Royals-Chiefs venue funding deadline extended

Article posted by Coliseum, July 11^th, 2025

Image: Coliseum GSVA

Kansas (US) remains in the running to provide the future home of the National Football League (NFL) team Kansas City Chiefs and the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Kansas City Royals.

‘Reuters’ stated that a committee in the Kansas State Legislature extended a deadline recently for the National Football League (NFL) and the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises to accept State financing for the new stadiums.

New York (US)-based the National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams it is divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

New York (US)-based the Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league in North America. It is often considered to be the highest level of professional baseball in the world. There are two leagues that make up the MLB: The American League, also called the AL, and the National League, also called the NL. There are currently 30 teams in the MLB – 29 from the United States and one (1) from Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri (US). The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference West Division.

The 76,416-capacity GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL).

The 37,903-capacity Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri (US). The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League Central Division.

‘Reuters’ further stated that the original deadline came and went on June 30^th but it was retroactively extended on July 7^th. Now, the Chiefs and the Royals have till June 30^th, 2026 but the committee is pressing for a decision from the teams by New Year’s Eve.

The Chiefs and the Royals have long made their homes at the Arrowhead Stadium and the Kauffman Stadium, respectively, in the same complex in Kansas City. They are among the oldest venues in their leagues and their leases with the Jackson County are up in January 2031.

In June, the Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed off on legislation that would authorize bonds to pay for up to 50 percent of the cost for the Chiefs and the Royals to build or renovate a stadium.

Not to be outdone Kansas has had an offer on the table of using bonds to cover 70 percent of the cost of a new stadium if either of the teams chooses to relocate.

The Chiefs President Mark Donovan wrote to the Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson when requesting a deadline extension – “Together, we have the opportunity to bring the National Football League to Kansas anchored by a world-class domed stadium, new team headquarters, a state-of-the-art practice facility, and a vibrant mixed-use and entertainment district.”

The Chiefs previously unveiled renderings for a proposed multimillion-dollar renovation of the Arrowhead Stadium. The Royals have said they want to move from the Kauffman Stadium, preferably to a new ballpark downtown.

In April 2024, the voters in Jackson County rejected a sales tax measure that would have helped pay for the Arrowhead Stadium renovations and a stadium for the Royals.

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