When it comes to the sports scene in Kansas City, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs are everything.
But could they eventually call somewhere else home?
Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
That seems to be the question after team president Mark Donovan hinted during a recent interview with KSHB 41. Donovan seemed to suggest that the Chiefs could indeed depart Kansas City — which they've called home since 1963 — if an upcoming sales tax doesn't go their way.
"I think they would have to include leaving Kansas City," Donovan said of the team's options if the vote fails.
That said, relocation isn't the team's desire, he added.
"Our goal here is, we want to stay here. And we're willing to accept a deal for the county to actually stay here," Donovan said.
It's all part of a plan for a major overhaul at Arrowhead Stadium.
"The Chiefs recently unveiled plans for an $800 million renovation at Arrowhead Stadium that would upgrade almost everything," wrote John Breech of CBS Sports. "Not only would parking and tailgating improve, but the team would also add new video boards and better luxury amenities. The team would also add a 360-degree concourse that would allow fans to finally navigate the entire stadium when sitting in the upper deck. The team is also planning to add some new club areas in the end zone."
The Chiefs would be willing to foot $300 million of the bill, officials indicated. But the rest would need to come from a sales tax.
"We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium," team CEO Clark Hunt said last month. "So the financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we've outlined."
Kansas City is coming off its third Super Bowl victory in five years. The idea that the Chiefs would play anywhere else seems outlandish. But these things often come down to business, and as good as the Chiefs are on the field, they are making it clear that money matters.
