Address: 1 Arrowhead Drive
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Public Transit: KCATA: Route 47(1)
Executive Suites: 128
Capacity: 76,416 (2010 – Present)(2)
History
When the Dallas Texans of the American Football League (AFL) relocated to Kansas City in 1963 and were rebranded as the Chiefs, they played their home games at Municipal Stadium. They originally shared the stadium with the Kansas City Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB), but the Athletics relocated to Oakland, California, after the 1967 season, with the expansion Kansas City Royals being added in 1969.
Municipal Stadium, built in 1923 and mostly rebuilt in 1955, seated approximately 35,000 for football, but as part of the AFL – NFL merger announced in 1966, NFL stadiums would henceforth be required to seat no fewer than 50,000 people. The loss of the A’s was a shock to local sports fans and community leaders saw there was a growing sense that a government subsidy of a stadium complex would be necessary to keep major league baseball and professional football in the city(14).
When Kansas City was unable to find a suitable location for a new stadium, Jackson County stepped in and offered a location on the eastern edge of town near the interchange of Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. Voters approved a $102 million dollar bond issue in 1967 to build a new sports complex with two stadiums. The original design called for construction of side-by-side baseball and football stadiums with a common roof that would roll between them(15). This design proved to be more complicated and expensive than originally thought and so was scrapped in favor of a more conventional open-air configuration. The Chiefs staff, led by team general manager Jack Steadman, helped develop the complex(16).
Construction
Construction began in 1968. The original two-stadium concept was initially designed by Denver architect Charles Deaton and Steadman. The baseball and football stadiums have a very different appearance, but share utilities, parking, and underground storage. Plans to have covered stadiums were dropped, leaving two open-air stadiums. Lamar Hunt included an owner’s suite, complete with three bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, to the design of the football stadium. To increase seating while limiting the stadium’s footprint, the upper sections were placed at a steep incline which cannot be replicated in modern stadiums due to accessibility regulations.
Deaton’s design was implemented by the Kansas City architectural firm of Kivett & Meyers. Arrowhead Stadium is considered by some to have had an influence on the design of several future NFL stadiums. Construction of the stadium was a joint venture of Sharp-Kidde-Webb construction firms.(17)
1970’s
Construction on Arrowhead Stadium was completed in time for the 1972 season. On August 12th, 1972, the Chiefs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24 – 14 in the first preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium.
In the first regular season game at Arrowhead Stadium in 1972, the Chiefs were defeated by the Miami Dolphins,(18) the team that defeated the Chiefs in the final football game at Municipal Stadium, a double overtime playoff game on Christmas Day 1971, that is still the longest game in NFL history.(19)
On November 5th, 1972, 82,094 people (the largest crowd to see a game at Arrowhead Stadium) saw the Chiefs defeat the Oakland Raiders, 27 – 14, to mark their first regular-season victory in their new home.
In 1973, the stadium was the first in the NFL to include arrows on the yard markers to indicate the nearer goal line. (Initially, they resembled little Indian arrowheads.) This practice would eventually spread to the other NFL stadiums as the 1970’s progressed, finally becoming mandatory league-wide in the 1978 season (after being used in Super Bowl XII), and become almost near-universal at lower levels of football.(20)
On January 20th, 1974, Arrowhead hosted the Pro Bowl. Due to an ice storm and brutally cold temperatures the week leading up to the game, the game’s participants worked out at the facilities of the San Diego Chargers. On game day, the temperature soared to 41 oF, melting most of the ice and snow that accumulated during the week. The AFC defeated the NFC, 15 – 13.
1980’s – Present
In 1984, the Jackson County Sports Authority re-evaluated the concept of a fabric dome. The concept was disregarded as being unnecessary and financially impractical. Arrowhead hosted the Drum Corps International World Championship in 1988 and 1989.
In 1991, two Diamond Vision screens shaped as footballs were installed. In 1994, other improvements were made and natural grass playing surface was installed, replacing the original artificial AstroTurf playing field.
In 2002, Arrowhead Stadium completed the installation of a multimillion-dollar integrated system from Daktronics. Two high-definition video displays were retrofitted into the existing football-shaped displays in both end zones. Approximately 1,625 (495 m) of digital ribbon board technology was also installed in the stadium.(21)
In 2013, Arrowhead Stadium started using a new playing surface known as NorthBridge Bermudagrass. The reason team made the switch due to the cold weather tolerance, rapid recovery and aggressive rooting.(6)
In 2021, the Chiefs sold the naming rights for Arrowhead Stadium to GEHA (Government Employees Health Association), renaming it GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.(22)
Arrowhead Stadium will be one of the hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and it is scheduled to undergo small renovations in the years ahead. Seating capacity is expected to be reduced in the corners of the endzones to comply with FIFA field regulations. Space would also have to be made for hospitality and media seating (outside of the stadium’s already existing press box). The field will also undergo improvement to its ventilation system(23). In February 2024, renovations were announced and showcased. The renovations were scheduled to begin in 2027 if an extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax from Jackson County, Missouri, was approved by voters(24) however, the sales tax extension failed to pass.(25).
Links and References
(only 1, 2, 6, and 14 through 25 are needed)
1. Cronkleton, Robert (April 3, 2015). "Fans can
When the Dallas Texans of the American Football League (AFL) relocated to Kansas City in 1963 and were rebranded as the Chiefs, they played their home games at Municipal Stadium. They originally shared the stadium with the Kansas City Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB), but the Athletics relocated to Oakland, California, after the 1967 season, with the expansion Kansas City Royals being added in 1969.
Municipal Stadium, built in 1923 and mostly rebuilt in 1955, seated approximately 35,000 for football, but as part of the AFL – NFL merger announced in 1966, NFL stadiums would henceforth be required to seat no fewer than 50,000 people. The loss of the A’s was a shock to local sports fans and community leaders saw there was a growing sense that a government subsidy of a stadium complex would be necessary to keep major league baseball and professional football in the city(14).
When Kansas City was unable to find a suitable location for a new stadium, Jackson County stepped in and offered a location on the eastern edge of town near the interchange of Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. Voters approved a $102 million dollar bond issue in 1967 to build a new sports complex with two stadiums. The original design called for construction of side-by-side baseball and football stadiums with a common roof that would roll between them(15). This design proved to be more complicated and expensive than originally thought and so was scrapped in favor of a more conventional open-air configuration. The Chiefs staff, led by team general manager Jack Steadman, helped develop the complex(16).
Construction
Construction began in 1968. The original two-stadium concept was initially designed by Denver architect Charles Deaton and Steadman. The baseball and football stadiums have a very different appearance, but share utilities, parking, and underground storage. Plans to have covered stadiums were dropped, leaving two open-air stadiums. Lamar Hunt included an owner’s suite, complete with three bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, to the design of the football stadium. To increase seating while limiting the stadium’s footprint, the upper sections were placed at a steep incline which cannot be replicated in modern stadiums due to accessibility regulations.
Deaton’s design was implemented by the Kansas City architectural firm of Kivett & Meyers. Arrowhead Stadium is considered by some to have had an influence on the design of several future NFL stadiums. Construction of the stadium was a joint venture of Sharp-Kidde-Webb construction firms.(17)
1970’s
Construction on Arrowhead Stadium was completed in time for the 1972 season. On August 12th, 1972, the Chiefs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24 – 14 in the first preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium.
In the first regular season game at Arrowhead Stadium in 1972, the Chiefs were defeated by the Miami Dolphins,(18) the team that defeated the Chiefs in the final football game at Municipal Stadium, a double overtime playoff game on Christmas Day 1971, that is still the longest game in NFL history.(19)
On November 5th, 1972, 82,094 people (the largest crowd to see a game at Arrowhead Stadium) saw the Chiefs defeat the Oakland Raiders, 27 – 14, to mark their first regular-season victory in their new home.
In 1973, the stadium was the first in the NFL to include arrows on the yard markers to indicate the nearer goal line. (Initially, they resembled little Indian arrowheads.) This practice would eventually spread to the other NFL stadiums as the 1970’s progressed, finally becoming mandatory league-wide in the 1978 season (after being used in Super Bowl XII), and become almost near-universal at lower levels of football.(20)
On January 20th, 1974, Arrowhead hosted the Pro Bowl. Due to an ice storm and brutally cold temperatures the week leading up to the game, the game’s participants worked out at the facilities of the San Diego Chargers. On game day, the temperature soared to 41 oF, melting most of the ice and snow that accumulated during the week. The AFC defeated the NFC, 15 – 13.
1980’s – Present
In 1984, the Jackson County Sports Authority re-evaluated the concept of a fabric dome. The concept was disregarded as being unnecessary and financially impractical. Arrowhead hosted the Drum Corps International World Championship in 1988 and 1989.
In 1991, two Diamond Vision screens shaped as footballs were installed. In 1994, other improvements were made and natural grass playing surface was installed, replacing the original artificial AstroTurf playing field.
In 2002, Arrowhead Stadium completed the installation of a multimillion-dollar integrated system from Daktronics. Two high-definition video displays were retrofitted into the existing football-shaped displays in both end zones. Approximately 1,625 (495 m) of digital ribbon board technology was also installed in the stadium.(21)
In 2013, Arrowhead Stadium started using a new playing surface known as NorthBridge Bermudagrass. The reason team made the switch due to the cold weather tolerance, rapid recovery and aggressive rooting.(6)
In 2021, the Chiefs sold the naming rights for Arrowhead Stadium to GEHA (Government Employees Health Association), renaming it GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.(22)
Arrowhead Stadium will be one of the hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and it is scheduled to undergo small renovations in the years ahead. Seating capacity is expected to be reduced in the corners of the endzones to comply with FIFA field regulations. Space would also have to be made for hospitality and media seating (outside of the stadium’s already existing press box). The field will also undergo improvement to its ventilation system(23). In February 2024, renovations were announced and showcased. The renovations were scheduled to begin in 2027 if an extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax from Jackson County, Missouri, was approved by voters(24) however, the sales tax extension failed to pass.(25).
Links and References
(only 1, 2, 6, and 14 through 25 are needed)
1. Cronkleton, Robert (April 3, 2015). "Fans can
Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
4. Covitz, Randy (September 8, 1995). "Chiefs
5. Felser, Larry (September 21, 1997). "Chiefs
9. Stagemeyer, Suzanna. "Kansas City Chiefs'
10. Everly, Steve (January 13, 1991). "Engineering
11. "Stadium History". Team History. Chiefs War
13. Goldman, Charles (March 4, 2021). "Chiefs
October 22, 2011.
4. Covitz, Randy (September 8, 1995). "Chiefs
Retrieved October 22, 2011.
5. Felser, Larry (September 21, 1997). "Chiefs
The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
NorthBridge® Bermudagrass". Sod Solutions Pro.
(PDF). Jackson County Sports Complex Authority.
January 2010. Archived from the original (PDF)
on December 2, 2011.
(1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A
–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Retrieved February 29, 2024.
9. Stagemeyer, Suzanna. "Kansas City Chiefs'
event". Biz Journals.
10. Everly, Steve (January 13, 1991). "Engineering
Star. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
11. "Stadium History". Team History. Chiefs War
Path. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
Stadium". Chiefs.com (Press release). Archived
from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved
March 4, 2021.
13. Goldman, Charles (March 4, 2021). "Chiefs
for field at Arrowhead Stadium". Chiefs Wire.
Retrieved October 21, 2021.
14. Chuck Benedict, "The Story of a Great Stadium,
14. Chuck Benedict, "The Story of a Great Stadium,
"Petersen's 14th Pro Football Annual, 1974,
extra features". KMBC. Retrieved October 7,
2022.
16. Chuck Benedict, "The Story of a Great Stadium,"
16. Chuck Benedict, "The Story of a Great Stadium,"
the original (PDF) on October 23, 2018. Retrieved
11-24-1973". September 20, 2015 – via
Stadium". Chiefs.com. Archived from the original
Stadium". KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR.
fails in Jackson County". KCTV5.com.
April 3, 2024.
