Chiefs President: Team Weighing These Factors in Stadium Decision

Fast forward several years and imagine Marcus Spears Jr.

and the Kentucky Wildcats tipping off in college basketballs Final Four against Malik Olajuwons Houston Cougars.

Now imagine the game taking place at a domed stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

Or even better, imagine Patrick Mahomes playing Arch Manning in Super Bowl 67 in the new home of the Chiefs.

The NFLs resident dynasty is facing a dynastic decision : Will the next generation of players and fans gather at a new domed stadium in Kansas, or a sparking, freshly renovated Arrowhead Stadium? There's a home-field advantage to playing playoff games in the cold, Chiefs president Mark Donovan told Forbes writer Jeff Fedotin in an exclusive interview this week.

Indeed, the Chiefs beat Miami in a 2023 AFC wild-card (Jan.

13, 2024) that was the NFLs fourth-coldest contest ever.

Air temperature at kickoff was minus-4.

The wind chill was minus-27.

Kansas City won, 26-7.

But two of the teams recent Super Bowl victories came under roofs.

And aside from the NFL and the 2026 World Cup ( hosted by the Chiefs at Arrowhead ), the team could tap into significant revenue streams by hosting Final Fours, Super Bowls, College Football Playoff national championships and more.

There's a huge advantage from an event standpoint, Donovan told Fedotin, and from a fan experience.

Key in the fan experience is tailgating, and Chiefs fans are routinely lined up in their cars awaiting parking-lot entrance sometimes 24 hours before kickoff.

Kansas City tailgaters are arguably the most passionate in the NFL.

And if the Royals leave adjacent Kaufmann Stadium which like Arrowhead is 53 years old those fans will have even more tailgating space, assuming the baseball facility would face a wrecking ball.

A new entertainment district is a distinct possibility for the Missouri location, too.

Donovan made clear that both states, Missouri and Kansas, badly want the Chiefs and hes been humbled by their offers.

Kansas has already approved funding up to 70 percent of the cost to build a dome, the centerpiece of a multi-purpose sports and entertainment mecca.

Missouri, meanwhile, is expected to cover up to 50 percent of Arrowhead renovations, Fedotin reported.

Theres a sentimental attachment to Arrowhead Stadium, too.

The Chiefs have the NFLs third-oldest relationship with their home venue, behind Chicagos Soldier Field and Green Bays Lambeau Field.

Donovan along with chairman and CEO Clark Hunt have heard what fans want most in the new stadium, regardless of location.

They dont want to lose two hallmarks of Arrowhead, tailgating and noise.

Frankly, the biggest competitive advantage we have is our fans and that energy they create, Donovan added.

And whether their future is in a new dome or a renovated stadium, the Chiefs continue to meet constantly with all stakeholders.

We continue to work on a long-term stadium solution, chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said Friday on KSHBs game broadcast.

We're continuing to have great conversations with both the State of Kansas and State of Missouri.

The best one-stop shop for news from Chiefs Kingdom is OnSI; the easiest way to get it is to follow @KCChiefsOnSI , @ZakSGilbert and @Domminchella on X (Twitter).

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