It is a border battle like no other.
Missouri and Kansas have made their pitches for either renovating Arrowhead Stadium or building a new home for the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas made its offer last year, attempting to lure the Chiefs over the state line. Missouri countered last month with the state legislature approving an incentives package during the special session
Kansas City Chiefs President Mark Donovan won’t say whether one state has the edge over the other.
“As I said before, I’ll say it again. The commitment on both sides has been really, really humbling,” Donovan said during a press conference in St. Joseph during the Chiefs’ training camp. “There’s a real interest to figure this out on both sides of the state line and that gives us a great opportunity to figure out what’s best for our fans and for the organization.”
Donovan, said they’re continuing to pore over offers from both Missouri and Kansas as they consider where the team will play in the future.
“It’s the details of those deals. Like, what deal makes the most sense from a business perspective, from a future perspective? And I think it’s important to point this out. What makes the most sense for our fans for the next generation, right?” he said. “There are a lot of really strong arguments on both sides, but we have to make that decision – what we believe makes the best impact on our fans for the next generation.”
Donovan said fans, in a recent survey conducted by the team, prized how loud Arrowhead gets on gamedays and the opportunity to tailgate. The Chiefs could also take over the entire Truman Sports Complex if the Royals move.
Meanwhile, Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph continues to host the Chiefs’ training camp. But will they stay in St. Joseph? Donovan said much like the team’s decision on whether to renovate Arrowhead or build new, it all depends.
“Look, we don’t want to leave (St. Joseph), but we may find a better option in the future and decide to do that,” he said. “That’s kind of what we do with the stadium right now. We may and we may not.”
Donovan added that when the Chiefs began holding training camp in St. Joseph in 2010, no one could have guessed the impact it would have on the northwest Missouri city.
“You look at today, you know, 15 years in, it’s measurable and it’s exceeded everyone’s expectations and we’re proud of that,” he said. “But we also believe that’s what we bring to the table. It’s like we can bring something that can change and have impact. And you know if you look at the history of this, we’ve done that.”
The Chiefs training camp moved to St. Joseph from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls in 2010. Before that, the Chiefs held training camp at William Jewel College in Liberty, dating back to 1963.
This report authored by Brent Martin, KFEQ Radio, St. Joseph
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