The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club’s training camp will return to the state of Missouri for the next 10 years, beginning in 2010. The Chiefs and Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri have agreed to the university’s plans for a training facility that will host the club’s training camp on the Missouri Western campus for a minimum of five years.
"We are very excited about bringing training camp back to the state of Missouri," Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said. "Given the increased year-round interest in the Chiefs, it was important to our family to conduct camp closer to our fans in Mid-America. We appreciate the support of the State of Missouri and Missouri Western State University, and we look forward to expanding our role in the St. Joseph community next summer."
Working with the State of Missouri, the Missouri Development Finance Board and Missouri Western State University, the Chiefs will make a multi-million dollar contribution to support the construction of a new training facility on the Missouri Western campus. This project will include a climate-controlled, 120-yard indoor field, as well as team and position meeting space for the Chiefs and office space for the Chiefs coaching and football operations staff. In addition, two 120-yard, regulation NFL grass fields will be part of the project.
"The Chiefs appreciate the hard work so many individuals have put into this effort," Chiefs President Denny Thum commented. "Specifically, we would like to thank the Office of the Governor and the Missouri Development Finance Board. In addition, there were several key parties from Missouri Western State University who were integral to this process, including Dr. Robert Vartabedian (President), Dirck Clark (Chair, Board of Governors) and Dave Williams (Director of Athletics). We look forward to construction beginning in the immediate future on this project."
The university has assured the Chiefs that the facility will be completed before July 2010 and the university has assumed responsibility for any cost overruns associated with the project. In addition to their investment in this facility at Missouri Western, the Chiefs and the Hunt Family have contributed an additional $50 million towards the ongoing renovation efforts at Arrowhead Stadium and the Truman Sports Complex, further strengthening the franchise’s commitment to the state of Missouri.
Missouri Western will serve as just the fifth training camp site in the 50-year history of the Chiefs franchise. The Chiefs will conduct their training camp in the state of Missouri for the first time in 20 years when they open camp at Missouri Western in 2010. William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri previously served as the Chiefs training camp site from ’63-90.
Founded in ’69, Missouri Western State University has an enrollment of approximately 5,500 students. The Griffons compete at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). Spratt Stadium is home to Missouri Western’s football squad, boasting a capacity 6,000 and a synthetic playing surface. St. Joseph, Missouri (pop. 72,000) is located approximately 55 minutes from downtown Kansas City and is only 35 minutes north of Kansas City International Airport.
