Kansas City Chiefs And Royals Set To Look To New Cities For Stadiums

It seems that both the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals could both be on the move, according to a local politician.

This doesn’t come as a complete surprise, given that Royals team ownership announced last year that they intended to leave Kauffman Stadium and construct a new stadium elsewhere.

READ: KANSAS CITY ROYALS ANNOUNCE INTENTION TO LEAVE KAUFFMAN STADIUM

But this latest update seems to suggest they could leave Kansas City altogether, looking for different cities or jurisdictions around the region. Kevin O’Neill, a City Councilman in the 1st District, posted on X Wednesday that the Royals are “about to start entertaining offers from other municipalities.” One such option apparently would involve leaving Missouri entirely and moving to a site in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

But O’Neill also said that the Chiefs may also look elsewhere to get a new stadium done, due to also being “upset” with Jackson County.

A local sports radio host also confirmed, saying it’s “looking more and more likely that both the Royals & Chiefs will be leaving Jackson County.” He also quoted an unnamed “stadium insider” saying the county was essentially out of luck.

KANSAS CITY, MO - Interior view of a packed Kauffman Stadium during the MLB game between the Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals on August 13, 2021. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kansas City Stadium Issues Compounding

Both the Royals and Chiefs are in desperate need of new stadiums, with aging facilities that are out of date by modern standards.

Local politicians however, don’t seem to be able to get out of their own way in negotiations with the two teams. If these reports are to be believed, it could cost them both.

It’s unclear how a potential move to a different site or city would impact the Royals plans for a mixed-use facility along with the ballpark. Most baseball owners or ownership groups have started approaching rebuilds as an opportunity to create real estate investments around their new buildings.

One successful example is the Atlanta Braves with Truist Park. Kauffman and Arrowhead are surrounded by parking lots, meaning millions of potential revenue is lost.

It won’t be for much longer, if these new reports are to be believed.