The NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and MLB's Kansas City Royals are in the middle of a border battle between the Missouri and Kansas state governments about bringing the teams to their side of the city.
The Kansas City Chiefs have called Arrowhead Stadium home since 1972. The facility - which is the oldest in the entire AFC - sits on the Missouri side of the state line that cuts through the city.
The Chiefs' lease on Arrowhead ends in 2031, and with the need for something fresh, Kansas lawmakers are desperate for the franchise to move to the west side of town. There is reportedly an offer on the table for a $3 billion domed stadium and sporting complex, one they call a "professional sports powerhouse".
This option may be a less timely and more expensive solution, but it satisfies Chiefs owner Clark Hunt's ambition to host a Super Bowl - whether the Chiefs play in it or not - with this state-of-the-art facility.
Another set of renovations to the current Arrowhead Stadium is also an option. Missouri's state government recently approved of a funding mechanism that would aid in such effort.
There was supposed to be a decision made about a relocation by June 30, but the Chiefs have been granted a delay, which keeps this saga going for at least the next few months.
According to Front Office Sports a "bipartisan group of Kansas lawmakers voted unanimously Monday to keep in place a framework for stadium bonds, called Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds, that was originally passed last year. Those bonds had been set to expire on June 30, but the vote now legally extends the deadline by a year, to the same date in 2026.
"Kansas officials, however, have said they want a decision from the teams by the end of this year."
Owner Clark Hunt expressed his desire about having "some direction [on a decision] by the summer," ... but they have now been granted an extension that pushes the team unofficially behind schedule.
“The complexity and scale of the project—and the importance of crafting a structure that works for all stakeholders—make it clear that more time is needed to bring the effort to full fruition,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan wrote in a letter to Kansas legislators this week.
As the Chiefs now face pressure from the Kansas government along with already being behind their estimated deadline, Donovan is trying to remain patient and diligent about the scale of this decision.
“It’s literally getting down to the final points and making sure that everybody’s in agreement on what we need to do, and that we have all the pieces lined up,” Donovan said.
FOS called this situation "one of the most-watched facility deliberations in sports."
The Chiefs are also among the most-watched teams in all of sports, as they will have an NFL-most seven primetime games in the 2025 regular season.
This decision on a new stadium will have major implications on the future of one of North America's most relevant and profitable franchises.