Arrowhead Stadium

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GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
"Arrowhead”, "The Sea of Red”
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.jpg
Aerial view of Arrowhead Stadium 08-31-2013.jpg
Aerial view of Arrowhead Stadium; part of Kauffman Stadium is shown in the top-left corner
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is located in Missouri
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Location in Missouri
Address1 Arrowhead Drive
LocationKansas City, Missouri
Coordinates39°2′56″N 94°29′2″W / 39.04889°N 94.48389°W / 39.04889; -94.48389Coordinates: 39°2′56″N 94°29′2″W / 39.04889°N 94.48389°W / 39.04889; -94.48389
Public transitBus interchange KCATA: Route 47[1]
OwnerJackson County Sports Complex Authority
OperatorKansas City Chiefs
Executive suites80
Capacity78,097 (1972–1994)[2]
79,101 (1995–1996)[3]
79,451 (1997–2009)[4]
76,416 (2010–present)[5]
SurfaceTartanTurf (1972–1993)
Latitude 36 Bermuda Grass (1994–present)
Construction
Broke groundJuly 11, 1968; 53 years ago (July 11, 1968)[6]
OpenedAugust 12, 1972; 49 years ago (1972-08-12)
Renovated1991, 1994, 2007–2010
Expanded1995, 1997
Construction costUS$43 million
($266 million in 2020 dollars[7])

US$375 million (2007–2010 renovation)
($445 million in 2020 dollars[7])
ArchitectKivett and Myers
Populous (2007–2010 renovations)[8]
Structural engineerBob D. Campbell & Co. Structural Engineers[9]
General contractorSharp-Kidde-Webb Joint Venture[10]
Tenants
Kansas City Chiefs (NFL) (1972–present)
Kansas City Wizards (MLS) (1996–2007)
Website
www.chiefs.com/stadium

Arrowhead Stadium is an American football stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium has been officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (pronounced G.E.H.A.) since 2021. The stadium was renamed after GEHA signed a naming rights deal with the Chiefs.[11]

It is part of the Truman Sports Complex with adjacent Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Arrowhead Stadium has a seating capacity of 76,416, making it the 27th largest stadium in the United States and the sixth largest NFL stadium. It is also the largest sports facility by capacity in the state of Missouri. A $375 million renovation was completed in 2010.

History[]

When the Dallas Texans of the American Football League (AFL) relocated to Kansas City in 1963 and were renamed the Kansas City Chiefs, they played home games at Municipal Stadium, which they shared with the Kansas City Athletics of Major League Baseball. The A's left for Oakland after the 1967 season and were replaced by the expansion Kansas City Royals in 1969. Municipal Stadium, built in 1923 and mostly rebuilt in 1955, seated approximately 35,000 for football. As part of the AFL–NFL merger announced in 1966, NFL stadiums would be required to seat no fewer than 50,000 people. The City of Kansas City was unable to find a suitable location for a new stadium, so Jackson County stepped in and offered a location on the eastern edge of Kansas City near the interchange of Interstate 70 and Interstate 435.

Voters approved a $102 million bond issue in 1967 to build a new sports complex with two stadiums. The original design called for construction of side-by-side baseball and football stadiums with a common roof that would roll between them. The design proved to be more complicated and expensive than originally thought and so was scrapped in favor of the current open-air configuration. The two-stadium complex concept was the first of its kind. The Chiefs staff, led by team general manager Jack Steadman, helped develop the complex.

Construction[]

Construction began in 1968. The original two-stadium concept was initially designed by Denver architect Charles Deaton and Steadman. The baseball and football stadiums have a very different appearance, but share utilities, parking, and underground storage. Plans to have covered stadiums were dropped, leaving two open-air stadiums. Lamar Hunt included an owner's suite, complete with three bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, to the design of the football stadium. To increase seating while limiting the stadium's footprint, the upper sections were placed at a steep incline which cannot be replicated in modern stadiums due to accessibility regulations.

Deaton's design was implemented by the Kansas City architectural firm of Kivett & Myers. Arrowhead is considered by some to have had an influence on the design of several future NFL stadiums. Construction of the stadium was a joint venture Sharp-Kidde-Webb construction firms.[12]

1970s[]

Arrowhead Stadium at night, prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers.

Construction on Arrowhead Stadium was completed in time for the 1972 season. On August 12, 1972, the Chiefs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24–14 in the first preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium. Later on during the 1972 regular season, the largest crowd to see a game in Arrowhead Stadium was 82,094 in a Chiefs game against the Oakland Raiders on November 5 (Kansas City won 27-14 for its first regular season victory in the stadium).

In 1973, the stadium was the first in the NFL to include arrows on the yard markers to indicate the nearer goal line (initially, they resembled little Indian arrowheads). This practice would eventually spread to the other NFL stadiums as the 1970s progressed, finally becoming mandatory league-wide in the 1978 season (after being used in Super Bowl XII), and become almost near-universal at the lower levels of football.[13]

On January 20, 1974, Arrowhead Stadium hosted the Pro Bowl. Due to an ice storm and brutally cold temperatures the week leading up to the game, the game's participants worked out at the facilities of the San Diego Chargers. On game day, the temperature soared to 41 °F (5 °C), melting most of the ice and snow that accumulated during the week. The AFC defeated the NFC, 15–13.

1980s–present[]

Arrowhead as seen on ground level.

In 1984, the Jackson County Sports Authority re-evaluated the concept of a fabric dome. The concept was disregarded as being unnecessary and financially impractical. Arrowhead hosted the Drum Corps International World Championships in 1988 and 1989.

In 1991, two Diamond Vision screens shaped as footballs were installed. In 1994, other improvements were made and natural grass playing surface was installed, replacing the original artificial Astroturf playing field.

In 2009, Arrowhead Stadium completed the installation of a multimillion-dollar integrated system from Daktronics out of Brookings, South Dakota. Two high definition video displays were retrofitted into the existing football-shaped displays in both end zones. Approximately 1,625 feet (495 m) of digital ribbon board technology was also installed in the stadium.[14]

In 2021, the Chiefs sold the naming rights for Arrowhead Stadium to GEHA, renaming it GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.[15]

Noise record[]

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Since September 2014, Chiefs fans have been recognized by Guinness World Records as the loudest fan base in the world among outdoor stadiums.[16][17]

In 1990 in a game against the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs were threatened with a penalty if the crowd would not quiet down. After John Elway was backed up to his own goal line and unable to even run a play he quickly spoke to the referee. After listening to Elway the referee said "Any further crowd-noise problem will result in a charged timeout against Kansas City. Thank you for your cooperation."[18]

On October 13, 2013, in a game between the Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, the crowd at the stadium set a Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium, with 137.5 dB.[19] That record would be broken by Seattle Seahawks fans at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2013 at a home game against the New Orleans Saints. Seattle gained the record by reaching a noise level of 137.6 decibels.[20] The Chiefs reclaimed the title on September 29, 2014 in a Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots, hitting 142.2 decibels.[21] On September 20, 2015, the Buffalo Bills attempted to break the noise record in a home game against division rival New England Patriots, but fell short of the mark. It was not released what the decibel reading was.[22]

Allen Fieldhouse, which is only 42 miles (68 km) away, owns the record for loudest indoor arena.[23]

College football[]

Arrowhead Stadium has hosted five Big 12 Conference football championship games: Kansas State versus Oklahoma in 2000 and 2003, Colorado versus Oklahoma in 2004, Nebraska versus Oklahoma on December 2, 2006, and Missouri versus Oklahoma in 2008.

From 2007 to 2011, Arrowhead hosted the Border Showdown between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers. The 2007 game between the #2 Jayhawks and #3 Tigers, drew the second largest crowd in stadium history, at 80,537, with the Tigers winning 36-28.[24] Kansas also played Oklahoma at Arrowhead in 2005. Missouri played Arkansas State in 2005, BYU in 2015, and was scheduled to play Arkansas in 2020.

In 2009 and 2010, Arrowhead hosted football games between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas State Wildcats.[25] Iowa State previously played at Arrowhead against the Florida State Seminoles in the 2002 Eddie Robinson Classic.

In 1998, Oklahoma State moved its scheduled home game vs. Nebraska to Arrowhead.

The stadium also played host to the annual Fall Classic at Arrowhead, a Division II game that featured Northwest Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University. The 2004 game featured No. 1 Pittsburg State defeating No. 2 Northwest Missouri State in the only Division II game to feature the nation's top two teams playing in the regular season finale.

Non-annual College Football games
Date Winner Loser Score Attendance
October 3, 1998 Nebraska Oklahoma State 24–17 79,555
August 24, 2002 Florida State Iowa State 38–31 55,132
September 3, 2005 Missouri Arkansas State 44–17 32,906
October 15, 2005 Oklahoma Kansas 19–3 54,109

Soccer[]

With the formation of Major League Soccer in 1996, Arrowhead became home to the Kansas City Wiz. After the 1996 season, the team was renamed the Wizards. They left after the 2007 season, after being sold by the Hunt Family to On Goal, LLC, once their lease ended. This was also beneficial so that construction work on Arrowhead's renovation could take place during the NFL off-season. The Wizards moved to CommunityAmerica Ballpark in 2008 and did not return to Arrowhead except for one friendly.[26]

That friendly was played on July 25, 2010, the Kansas City Wizards faced Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium for the English team's third preseason friendly in America during 2011. Due to ticket demand, they could not play the game at their new home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The match ended with Kansas City beating the Manchester Club 2-1 with Dimitar Berbatov scoring the only goal for Manchester United on a penalty kick.

The stadium has hosted one US Men's National Team match and three Women's National Team matches.

Arrowhead is one of the 16 candidate venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Date Winning Team Result Losing Team Tournament Attendance
October 7, 1999  United States 6–0  Finland Women's International Friendly 36,405
August 20, 2000  United States 1–1  Canada Women's International Friendly 21,246
April 25, 2001  United States 1–0  Costa Rica 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF final round 37,319
October 22, 2003  United States 2–2  Italy Women's International Friendly 18,263
October 16, 2004  United States 1–0  Mexico Women's International Friendly 20,435
July 25, 2010 United States Kansas City Wizards 2–1 England Manchester United Club Friendly 52,424
March 31, 2015  Mexico 1–0  Paraguay International Friendly 38,114

Renovations[]

One of the entrances to the stadium.
Rear view of the stadium

On April 4, 2006, Jackson County voters approved a tax increase to finance municipal bonds to pay for $850 million in renovations to Arrowhead and nearby Kauffman Stadium.[27] Before the bond election, the NFL awarded the 49th Super Bowl in 2015 to Kansas City provided it would have a climate-controlled stadium. With the passing of the stadium bill, the Chiefs signed a new lease which ensures that the team will remain at Arrowhead until at least 2031.[28]

However, a second bond issue to build the rolling roof shared with Kauffman Stadium that was part of the original 1967 stadium plan was defeated by voters, and Kansas City chose to withdraw its request to host Super Bowl XLIX in 2015; the game was played at the University of Phoenix Stadium (now State Farm Stadium) in Glendale, Arizona.[29]

On August 15, 2007, the Chiefs announced final plans for the renovated Arrowhead Stadium, which would cost $375 million. The cost to the city was reduced by $50 million thanks to an additional payment by the Hunt family, which originally had intended to donate $75 million. The renovated stadium features the Chiefs Hall of Honor, a tribute to Lamar Hunt, and "horizon level" seating in which luxury suite owners sit outdoors.[30]

Reconstruction for the stadiums started on October 3, 2007. Refurbishment of nearby Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals baseball team, commenced at that time, and both completely-refurbished stadiums were ready for play by the 2010 season.[31]

In 2019, the Chiefs announced multiple renovations for the 2020 season, which included replaced seats in the lower level, a new video display on the East end, and locker room upgrades.[32]

Stadium music[]

From 1963 to 2008, the TD Pack Band was a mainstay at every Chiefs home game. The band was founded by trumpeter Tony DiPardo.[33] The band was previously known as The Zing Band while the Chiefs played at Municipal Stadium. DiPardo, nicknamed "Mr. Music",[34] was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 15, 1912. DiPardo has written songs about the team such as "The Chiefs are on the Warpath" and "The Hank Stram Polka". DiPardo received a Super Bowl ring for the Chiefs' victory in Super Bowl IV.

References[]

  1. ^ Cronkleton, Robert (April 3, 2015). "Fans can take Metro bus to Kauffman Stadium". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  2. ^ Rogers, Thomas (December 13, 1976). "Colts Rout Bills, 58-20, for Title; Steelers Playoff Foe". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  3. ^ Covitz, Randy (September 8, 1995). "Chiefs Make KC's Pitch for Big 12 Football Title Game Arrowhead is Biggest of Four Stadiums in the Running Get Event". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  4. ^ Felser, Larry (September 21, 1997). "Chiefs Master the Art of Marketing in a Small Market". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  5. ^ Kansas City Chiefs - Arrowhead
  6. ^ "Truman Sports Complex Renovation Newsletter" (PDF). Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. January 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2011.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b 1634 to 1699: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy ofthe United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700-1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How much is that in real money?: a historical price index for use as a deflator of money values in the economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  8. ^ Stagemeyer, Suzanna. "Kansas City Chiefs' new Arrowhead Stadium opens for first sporting event". Biz Journals.
  9. ^ Everly, Steve (January 13, 1991). "Engineering Firm's Founder Has Retired". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  10. ^ "Stadium History". Team History. Chiefs War Path. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  11. ^ "Chiefs and GEHA Announce Naming Rights Agreement for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium". Chiefs.com.
  12. ^ "Webb Spinner, 1969-1970" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 23, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  13. ^ Pat Bickle Benefit Game - Raytown High School vs Center High School At Arrowhead Stadium 11-24-1973 - YouTube
  14. ^ "Kansas City Chiefs Contract with Daktronics for HD Video Displays".
  15. ^ "Chiefs and GEHA Announce Naming Rights Agreement for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium". Chiefs.com.
  16. ^ "Chiefs Ready for Playoff Nemesis Indianapolis". The Topeka Capital-Journal. 2004. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008.
  17. ^ "Celtic's win over Rangers made Hampden roar like a lion, say sound experts". BBC Sport. BBC. April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  18. ^ "Remember When: Chiefs crowd makes life hard for Elway in 1990". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  19. ^ Kuhla, Andrew. "Arrowhead Sets World Record For Loudest Stadium". Fansided. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  20. ^ Schwab, Frank (December 2, 2013). "Seahawks take back the Guinness World Record for crowd noise at 137.6 decibels". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  21. ^ Peters, Micah (September 29, 2014). "Chiefs break Guinness crowd noise record at Arrowhead against the Patriots". USAToday.com. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  22. ^ "Bills' attempt to break Guinness World Record was 'ridiculous,' Noise Free America says". Syracuse.com.
  23. ^ Bedore, Gary. "KU rallies for 84-80 overtime victory over West Virginia". kansascity. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  24. ^ "Missouri Beats Kansas". Associated Press. November 24, 2007. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  25. ^ "Cyclone Football Team to Play in Kansas City". cyclones.com. Iowa State University Athletic Department. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  26. ^ "T-Bones Welcome Major League Soccer to CommunityAmerica Ballpark". tbonesbaseball.com. Kansas City T-Bones. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  27. ^ "Kansas City OKs sales tax for sports renovations". ESPN.
  28. ^ "Chiefs, Royals sign lease extensions". St. Louis Public Radio.
  29. ^ No rolling roof, no Super Bowl at Arrowhead Associated Press. May 25, 2006.
  30. ^ Chiefs unveil the new Arrowhead KCChiefs.com. August 25, 2007. Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ Thorman, Chris. "Kansas City Chiefs To Show Off New Arrowhead Stadium Renovations". Arrowhead Pride.
  32. ^ "Chiefs Announce Arrowhead Stadium Renovations for 2020".
  33. ^ Gutierrez, Lisa. "DiPardo's band ending longtime engagement at Arrowhead". Kansas City Star.
  34. ^ "Mr. Music is ailing". Kansas City Chiefs. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2008.

External links[]

Events and tenants
Preceded by
Municipal Stadium 		Home of the
Kansas City Chiefs
1972 – present 		Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
first stadium 		Home of the
Kansas City Wizards
1996 – 2007 		Succeeded by
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Preceded by
Texas Stadium 		Host of the
NFL Pro Bowl
1974 		Succeeded by
Miami Orange Bowl
Preceded by
Gillette Stadium 		Host of
AFC Championship Game
2019 - 2021 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by

Alamodome
Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium
Alamodome 		Home of the
Big 12 Championship Game
2000
2003 – 2004
2006
2008 		Succeeded by

Texas Stadium
Reliant Stadium
Alamodome
Cowboys Stadium
Preceded by
Camp Randall Stadium 		Host of the
Drum Corps International
World Championship
1988 – 1989 		Succeeded by
Rich Stadium
Retrieved from ""