KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Chiefs are secured with a summer home until at least after 2017.
Missouri Western State University’s Board of Governors on Thursday voted to approve a contract amendment to continue hosting Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph for three more years, the school and Chiefs announced in a press release.
The contract includes two one-year option terms for the Chiefs and Missouri Western.
Jul 26, 2014; St. Joseph, MO; General view of fans entering the Kansas City Chiefs training camp at Missouri Western State University. Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
“We are thrilled to be the ‘Summer Training Camp Home of the Kansas City Chiefs’ for the next three years,” Missouri Western’s president, Dr. Robert Vartabedian, said in a statement. “As a campus, we have benefited from the increased exposure of the training camp and from physical improvements like the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex that would not have been possible without the support of the Chiefs. The St. Joseph region has also benefited from the thousands of fans who have visited training camp during the last five years.”
The Chiefs moved training camp from River Falls, Wis., after 19 years to St. Joseph in 2010. The 45-minute drive from Kansas City affords convenience for local fans to attend practice sessions.
A study by the St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau concluded the approximately 40,000 visitors to training camp in 2014 boosted the local economy to an estimated $6.3 million, according to the press release.
“We were pleased we were able to reach an agreement with Missouri Western State University,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a statement. “As an organization, we’ve really enjoyed the relationships and the support that we have received from the St. Joseph community and Missouri Western. It’s a privilege for us and our fan base to continue to hold camp in Chiefs Kingdom.”
Under the current contract extension, Missouri Western will implement improvements to “the practice fields used by the Chiefs, acquire and use certain equipment to maintain the fields, and reimburse the Chiefs for some expenses related to preparing and maintaining the practice fields,” according to the press release.
The extension freezes Kansas City’s food cost at 2014 levels for the next three years. Missouri Western will also provide additional security and additional residence hall space.
“It’s an honor to work alongside Missouri Western, Buchanan County and the state to help continue the partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs,” St. Joseph mayor Bill Falkner said in a statement, “helping them reach their goal of winning another Super Bowl by providing them with the finest training camp facility in the National Football League.”
