Sports
Chiefs agree to deal to move to Kansas in 2031
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Monday that they will leave Arrowhead Stadium, their longtime home venue in Missouri, for a new, $3 billion domed stadium that will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and be ready for the start of the 2031 season.
The announcement came shortly after a council of Kansas lawmakers voted unanimously to allow for sales tax and revenue (STAR) bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of the stadium and accompanying mixed-use district. The bonds, which are estimated to be around $2.4 billion, will be paid off with state sales and liquor tax revenues generated in a defined area around it.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said the family will commit $1 billion in additional development, a portion of which can also be incentivized by the STAR bonds.
“We made a decision as a family that this was the right opportunity and the best for the organization for several reasons,” Hunt said. “It’s about the fans. My dad [Lamar Hunt, who founded the franchise] was always about the fans and thinking about the future.
“This will give Chiefs kingdom a state-of-the-art facility for multiple generations, a building that can last for at least 50 or 60 years. We believe it’s the best thing for the region. It will give Kansas City the opportunity to bid on events that we can’t host right now, like the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff and the NCAA Final Fours.”
The site for the new stadium has not been decided, but Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said it will be in Wyandotte County. The Chiefs are interested in having the stadium built in Kansas City, Kansas, near the Kansas Speedway and a retail and entertainment district known as The Legends. The area is home to Children’s Mercy Park and is also the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City.
According to Chiefs president Mark Donovan, the venue will have at least 65,000 seats, or about 10,000 fewer than Arrowhead Stadium. Donovan said the Chiefs will soon hire an architecture firm to begin designing the new stadium, a process that could take up to 18 months. Construction is expected to take up to three years. The team will also build a new $300 million training facility in Olathe, Kansas.
Kansas lawmakers believe the Chiefs’ move will lead to more than 20,000 new jobs in the state and more than $4 billion in economic impact.
“It’s a little surreal,” Kelly said. “Today’s announcement will touch the lives of Kansans for generations to come. Today’s announcement is a total game changer for our state.”
The move by the Chiefs is a massive blow to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe, who had been working on their own funding package to prevent a third NFL franchise — and the second in a decade — from leaving its borders. The Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles in part due to their inability to secure funding to help replace The Dome at America’s Center.
“They thought new and shiny was better than old and reliable,” Kehoe said after the Chiefs’ announcement. “We won’t give up. We’ll look for cracks in the armor and find out if there’s a Missouri Show-Me solution through our sports act.”
Kehoe had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds, covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.
“We had a great dialogue with Missouri all the way through the end of last week,” Hunt said. “Frankly, not everything was resolved that needed to be resolved. The big difference is we’re working with one party here, the state of Kansas. In Missouri, we’d been working with the Governor’s office, [Jackson County] and also the city. We just didn’t get there for the timeline.”
Almost two years ago, the Chiefs planned an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead in a joint effort with the Kansas City Royals, who are also planning to build a new venue to replace Kauffman Stadium. The facilities sit a couple of hundred yards across the parking lot from each other, and both teams have leases with Jackson County, Missouri, that expire in January 2031. At the time, Hunt said he and his family would contribute $300 million to the project.
Last year, Jackson County voters soundly rejected the extension of the local three-eighths-cent sales tax that would have helped to pay for the renovations at Arrowhead while also helping to fund a new ballpark for the Royals in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The margin of defeat for the teams was overwhelming, with 78,352 people voting no (58%) and 56,606 voting yes (42%).
“While the Chiefs aren’t going far away and aren’t gone yet, today is a setback as a Kansas Citian, a former Chiefs season ticketholder and lifelong Chiefs fan,” Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, said in a statement. “Business decisions are a reality, and we all understand that, but Arrowhead Stadium is more — it’s family, tradition and a part of Kansas City we will never leave.”
Hunt has long said his preference was to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father, team founder Lamar Hunt, until his death in 2006. It is considered one of the jewels of the NFL, alongside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and is revered for its tailgating scene and home-field advantage; it currently holds the mark, recognized by the Guinness World Records, for the loudest stadium roar.
This summer, Arrowhead will host six World Cup matches, including some in the round of 32 and quarterfinals.
“We all feel some pain on leaving Arrowhead,” Hunt said of fans who feel betrayed by the team’s decision. “One of the great things about Arrowhead is the tailgating experience. We’re going to cherish every season there. It’s going to be special for our family, the organization, and all the fans. We all have so many special memories there. We’re really going to celebrate Arrowhead because it deserves that.”
Lamar Hunt established the Chiefs on Aug. 14, 1959. The team was originally based in Dallas and known as the Texans, but Hunt was persuaded by then-Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle to relocate the team to Missouri, with promises of tripling the team’s season-ticket sales and expanding the seating capacity of Municipal Stadium.
In 1972, the Chiefs moved into Arrowhead at the Truman Sports Complex just east of downtown Kansas City. The stadium has undergone renovations numerous times through the years, allowing it to stay relevant in a changing sports landscape. But economic development around the stadium has been almost nonexistent. The venue — the NFL’s third oldest — is starting to show wear and tear, too.
Donovan said Monday that Clark Hunt and his relatives voted unanimously late last week to move the Chiefs to Kansas.
“They really reflected on their father,” Donovan said. “A lot of those meetings were about, ‘What would Dad do?’ They were unanimous that he would want to do this. He would want to increase and enhance the fans’ experience and create more fan engagement.
“Our fans need to hear that it was a hard decision. This is an emotional decision for everyone. We understand and respect that it’s emotional for our fans. It’s going to take some time. Change is hard. We appreciate that. I think over time, people will see this is the best decision for everyone involved, including our fans.”
With a new stadium, Hunt acknowledged the Chiefs can increase their luxury suites and amenities to help boost the franchise’s revenue.
“The design principles will be very specific,” Donovan said. “Even in the earliest discussions we’ve had — and we got this from our fans in the surveys that we did — it must be loud. We believe there are designed ways that can make [the new stadium] even louder [than Arrowhead].
“It must take into account that tailgating is one of the most important parts of our entire experience. It’s what we’re best at, it’s what we’re celebrated for, and it’s what our fans are proud of. That will be part of the design. Those are the two most compelling pieces of it. We want to make a world-class stadium that makes a statement.”
Hunt believes the biggest prize the Chiefs’ new domed stadium will bring is Kansas City hosting its first Super Bowl.
“We’re going to bid really, really hard for it,” Donovan said. “We think this puts us on the map to be able to competitively compete to bring that event here.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Defending champions Lahore Qalandars secured a commanding 69-run victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) opener, powered by Fakhar Zaman’s fluent fifty and a disciplined bowling performance at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.
Set to chase a daunting 200-run target in their maiden PSL appearance, the Kingsmen’s batting unit faltered and could accumulate 130 before getting bowled out in 20 overs.
Captain Marnus Labuschagne remained the top-scorer for the Kingsmen with a cautious 26 off 22 deliveries, followed by No.9 batter Riley Meredith, who made an unbeaten 19 off 25 deliveries.
Besides them, opener Saim Ayub (17), experienced all-rounder Hammad Azam, and tailender Mohammad Ali, 10 each, were the only other batters to amass double figures.
For the Qalandars, Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza and Ubaid Shah bagged two wickets each, while Mustafizur Rahman and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with one scalp apiece.
Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s decision to bat first paid dividends as the holders racked up 199/6 in their 20 overs despite a brief top-order collapse.
The three-time champions made a flamboyant start to their innings, courtesy of an 84-run partnership between their openers, Fakhar and Mohammad Naeem.
The crucial partnership was eventually broken by Hassan Khan on the second delivery of the ninth over when he got Naeem caught at long-on by Rizwan Mehmood. The right-handed opener walked back after scoring a 19-ball 30, comprising four fours and a six.
Qalandars then lost two more wickets in the next two overs as top-order batter Abdullah Shafique (four) got run out, while Fakhar fell victim to Hassan shortly after bringing up his half-century.
The left-handed opener remained the top-scorer for the Qalandars with 53 off 39 deliveries, studded with nine fours.
Following the back-to-back setbacks, Haseebullah Khan and Parvez Hossain Emon (14) put together an anchoring 37-run partnership for the fourth wicket, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 16th over.
Haseebullah was then involved in a brisk 45-run partnership with all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who played a quickfire 24-run cameo off just 10 deliveries, featuring two sixes and as many fours.
The wicketkeeper batter remained unbeaten with a 28-ball 40, while Asif Ali and captain Shaheen made handy contributions at the backend, scoring nine and 12 not out, respectively.
For the Kingsmen, Riley Meredith and Hassan picked up two wickets each, while Mohammad Ali made one scalp.
MORGAN PRICE STANDS at the kitchen table next to older sister Frankie, trailing her fingertips over the front panel of a well-worn leather vest. The faded, black material is dotted with colorful patches that offer a glimpse at the life of its owner: their father, Chris.
“I mean, shoot, this was the real him,” Morgan said after spotting a particularly playful patch, which read Bad Ass Brother. Seconds later, Frankie swallows a laugh as she finds another.
Chris Price played for the Kansas City Royals in the late 1990s. But when the sisters reach for memories of their dad, he’s often driving off on one of his custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Morgan remembers watching from the laundry room. Frankie is closer, in the garage.
“He would always look back and wave and have the biggest smile on his face,” she said.
But both agree the roaring rumble of the exhaust is a sound they’ll never forget. It punctuates one of the few memories the Prices have of their dad, who died after a 2009 motorcycle accident at age 36. Frankie was 6 years old, Morgan was 4, and their sister Kristin, 2.
Frankie and Morgan say it took several years before they truly understood the impact of the loss. By then, gymnastics had become the outlet through which they honored their father’s memory.
“Chris was very much behind that,” Marsha Price said of the girls’ interest in the sport, “making sure that every day it was, ‘What are you going to do to be better tomorrow?'”
The mantra is a lodestar, left by Chris for his daughters.
“My ‘why’ is representing my last name,” said Frankie, who spent the last four years overcoming injuries and honing her resilience as an Arkansas Razorback. Morgan, meanwhile, repeatedly made history in her three years with Fisk University, which launched the first HBCU gymnastics team in 2023.
But at the end of last season, the sisters came to a crossroads. With a final year of college eligibility left, they each questioned whether or where to spend it.
Individual reflection ultimately led them to the same place: Frankie and Morgan would finish their careers together in Fayetteville.
“We hold it with a lot of pride to be a Price Girl,” Morgan said.
IT’S NINE HOURS before Arkansas’ home meet against fellow SEC foe Kentucky. The Gymbacks warm up on the floor of an empty Bud Walton Arena, sliding over foam rollers as a group before breaking off to perform their own pre-meet rituals.
Frankie heads to a corner of the floor where she will later begin her routine for thousands of Arkansas faithful. For now, she only marks the moves. But her eyes hold an intensity that helps bring to mind the iconic notes of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode,” featuring Snoop Dogg — a song that has been part of Frankie’s floor routines her entire Razorbacks career.
“I am Frank Dogg,” she said. “Like, I got that dog in me, you know what I mean?”
Frankie Price’s @SnoopDogg floor routine never disappoints 🤩 @RazorbackGym pic.twitter.com/LEyDt00pLh
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 25, 2025
Frankie verbally committed to Arkansas at age 14. She spent high school dreaming of her collegiate debut. But in 2021, just before arriving on campus, she tore her ACL. The 18-month-long recovery process meant she would have to redshirt her freshman season, putting off competition for yet another year.
When she finally entered the Razorbacks vault and floor lineups — with a brace on her right knee, worn ever since — she brought big skills, and an even bigger personality.
“Frankie has this way of just captivating fans and captivating people, even her teammates,” said head coach Jordyn Wieber, who has spent the past seven seasons building Arkansas into a top-10 program. And Frankie has helped make it happen.
In 2023, during her redshirt freshman season, Frankie became the fourth Razorbacks gymnast to tally a 9.975 on floor, good for Arkansas’ highest score since 2014. The following year, she helped Arkansas earn its first 198-plus team score in program history, as well as a spot in the NCAA championship.
Last season, the Gymbacks were in pursuit of a repeat championship appearance. They had already qualified for the regional final when Frankie took the floor in the last routine of the last rotation. But at the end of her first pass, she landed her double layout short and immediately collapsed.
“It was the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life,” she said.
Frankie was carried off the floor, later learning she had ruptured her Achilles tendon. Two days later, she cheered from the sideline as Arkansas competed in the regional final — “for Frankie,” Wieber said after the injury. But the Razorbacks finished in the fourth spot, failing to progress to the national championship.
A few weeks later, Frankie, then a senior, found herself in Wieber’s office. “What do you think about one more year?” her coach asked.
“After my injuries that I’ve been through, I had to just kind of take a step back and focus on my ‘why,'” Frankie said. “My ‘why’ is representing my last name. And that goes back to my dad, because I know that he would want me to push through the hard times and do what I can to represent being a Price Girl.”
The answer to Wieber’s question was simple. She would return to Arkansas to spend her fifth and final season as a Gymback.
IT’S THREE HOURS before the meet begins, and the Razorbacks have returned to the arena floor.
This time, however, the subdued mood of the morning has given way to a lighter energy, as teammates pose for photos and recruit each other to record TikToks.
Amid the activity, Morgan pulls Frankie aside for pictures. For a few moments, they stand hip to hip, an arm around the other’s waist, before breaking off once again.
“If you walked in the gym, you wouldn’t be able to tell they’re sisters,” Wieber said, “because in the gym, they’re teammates.”
The separation is subtle. Yet the Price Girls know each has been destined to chart their own path.
In 2021, shortly after Frankie began her freshman year, Morgan also committed to Arkansas. She says her sister did not factor into her decision, citing instead an excitement to be part of a growing program. The following year, however, Fisk announced it was launching a gymnastics team. Morgan saw this as an even greater opportunity to contribute. She decommitted to Arkansas in favor of Fisk.
“I knew that the decision that I was making was bigger than just gymnastics,” she said.
By becoming a Bulldog, Morgan was making history. In 2024, as a sophomore, she won the all-around title at the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitation Championship (then known as the USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate National Championships), an end-of-season tournament for limited-scholarship teams. And in 2025, she became the first HBCU gymnast to score a perfect 10.0, before taking home a second WCGNIC all-around title.
After climbing to such heights, she couldn’t help but hear the echoes of her father’s ethos.
“I know my dad would want me to strive to be the best,” she said. “I set and reached all my goals that I wanted to at Fisk, and so I was like, ‘You know what? For my last year, I really want to challenge myself.'”
Several weeks after Wieber asked Frankie about another season in Fayetteville, the head coach received a similar question from her sister.
Morgan says she never forgot how supportive Wieber was of her decision to attend Fisk.
“She cares about us as a person first, and then an athlete,” Morgan said. So Morgan decided to reach out and see how the Razorbacks staff would receive a second commitment. “They were just super excited, fully open arms, and so I knew it was the right decision.”
Morgan would transfer to Arkansas to spend her fourth and final season as a Gymback. In May, the sisters shared the news on social media with a photo in which they stood back-to-back, arms crossed and faces focused. It would be the first of many they’d take in matching cardinal leotards. The following month, Fisk announced it was discontinuing its gymnastics program after the 2026 season, a move that shocked members of the inaugural team.
“I think the fact that we’re able to be together, train together, live together, go through our last year of college together,” Frankie said, “is just a great chance for us to bond even more and just stay connected through life.”
IN THE MINUTES before the meet begins, many of the Gymbacks have already taken the floor, their silhouettes outlined by roving spotlights and the jumbotron’s gentle glow. The voice of the PA announcer fills the darkened arena as he begins to name Arkansas’ upperclassmen.
When Morgan, then Frankie, is introduced, they each take a turn atop the podium in the center of the floor, waving back at the swell of cheers.
“They just carry this swagger about them.” Wieber said. “When we walk into an arena with Frankie and Morgan on our team, that gives the whole program, the whole team, just an extra level of confidence.”
This couldn’t have been more evident in Arkansas’ performance against Kentucky. The Razorbacks began on vault, Morgan in the anchor position. With Frankie, Marsha and Kristin cheering her on, Morgan executed a flawless Yurchenko 1.5, scoring the first perfect 10.0 in Arkansas history. Seconds after the score was announced, Frankie wrapped Morgan in an embrace.
THE FIRST PERFECT 10 IN ARKANSAS HISTORY ON VAULT GOES TO MORGAN PRICE‼️🔥#NCAAGYM x 🎥 SECN+ / @RazorbackGym
— NCAA Women’s Gymnastics (@NCAA_Gymnastics) February 21, 2026
Several Gymback sticks followed on the uneven bars, balance beam and floor, where Frankie scored a 9.925, tying her season high. Morgan was the first to congratulate her, bounding onto the floor to share an enthusiastic double high-five.
Though the regular season meet ended in a tie, Arkansas finished ahead of Kentucky at the SEC championship, placing seventh. The performance helped the Razorbacks secure the No. 9 seed in the postseason, automatically qualifying them for the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The Price Girls have spent their entire gymnastics careers in pursuit of “being better tomorrow.” As they reach the close of their final collegiate season, both say they hope it culminates with Arkansas at the NCAA championship.
“The end of it all is that we’re a family,” Frankie said of the team. “No one’s doing it alone — we’re doing it together.”
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