Kansas legislative leaders could have a decision to make in the coming months on whether taxpayers will subsidize a new stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs or a ballpark for the Kansas City Royals.
Under House Bill 1 from the special session, the Kansas Department of Commerce could enter into an agreement with the Chiefs or Royals to relocated to the Kansas side of the metro. Any deal would have to be approved by the Legislative Coordinating Council, which could meet behind closed doors for discussion, but any vote would have to be done during a public meeting.
The authority for a sales tax and revenue bond project has a June 30, 2025, deadline on the law. However, the deadline could be extended by the LCC.
The sports team has indicated it wants a decision earlier than that. In July, Chiefs president Mark Donovan said, “We feel like we need to get something done in the next six months.”
The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are negotiating with state and local leaders about where their next stadiums will be and how much incentives governments are willing to offer.
Sen. J.R. Claeys, R-Salina, said in a radio interview in November that he’s expecting more information early this year. The Department of Commerce had no update last month.
“I hope there’s an opportunity that I can stand here and talk more about the Chiefs and Royals,” Bob North, chief legal counsel for the Commerce Department, told lawmakers in December. “That day is not today. We’re not able to comment on those discussions, but hope there is a time in the near future that we can do so.”
Stadiums and practice facilities
The bill not only pays for new stadiums, but it could also fund the creation of a new training facility. The Chiefs’ lease for their current training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, expires this year.
Several Kansas lawmakers accused Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration of attempting to fund a training facility at Washburn University using interest earned on American Rescue Plan Act funds. The effort, which was neither confirmed nor denied, appears to have failed.
Washburn returned the roughly $32 million of funds it was sent.
More: Kansas secretly tried to lure Chiefs training camp to Topeka with $32M deal, lawmakers say
Lobby power
Scoop and Score, a nonprofit group that advocated for a STAR Bond-funded Chiefs stadium, hired more lobbyists than any other organization in the state in 2024. In 2025, its roster is a little more modest with just four registered lobbyists.
The Chiefs don’t have any registered lobbyists in the state thus far, and the Royals have two. Polisinelli Law Firm — which represented the Chiefs in court, lobbied for the team in the Legislature and are corporate sponsors — no longer have any lobbyists registered in the state.
Lawmakers were eager to attach their names to help the Chiefs after they became one of the few teams to win the Super Bowl twice in a row, and could potentially become the first team to three-peat in this year’s playoffs.
More: How an influence campaign is trying to entice Chiefs to cross the Kansas-Missouri border
Competing with Missouri
In September, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city was negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium proposal while Jackson County was talking with the Chiefs about their future home. The Royals have expressed interest in having a downtown stadium.
The Chiefs have kept their options open, saying that they may opt to renovate Arrowhead Stadium rather than start something new. The estimated cost for a domed stadium can be up to $3 billion, while updating Arrowhead would cost about $800 million.
Lucas told reporters that he believed the Chiefs will remain at Arrowhead, and that the Royals will stay in Kansas City.
Additional help may also come from the state of Missouri, with outgoing Gov. Mike Parson supporting measures to keep the team. Missouri’s Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe has also signaled he’d work to keep the Chiefs in Missouri.
Parson had said that by the end of 2024 there should be “something in place” about what the state should do, but there is still no public funding plan to keep either of the teams.
Chiefs researching fan sentiment
In November, the Chiefs hired CSL International to survey, interview and conduct focus groups from fans about their preferences for future stadiums. The research will ask fans, season ticket holders and corporate partners the features, amenities and seating options they want to see in a new stadium or a renovated Arrowhead.
On Thursday, CSL International released a pair of surveys to the public to narrow down what amenities will be included for both options.
CSL International is a research firm that specializes in sports, entertainment and hospitality and leisure. The research was expected to be completed “in the coming weeks” after the announcement was made on Nov. 14.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Future homes of Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are still uncertain