Back in December last year, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt confirmed that his franchise would eventually leave Arrowhead Stadium. And that news did not sit well with fans. Hunt has been moving forward with plans to relocate the Chiefs across state lines to a new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas. But while the project promises modern upgrades, many fans see Hunt’s motives behind the decision differently. 

“Greedy,” one fan commented under the Chiefs’ recent Instagram post.

Recently, when the Chiefs’ official Instagram account made a post to join the viral social media trend in which people showcase throwback footage from the 1990s, it put the spotlight back on Arrowhead. That IG reel featured grainy clips of Chiefs’ players and fans from the ’90s, and it triggered many fans who still struggle with the idea of leaving Arrowhead. As such, many fans turned their frustration toward Clark Hunt and labeled him money-minded in the comments.

Clark Hunt had also faced backlash last year when the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council approved the plan for STAR bonds to cover 60% of the Chiefs’ $3B stadium. Clark Hunt later told KSHB 41 News that the Chiefs will privately fund the remaining 40% of the new stadium cost. But while it was proposed that liquor and sales tax revenue generated inside the STAR bond district would help repay the bonds, Hunt’s project had been opposed by residents in that district.

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At present, the Chiefs still play at Arrowhead in Kansas City, but the team’s training facility is located in Jackson County. Clark Hunt’s relocation plan would shift the franchise to a new stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas, along with new team headquarters and a practice facility in Olathe, Johnson County. For Hunt, this move is important for the progress and a long-term opportunity for his team, and he framed the relocation as part of the Chiefs’ larger legacy.

“In the 60-plus years of this franchise, we have called three stadiums ‘home,’” Clark Hunt said in a statement in December last year. “We have brought home a championship to every single one. We’re not done winning championships at Arrowhead. We’re going to cherish the next five seasons playing there. For generations to come, Chiefs fans will have the best game day experience in the entire NFL. Our children and grandchildren will have a place for their own unforgettable moments.”

However, Hunt’s project has been harder for Chiefs Kingdom to accept, as Arrowhead has served as the heartbeat of the community for more than five decades. Thousands of nearby residents rely on the Chiefs’ game-day activity for their livelihood, and families have gathered there for generations to create memories. Relocating those memories to a new stadium is hardly possible, so fans did not hold back on calling out Hunt for being willing to say goodbye to Arrowhead.

Fans criticize Clark Hunt for the Chiefs’ Arrowhead exit

Clark Hunt believes that the new $3 billion stadium could open doors that Arrowhead cannot. But the planned stadium will only seat around 65,000 fans, which is roughly 10,000 fewer than Arrowhead. Add that trade-off to the reality of leaving a venue the Chiefs kingdom has called home since 1972, and criticism against Hunt quickly surfaced on social media.

“S-cks the ownership is fleeing this tradition and atmosphere for a failed modernized cookie-cutter stadium. All due to corporate greed!” one fan wrote under the Chiefs’ IG post.

“And you’re building a soulless dome to replace this. Good work, Clark,” another fan wrote.

One major reason why Clark Hunt wants the new stadium for the Chiefs is the possibility of hosting a Super Bowl, and a domed facility significantly increases those chances. However, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe reportedly suggested that Hunt could add a roof to Arrowhead instead of building a completely new dome. Instead, while Hunt chose relocation, a decision that will cost billions with state funding support, many fans couldn’t help but call him greedy.

“Yeah, and now you are leaving because apparently all the billions the Hunt family has still isn’t enough,” one fan commented.

“Clark Hunt doesn’t see this; he just sees dollar signs,” another fan commented.

Supporters of Hunt’s project, like Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, argue that the move could deliver massive economic benefits in Kansas. The development surrounding the $3B stadium could generate over $4.4 billion in economic impact and create more than 20,000 jobs for the state of Kansas. But Arrowhead has also been one of the loudest open stadiums in the NFL, so some fans worry that moving under a dome could put the Chiefs at a disadvantage.

“I went to Arrowhead in 2023 for the Chargers game. As a Detroiter, I gotta say there’s no football environment quite like Arrowhead and moving the team is a MISTAKE,” one fan concluded.

The lease at Arrowhead runs through 2031, so the Chiefs’ kingdom still has five more seasons to make the most out of the place they still consider their home. But in the long run, the move can either prove that Clark Hunt’s vision was right or the Chiefs might look back and wish that they had never left Arrowhead at all.