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Chiefs reach deal to stay in St. Joseph for training camp

Chiefs Training Camp
Posted at 10:14 AM, Feb 14, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-14 19:48:59-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs will return to St. Joseph, Missouri, for training camp for another few years.

The Chiefs announced Friday that they agreed to a three-year deal to continue training at Missouri Western State University with the option to extend the deal two more years after 2022.

“Trust is a big, big key piece when dealing with professional sports franchises. There’s a lot of trust between the Chiefs and Missouri Western so we’re incredibly excited that they are returning," MWSU Athletic Director Josh Looney said.

Missouri Western will be making several updates to the facility to accommodate the team and their fans, including adding a new seating area to the practice fields. In addition, upgrades will be made to Scanlon Hall where players, staff and coaches will stay.

“We’re really excited about our fields for training camp. We’ve been able to seat 2,500, and we’re in the process of expanding that to 5,000," MWSU President Matthew Wilson said.

Before Friday's announcement from the Chiefs, it was unclear whether the team would return to St. Joseph.

“I was at the parade, a little bit of my gut was saying I hope they come back, because now they’re Super Bowl Champions. Are they going to need a bigger venue? Are they going to need more space and things like that? So, I’m really glad to hear that they’re coming back," Heather Mitchell said.

During a press conference Friday, Looney said he did not believe the Chiefs would return to Missouri Western if they did not feel it provided a competitive advantage.

“Our team researched and reviewed a number of viable options over the past six months. Through those meetings and discussions, we unanimously decided to return to St. Joseph," Chiefs President Mark Donovan said.

The Chiefs have trained at Missouri Western since 2010.