Kansas City’s sports landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, as the Kansas Chiefs announced plans to relocate to a $3 billion indoor stadium in Kansas, immediately turning attention to the future of the Royals and where they will play after their lease at Kauffman Stadium expires in January 2031.
The Royals’ options are now sharply defined: pursue a downtown stadium, seek a new location within Missouri, or follow the Chiefs across state lines to Kansas.
Royals owner John Sherman has publicly stated a preference for a downtown baseball stadium, but those ambitions have repeatedly stalled due to political hurdles and community opposition. Last year, Jackson County, Missouri, voters rejected a sales tax extension that would have funded both Kauffman Stadium’s upkeep and a potential new ballpark.
“The Royals are also a historic team that we would like to keep in Missouri. We will do everything we can to continue these discussions,” said Gov. Mike Kehoe, reacting to Monday’s announcement of the Chiefs’ agreement on a grant program approved by Kansas politicians, covering 60 percent of a project exceeding $4 billion.
The Chiefs’ move includes a planned $300 million training facility in Olathe, Kansas, a Kansas City metropolitan suburb.
“If I were the Royals,” Kehoe added, “I’d be in charge now.”
Missouri lawmakers previously authorized grants in June, during a special session, to potentially keep the Chiefs in the state. These grants would cover up to 50 percent of new stadium construction or renovations, plus up to $50 million in tax credits—a financial incentive the Royals could also access.
The Royals have explored several downtown Kansas City sites, but each presented challenges related to traffic, community support, and other logistical concerns. Previous stadium and baseball district sketches have also depicted a location across the Missouri River in Clay County, north of Kansas City.
However, recent indications suggest a growing interest in Overland Park, Kansas, and the Aspiria Campus. This land, formerly home to Sprint and currently the headquarters of T-Mobile and other companies, sits just off Highway 435 in the southern part of the metropolitan area. A Royals affiliate already holds the mortgage on the property.
This potential move faces resistance from residents of Leawood, Kansas, a nearby affluent suburb.
