Good news for Kansas City sports fans! A recent Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey shows a majority of Missourians voted in favor of keeping both the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals in the state. Patrick Mahomes‘ Chiefs is a team that more than two-thirds of Missourians (62.9%) want to keep. Likewise, 58.3% of people find Royals’ presence to be somewhat important, with 38.2% of Missourians being in absolute favor of keeping the baseball team in the Show-Me state.

In April 2024, Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax increase to fund Arrowhead stadium improvements, leaving the Chiefs’ and Royals’ future in Missouri uncertain. Kansas lawmakers took advantage, passing a 70% stadium project funding plan. This puts Kansas in a good position to attract teams from across the state. Even Missouri Governor Mike Parson is optimistic. Parson’s administration is actively developing a competitive bid to keep both teams in the Show-Me state.

Here’s another takeaway: Around 35% of Missourians want both teams in Kansas City, regardless of the state they play in. While some residents are against utilizing public funds for stadiums, most do not find this to be a concern at all. There’s also no obvious party difference on the issue, per political party membership, in the results. This implies how fans value the economic and cultural significance of the franchises in their state.

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Keeping both teams in Missouri would be a huge accomplishment, Governor Parson assured reporters last week. As Kansas makes a generous offer and Missouri gauges public opinion, it’s unclear where the Chiefs and Royals will eventually land. Nonetheless, Missouri’s enormous fan base offers them a major negotiating advantage.

Kansas and Missouri in a tug-of-war: Who pays the Chiefs’ and Royals’ stadium bill?

Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have tried to relocate to the Sunflower State, but Missouri is not easily moved. With Kansas giving tax cuts and Missouri spending $400M, the ultimate decision will be heavily influenced by sales tax and revenue.

Building new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals would cost $2B and $1.5B, respectively. These hefty bills raise questions about how (and when) the debt will be repaid. While fans delight in keeping their teams, Missouri residents may be apprehensive of paying the bill. Since 22.1% of Chiefs faithful and 23.5% of Royals fans are indifferent to the teams’ location, the debate over taxpayer dollars is sure to heat up.

While fans cheer at the prospect of keeping their teams, both states face a tough question: will taxpayers pay the multi-billion-dollar new stadium bill, especially after the locals don’t care where the teams play? Time will tell if cheers turn into jeers.