NFL after the football Cardinals and Rams put inferior products on the field year after year while they were there (not including the Greatest Show on Turf days). Second, St. Louis sued and won three quarters of a billion dollars from the NFL and Rams after their sham relocation process was exposed. The NFL would never consider them a destination after that. Surprised they where even considered, other than just dangling a threat to scare KC residents.