Kansas Lawmakers Take Pivotal Step to Lure Chiefs, Royals From Missouri

Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith (65) and center Creed Humphrey (52) on field against the Denver Broncos prior to a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 1, 2023. (Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly envisions the day when the state becomes a “professional sports powerhouse.”

The state’s legislators are following her lead.

Bipartisan lawmakers in Kansas on June 18 approved a STAR Bond proposal to help finance new stadiums and practice facilities for the Missouri-based Chiefs and Royals near the border with Missouri. The STAR Bonds can finance up to 70 percent of the stadium projects.

Ms. Kelly will now review the plan and is expected to approve the proposal for the new athletic sites.

“I pledged to work with members of both parties on policies that are beneficial to Kansas,” Ms. Kelly said in a statement. “The bipartisan effort to invite the Chiefs and Royals to Kansas shows we’re all-in on keeping our beloved teams in the Kansas City metro.

“Kansas now has the opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse with the Chiefs and Royals potentially joining Sporting KC as major league attractions, all with robust, revenue-generating entertainment districts surrounding them providing new jobs, new visitors, and new revenues that boost the Kansas economy,” she added.

While there is still much work and debate ahead to get final approval for the facilities, both the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs and Royals appreciate that the Kansas lawmakers are considering new facilities.

“We appreciate that leaders in the State of Kansas proactively reached out to us for input on the proposed STAR Bond legislation,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “We support their efforts to expand the existing program and congratulate them on passing the legislation in a special session. We look forward to exploring the options this legislation may provide.”

The Chiefs currently play in GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which was opened in 1972 and lacks many of the amenities of some of the new state-of-the-art stadiums such as those in Dallas and Los Angeles.

In April, residents of Jackson County, Missouri, voted down a sales tax measure that would have helped fund a new downtown ballpark along with major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs had committed $300 million in private money and would have used their share as part of the current stadium’s proposed $800 million renovation.

This opened the door for a potential new home in Kansas.

The Royals are dealing with similar issues because they play at Kauffman Stadium, which opened in 1973. While it is one of the most scenic stadiums in Major League Baseball, with a fountain and waterfall display behind the right-field fence, the site also lacks modern amenities.

The Royals had pledged at least $1 billion from ownership for the renovations to Kauffman Stadium and wanted to use their share of the tax revenue to help fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Royals lease at the Truman Sports Complex runs through Jan. 31, 2031, and team officials have said they will not play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season.

Now, a move to Kansas is in the works, and the Royals are receptive to a new home.

“We’re grateful to the Kansas Legislature for today’s bipartisan action that gives the state a pragmatic tool in which to achieve its economic development goals,” the Royals said in a statement. “The Kansas City Royals look forward to additional conversations as we evaluate where we will play baseball in the future. We will always prioritize the best interests of our fans, associates, and taxpayers in this process.”

Other states have taken measures to ensure their professional sports teams stay in town.

Maryland allocated $600 million in bonds for improvements for both Oriole Park at Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles and M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens. In January, the Ravens signed a new lease at M&T Bank Stadium that will keep them in Baltimore until at least the end of the 2037 NFL season.

The Ravens are allocating about $430 million of the $600 million of state funds for stadium improvements.

“In connection with the extension of our lease, we are grateful to partner with the state of Maryland and Maryland Stadium Authority for this significant investment,” Ravens President Sashi Brown said in a December statement.

“M&T Bank Stadium is not just home to the Ravens, but it’s an epicenter of excitement, opportunity, and Maryland pride. … This renovation program positions M&T Bank Stadium as a venue that will continue to provide Ravens fans with one of the best game day experiences in all of sports, while also attracting world-class concerts and other live events to Maryland,” she added.

In December, the Orioles agreed to a 30-year lease extension at Camden Yards. The team was sold to David Rubenstein and his ownership group in March for $1.725 billion. Mr. Rubenstein plans to use the $600 million in state funds for stadium renovations to revitalize the park.

Marty Conway, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University who teaches courses in sports leadership, told The Epoch Times that the vote in the Kansas Legislature is a very preliminary move and signals their interest in negotiating a package for the teams. The most likely next step is for the public officials in Jackson County, where both teams currently play, to revisit their stadium funding capabilities, likely in the upcoming fall 2024 election cycle.

“Typically, those moves, or threats of a move, are over much larger distances, sometimes thousands of miles,” Mr. Conway said. “Currently, the Royals and Chiefs play their games approximately 20 miles from the border between Kansas and Missouri. A move of this type wouldn’t disrupt the fan experience or opportunity, somewhat like the Atlanta Braves moving from Fulton County to Cobb County in 2017.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson plans to find ways to keep the Chiefs and Royals in the state, but more money and support is currently one state away in Kansas.