TOPEKA, Kan. (KCTV) – As the future homes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals remain undecided, a Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council meeting set for Monday becomes the next step in the years-long process.
In July, lawmakers in Kansas extended STAR bonds legislation for another year — through June 30, 2026 — at the request of officials from both teams.
In doing so, the LCC set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2026, to consider a STAR bond proposal.
On Monday, officials with the Chiefs and Royals could be in attendance for the LCC meeting to make proposals about a potential move to Kansas.
On Thursday afternoon, Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson released a statement pointing specifically to the Kansas City Royals.
“Senate President Masterson believes the Kansas City Royals are fully committed to Kansas, which fulfills their obligation regarding the advanced timeline given from the LCC,” a spokesperson for Senate President Ty Masterson shared with KCTV Thursday afternoon.
“While their location proposal continues to evolve,” Masterson continued, “it will not be finalized or considered this year or during the upcoming legislative session.”
Masterson’s comments likely mean the Royals won’t be in attendance Monday, but does indicate the team has done enough to satisfy the LCC proposal requirements.
Whether the Chiefs will be in attendance for Monday’s meeting is still to be determined.
Masterson, who is the chair of the LCC, made no mention of the Chiefs, but the Kansas Department of Commerce released a statement on social media Thursday, spurring buzz that a finalized deal was near for the Chiefs.
“The state of Kansas is in active discussions with the Kansas City Chiefs about the prospects of building a new stadium and other facilities in Kansas,” the Department of Commerce said. “No final agreement has been reached, but this would be a massive economic win for Kansas and benefit Kansans for generations to come.
“We are aggressively pursuing this opportunity.”
Whether the Chiefs will be in attendance for Monday’s meeting is still to be determined.
KCTV5 has contacted multiple sources in both Kansas and Missouri in an effort to get clarity on the exact implications and procedures for Monday’s LCC meeting. An agenda for the meeting has yet to be released.
Monday’s meeting is an important step in the stadium process, but if proposals by either team are submitted to the LCC for STAR bond funding consideration, that does not mean either team has officially committed to leaving Missouri. It would, however, signal strong interest in a potential move to Kansas.
Late Thursday evening, House Speaker Dan Hawkins released a statement on the timing of the decisions by the two teams.
“Just as a point of clarification, December 31st is the STAR Bond deadline. It’s been the deadline since the LCC voted on it and as Chair of the LCC next year, I can assure you that is not going to change. I hope both the Chiefs and the Royals can come to an agreement with the State by that date.”
Immediately following that statement, Masterson released his own updated statement, saying:
“While I believe the Royals are committed to relocating to Kansas, this does not alter the procedural deadline set by the Legislative Coordinating Council for December 31, 2025.”
Meanwhile, Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement today in response to the speculation about the Chiefs and Royals, saying:
“Kansas City does not negotiate in public and will not change course today. As the City and our Missouri partners continue discussions with our long-term partners at the Chiefs and the Royals, we remain steadfast in working toward an arrangement in the best interest of our community and the greatest success of our teams on and off the field.”
KCTV5 has reached out to both the Royals and the Chiefs for more information regarding Monday’s meeting, but no official statements have been provided.
This is a developing story. KCTV’s full stadium development coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.