State of Kansas extends deadline for Chiefs, Royals stadium funding

Kansas remains in the running to provide the future home of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

A committee in the Kansas state legislature extended a deadline Monday for the NFL and Major League Baseball franchises to accept state financing for new stadiums.

The original deadline came and went on June 30, but it was retroactively extended on Monday. Now the Chiefs and Royals have till June 30, 2026, but the committee is pressing for a decision from the teams by New Year's Eve.

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

In June, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed off on legislation that would authorize bonds to pay for up to 50 percent of the cost for the Chiefs and 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.

"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," Chiefs president Mark Donovan wrote to Kansas Senate president Ty Masterson when requesting a deadline extension.

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

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

--Field Level Media