KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Just days before the final home game of the 2025 NFL season, Kansas City Chiefs leadership and lawmakers in Kansas announced plans for the historic franchise to cross the border for a shiny new stadium.
With a 2031 kickoff date for Chiefs games in Kansas, a finite number of games -- somewhere just north of 40, depending on the Chiefs’ participation in international games and the playoffs -- remain to be played at historic Arrowhead Stadium.
Before the Chiefs kick off another season of play at Arrowhead on Monday, Sept. 14, under the primetime lights against the Denver Broncos, here’s a look back at how we arrived here before the final half-decade of football at the iconic venue.
Arrowhead’s birth
Before shovels hit dirt in east Kansas City in 1968, voters had to approve a $102 million general obligation bond during a June 1967 vote. As part of that general obligation bond proposal, $43 million was proposed to build a twin stadium complex with a rolling roof in Kansas City’s Leeds district east of downtown, rather than a domed downtown stadium that could’ve hosted both baseball and football.
While the rolling roof never came to fruition due to cost concerns cited by county officials in 1971, 69% of voters -- just more than the two-thirds required -- approved the sports complex proposal during the 1967 vote.
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Located off of Interstate-70 and Interstate-435, the stadiums moved the teams out of the inner city and away from Municipal Stadium, which had been located at the corner of Brooklyn Avenue and E. 22nd Street.
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On July 11, 1968, groundbreaking on the project began, with architects Kivett and Myers beginning construction on Arrowhead and what was then known as Royals Stadium. The stadiums wound up sharing utilities, parking, and underground storage.
A resolution to name the dual-stadium complex the Truman Sports Complex was approved in 1970.
That same year, Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt announced the football stadium would be known as Arrowhead. With his family being from Texas, Hunt included three bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room in the owner’s suite at Arrowhead, a unique set-up that remains in the stadium to this day.
Architect Charles Deaton and the vision of Hunt provided a canvas for a half-century ahead that no one could predict.
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Four years of construction paved the way for Aug. 12, 1972, when the Chiefs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24-14 in a preseason game, the first contest in the stadium’s history.
Early decades of Arrowhead
If the field at Arrowhead Stadium could talk, it would take quite some time for it to tell all its stories.
After their move from Dallas, the Kansas City Chiefs outgrew their temporary and shared home of Municipal Stadium -- with its capacity in the mid-30,000s -- and moved into Arrowhead, which wound up with more than double the seating. In their first season, a Nov. 5, 1972, game against the Oakland Raiders had over 82,000 fans watch the Chiefs beat their rivals, 27-14.
The final days of the Hank Stram era of Chiefs football and Len Dawson’s career in Kansas City ushered in the beginning of Arrowhead Stadium.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, after winning Super Bowl 4 in the 1969 season as construction was underway on the new stadium, the first decade of football at Arrowhead Stadium was filled with lots of lackluster play. The Chiefs failed to make the playoffs until 15 seasons into their time at Arrowhead.
With nothing innovative about the product on the field at the time, in 1973 Arrowhead Stadium became the first in the NFL to include arrows on the yard markers to indicate which end zone was nearest. By 1978, that idea was mandated league-wide in the NFL.
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Making some noise
Arrowhead Stadium’s noise has become a staple of its reputation. The origins of that reputation can be traced to Dec. 9, 1990, when a short-lived NFL rule aimed to curb crowd noise caused a scene during a primetime game with the Denver Broncos.
With Broncos quarterback John Elway trying to start a drive at his team’s own 1-yard line, a deafening noise caused a false start on 2nd and 10. As Elway went under center, he stood up and backed away from taking a snap and looked toward referee Gordon McCarter to stop play following a false start on Denver.
“I have asked the defense to help lower the crowd noise,” McCarter said to the fans. “Any further crowd noise problem will result in a charged timeout against Kansas City. Thank you for your cooperation.”
As fans got louder again, Elway looked back at McCarter for help but was given none. The rule implemented with indoor stadiums becoming more prevalent in the NFL went uncalled that night, as the outdoor stadium emerged as one of the loudest in the league en route to a 31-20 Chiefs win.
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Decades later, during an Oct. 13, 2013, game against the Raiders, Chiefs fans set a Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium by reaching 137.5 dB.
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After Seattle Seahawks fans broke Kansas City’s record by reaching 137.6 dB in December of 2013, Chiefs fans answered a year later by raising their voices with a little hate toward Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. As the Chiefs rolled to a 41-14 win, fans reached 142.2 decibels for a new Guinness record.
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Musical moments
Though Arrowhead is known for live sports, it’s also played host to some of the world’s biggest music stars. From Michael Jackson during the summer of 1984, to Taylor Swift’s monster Eras Tour in 2023, music has had its moment at the Chiefs cathedral.
Here are some of the most notable performances in chronological order:
- The Rolling Stones: June 6, 1975. Tickets averaged $10 each.
- The Jacksons: July 6-8, 1984. Michael Jackson performed with all six brothers as they kicked off their “Victory Tour.”
- Paul McCartney: May 31, 1991. McCartney was on his “New World Tour,” and he even played “Kansas City” by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as a bonus song.
- Kenny Chesney: June 15, 2013. Chesney was joined by Eric Church, Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves.
- One Direction: July 28, 2015. Forty-four thousand fans showed out for one of the world’s biggest boy bands as Arrowhead pushed for more concerts.
- Taylor Swift: Swift is a huge Arrowhead frequenter between performing numerous concerts throughout the years, and now supporting her husband, Travis Kelce, at Chiefs games. Her most recent show at Arrowhead was The Eras Tour in 2023, which boosted Kansas City’s economy by over $45 million.
- Beyoncé: Sept. 18, 2023. This performance was the last stop on her “Renaissance World Tour.”
College classics
Not only has Arrowhead Stadium set the stage for some of the biggest moments in NFL history, but it has also hosted its fair share of college football classics.
Arrowhead hosted five Big 12 Conference football championship games, including K-State’s 35-7 drubbing of undefeated Oklahoma in 2003.
In 2004, No. 1 Pittsburg State defeated No. 2 Northwest Missouri State in the annual Fall Classic at Arrowhead, which featured some of the best teams in Division II. It was the only game to feature the top-two teams in the country playing in the finale of the regular season.
From 2007 to 2011, Arrowhead also hosted the Border War between Kansas and Missouri. The 2007 version of the rivalry was dubbed “Armageddon at Arrowhead,” and featured the No. 2 Jayhawks and No. 3 Tigers. Mizzou won, 36-28, as over 80,000 made it the second-largest crowd in the stadium’s history.
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Emotional tributes
Following the tragic passing of Chiefs defensive end Derrick Thomas in February 2000, Thomas’ open-casket funeral was held at Arrowhead Stadium on Feb. 15, 2000. More than 20,000 fans attended.
Thomas was 33 years old when his suburban skidded off an icy highway and flipped several times in January of 2000. Paralyzed from the chest down, Thomas was transferred to a hospital in his hometown of Miami before a blood clot in his legs created a pulmonary embolism that killed the nine-time All-Pro defensive end.
With the United States reeling after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and Pentagon in Washington, Arrowhead Stadium provided the stage for a return to play for the New York Giants.
Twelve days after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the Giants traveled to Kansas City and were greeted by the kindest version of Chiefs Kingdom fans had to offer.
Chiefs fans gave Giants players a standing ovation when they emerged from the southeast tunnel for warm-ups and passed firefighters’ boots through the crowd to collect money for relief efforts in New York City.
On Sept. 23, 2001, Chiefs fans ended the national anthem by singing the lyrics as they were written, departing from their tradition of ending with “home of the Chiefs.”
In 2015, it wasn’t a guest being greeted with an abnormal ovation, but rather a Chiefs great. On Sept. 17, 2015, prior to a game against the Denver Broncos on ‘Thursday Night Football,’ Chiefs safety Eric Berry was greeted with love as he returned from cancer.
Eight months earlier, Berry had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In his return, Berry earned Pro Bowl honors, was named an AP All-Pro and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Renovations
In 1991, a pair of Diamond Vision screens that were shaped as footballs were installed on each end zone. Just a few years later, the Chiefs moved from artificial turf to natural grass in 1994 -- changing the type of grass again in 2013.
Scoreboards were once again changed when the team made a deal with Daktronics in 2009, with high-definition video being added and more than a thousand feet of digital ribbon board technology installed around the stadium.
In 2010, a $375 million renovation was completed, adding a press box to the south side of the stadium.
At the conclusion of the Chiefs’ 2025 season, construction began to renovate Arrowhead temporarily to host games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Seats on the north side of the stadium were removed to make room for the larger soccer pitch with Kansas City hosting six matches during the tournament, including a historic hat-trick performance from Argentina star Lionel Messi.
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The Golden Age
While head coach Marty Schottenheimer’s decade-long run in Kansas City provided the Chiefs with their winningest time since the late 1960s, and Joe Montana’s closing stint of his career came on the turf at Arrowhead, it wasn’t until the mid-2010s that Arrowhead shined its brightest.
After the Chiefs hit rock bottom in 2012, going 2-14 to clinch the No. 1 overall pick, head coach Andy Reid was hired, setting the table for the most success the franchise had ever seen.
Kansas City improved its record by nine games during Reid’s initial season, making the playoffs as a wild card team in 2013. After missing the playoffs in 2014 and reaching again as a Wild Card in 2015, Reid led the Chiefs to nine straight division titles from 2016 to 2024.
With Patrick Mahomes’ draft selection in 2017 and his promotion to starting quarterback after a year of studying under Alex Smith’s wing, Kansas City entered its golden age as a franchise in recent years -- elevating the Chiefs’ status from one of the founding organizations of the AFL to a premier winner in the NFL.
Best games in Arrowhead history
10. Messi’s hat trick -- June 16, 2026
Argentina star Lionel Messi debuted in his final World Cup with the first hat-trick of his World Cup career. His third and final goal in a 3-0 victory over Algeria tied him for the World Cup scoring record. It was the first of six World Cup games hosted in Kansas City, but wound up being the most memorable.
9. Three in a row -- Jan. 26, 2025
Needing a win to set up a chance at an unprecedented Super Bowl threepeat, Kansas City staved off the Buffalo Bills with a 32-29 victory in the 2024 AFC Championship Game.
A controversial replay decision regarding a 4th-and-inches stop of Josh Allen loomed large in Kansas City’s win, the fourth over the Bills in the playoffs during Mahomes’ career. If not for the ensuing Super Bowl result two weeks later, Chiefs fans might view this one a little more fondly.
8. Frozen Arrowhead -- Jan. 13, 2024
In the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history -- and fourth-coldest in NFL history -- the Chiefs kick-started back-to-back Super Bowl titles with a 26-7 crushing of the Miami Dolphins. The temperature for the wild-card playoff game was minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit, and wind gusts up to 27 mph made for a wind chill of minus-27 degrees.
7. ‘Armageddon at Arrowhead’ -- Nov. 24, 2007
The 2007 Border War matchup between No. 2 Kansas and No. 3 Missouri featured two national title contenders clashing at a neutral site between the two schools’ campuses. With a potential No. 1 ranking and a spot in the Big 12 Championship on the line, Mizzou quarterback Chase Daniel led the Tigers past the Jayhawks for a 36-28 victory, giving KU its first loss of the season and sending Mizzou to the Big 12 title game.
6. 4th and 9 -- Dec. 9, 2018
In his first year as Chiefs starter, Patrick Mahomes was quickly turning skeptical Kansas City fans into believers with his magical play. Facing a 4th and 9 in Chiefs territory late in the fourth quarter with Baltimore leading, 24-17, Mahomes rolled to his right and heaved the ball deep. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill caught the pass, scampered for a 48-yard gain and set up a Chiefs touchdown drive that sent the game to overtime, where Kansas City held on for a 27-24 win.
5. Offsides, defense No. 55 -- Jan. 20, 2019
When it’s all said and done, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady will likely be viewed as the two greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Their first playoff matchup, a 37-31 New England Patriots win, was the first AFC Championship Game hosted at Arrowhead Stadium.
While an offside penalty on Chiefs defensive end Dee Ford negated a potential game-winning interception in the fourth quarter, the game signaled Kansas City’s arrival as a Super Bowl contender and Mahomes’ status as an elite playoff performer. It was also the final game of Bob Sutton running the Chiefs defense, with Steve Spagnuolo replacing him months later.
4. Lamar Hunt Trophy comes home -- Jan. 19, 2020
In January 2020, the Chiefs capped the 2019 NFL season by securing the Lamar Hunt Trophy with a 35-24 win over the Tennessee Titans, for the first time since it had been named after their franchise patriarch.
Just before halftime, Mahomes evaded Titans defenders, dashing down the sideline for a 27-yard touchdown which gave Kansas City a lead it wouldn’t relent. Sammy Watkins put the finishing touches on the win, scoring on a 60-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
3. Cardiac Chiefs -- Jan. 12, 2020
Before there were any Super Bowl appearances for the Chiefs under Andy Reid, their biggest comeback had to be completed. After digging themselves a 24-0 hole against the Houston Texans, an Arrowhead avalanche saw Kansas City rally to lead before halftime.
The 51-7 run gave the Chiefs a 51-31 win and advanced them to their second AFC Championship Game appearance in a row. It was also the start of a Super Bowl run in which the Chiefs erased a double-digit deficit in all three games.
2. ‘Burrowhead my a--’ -- Jan. 29, 2023
In 2023, Arrowhead was briefly given a nickname by teammates of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who coined it “Burrowhead.” The Chiefs responded by beating the Bengals, 23-20, in dramatic fashion to advance to another Super Bowl. A hobbled Mahomes led the Chiefs to victory on a high ankle sprain.
“Burrowhead my a--,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce laughed into the CBS microphones following the win.
1. 13 seconds - Jan. 23, 2022
In one of the greatest games in NFL history, Mahomes and Josh Allen battled back-and-forth, playing near-perfect quarterback on both ends throughout. After Allen put the Bills up 36-33 with 13 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, a pair of Mahomes passes to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce set up Harrison Butker for a game-tying field goal as time expired.
In overtime, Mahomes marched the Chiefs down the field for a game-winning touchdown pass to Kelce.
For six times in the first seven years of Mahomes’ time as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback, the AFC Championship Game was played at Arrowhead. The game came to be known as the “Arrowhead Invitational,” with Kansas City hosting it frequently.
In a half-decade, the World’s Loudest Stadium will fall silent.
As Kansas City prepares for Chapter 55 of Arrowhead Stadium with Monday night’s primetime kickoff against the Broncos, what the final five chapters hold remains to be seen.
Then, just across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, a new stadium will pick up the pen and start writing the next book of Chiefs -- and Kansas City -- history.
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