Why are Chiefs leaving Arrowhead Stadium? Explaining NFL team's move across state lines from Missouri to Kansas

The Kansas City Chiefs have played at Arrowhead Stadium since 1972, but are expected to soon move to a new home. 

The Chiefs currently play in Kansas City, Missouri, but the proposed move would see the football franchise cross the border with a new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. 

The Chiefs currently have a lease at Arrowhead Stadium that expires in January 2031, so the move to a new stadium would be expected to occur before the 2031 regular season. The hope is that this new stadium will be more modern and could serve as a year-round venue, potentially leading to Kansas City hosting an eventual Super Bowl. 

Here is more on why the Chiefs are leaving Arrowhead Stadium.

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Why are the Chiefs leaving Arrowhead Stadium?

The Chiefs are currently leased at Arrowhead Stadium until January 2031. Team chairman Clark Hunt said that he would prefer to continue to renovate Arrowhead Stadium so the team could stay there.

With funding issues, Hunt has turned his attention to building a new stadium in Kansas that will be enclosed. His hope is that this not only provides more revenue streams for the franchise, but also could have them in contention to host an eventual Super Bowl. 

Are the Royals moving?

The Kansas City Royals currently play at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The stadium shares a parking lot with Arrowhead Stadium. The Royals currently have a lease at Kauffman Stadium through the 2030 season, but team officials have stated that they do not plan to renew a new lease, per reports. 

The Royals have yet to choose a new location for a stadium, and part of the issue is funding. Kansas City proposed a tax increase to help cover it, but that was shut down. For now, all that is known is that both the Chiefs and the Royals are expected to leave their current stadiums in Kansas City, Missouri, in the foreseeable future. 

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Where are the Chiefs moving to?

The Chiefs will be moving to Kansas. The city of Kansas City sits perfectly on the border between Kansas and Missouri. Arrowhead Stadium sits in Kansas City, Missouri, and the franchise will now cross the border and play its home games in Kansas City, Kansas. 

The expectation is that the new stadium would be near The Legends, per reports. This is the name of the regional shopping mall and commercial area in Kansas City, Kansas. This area is currently home to the Kansas Speedway, a Hollywood Casino and Children's Mercy Park, where Sporting Kansas City plays. 

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When are the Chiefs moving?

Kansas City has a lease with Arrowhead Stadium through the 2030 season. The Chiefs also currently don't have a new stadium to move into.

Kansas City will have to build a new stadium, but is expected to be in its new home for the 2031 season, possibly. 

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How long have the Chiefs played at Arrowhead?

Arrowhead Stadium broke ground in 1968. Four years later, it opened, and the Chiefs immediately began playing there. The first game Kansas City played at Arrowhead Stadium was a 1972 preseason game. 

So far, the Chiefs have spent 53 years at the stadium, but will soon be moving to Kansas for a new home.