In January 2015, the Board of Governors approved a contract amendment that will keep the summer training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs in St. Joseph for three more years, through 2017. The contract also includes two additional extension terms of one year each at the option of both the Chiefs and Missouri Western.
“We are thrilled to be the ‘Summer Training Camp Home of the Kansas City Chiefs’ for the next three years,” said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president. “As a campus, we have benefited from the increased exposure of the training camp and from physical improvements like the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex that would not have been possible without the support of the Chiefs. The St. Joseph region has also benefited from the thousands of fans who have visited training camp during the last five years.”
“From a football perspective, continuing to hold camp at Missouri Western State University makes sense for us,” Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid said. “The school and the community take great care of us, the people are phenomenal and it provides our team the resources and facilities necessary to build momentum towards the season. We are excited to be back.”
Dr. Vartabedian credited a five-way partnership between Missouri Western, the Chiefs, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County and the State of Missouri for bringing the Chiefs to St. Joseph initially, and for bringing them back for at least three more years.
Under the contract extension, Missouri Western will design and install improvements to the practice fields used by the Chiefs, acquire and use certain equipment to maintain the fields, and reimburse the Chiefs for some expenses related to preparing and maintaining the practice fields. The extension will also freeze the Chiefs’ food costs at 2014 levels for the next three years and provide additional residence hall space and additional security. Other conditions of the original 2009 contract remain the same.
The Kansas City Chiefs have held training camp at Missouri Western every year since 2010.