Missouri Western officials negotiating return of Chiefs training camp

Efforts are underway to ensure the Kansas City Chiefs return to St. Joseph for training camp in the coming years.

The team, which is preparing for its third consecutive Super Bowl appearance after having won the last two championships, has come to Missouri Western State University’s campus to prepare for the NFL season since 2010.

The most recent agreement ended in 2024, and after a series of contract extensions, Missouri Western and Chiefs officials decided to start work on a new contract.

“Since we had not come to this point for a long time, we felt like it was good to just get a reset,” Missouri Western State University Athletics Director Andy Carter said. “A lot of things have changed in the last 15 years.”

Negotiations started earlier than normal at the conclusion of training camp this year. Discussions to renew the contract usually take place once the Chief’s season is over, but talks have been ongoing since fall.

Carter said plenty of progress has been made on a new contract, but talks have slowed since the Chiefs entered the postseason.

“We’ll get together once it’s all over, but we’ve already laid a lot of groundwork for that time frame, which I was excited about,” he said.

As of now, Carter says he has every reason to believe that there will be a new contract put in place.

Some of the negotiations include continuing to work on security and cameras around campus for player safety.

“NFL security is a pretty legit situation, and we have to live up to those standards to make sure that when they go into the dorm at night that they’re protected,” Carter said.

Carter said Missouri Western is a student-driven university, so part of negotiations is to ensure improvements that are being made for the Chiefs also help enhance the student experience.

“They use our weight room, they use our indoor facility, they use a lot of things that over time, the extra use wears it out,” Carter said. “And so you have to find ways to get resources to replenish that so it’s still a first-class experience for our students.”

A couple of improvements made in the last year include new turf at the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex and new paint and flooring inside the athletic training facility.

Negotiations also include what will impact the fan experience, such as additional paving to reduce gravel and improved seating.

Griffin Fisher remembers his parents bringing him and his sister to Chiefs training camp over the years and seeing the changes.

“I go out like just this last year and just watch the team and watch the players,” he said. “Now, it’s different being so much older, but it’s really fun to go and see the players as they train, and it makes you feel like you’re closer to the team.”

Fisher said training camp puts a spotlight on the college and St. Joseph.

“There’s not a ton that goes on here,” he said. “So to have a football team come up here, it gets a lot of people to show up from all over the country.”

Carter said Missouri Western does not have all the resources to fund the needs that have been expressed by the Chiefs. The last major upgrade to Missouri Western facilities for training camp cost $3 million, and the university will look to partners at the local and state level to secure funding again.

“It’s about how do we work with the state and with the city and with the county to bring everything together so that Missouri Western isn’t footing the entire bill to have them here, because there’s really not any revenue to speak of,” Carter said. “We want to do it because it’s good for our state, it’s good for our county, it’s good for our city, it’s good for our university.”