TOPEKA — With the announcement of the Kansas City Chiefs building a $3 billion stadium, the possibilities of big events is inevitable. Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt expressed his desire to host the Super Bowl once the stadium is completed in 2031.
One possible event that could change football in the Sunflower State is bringing the KSHSAA state football championship games to the stadium.
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Last year, KSHSAA consolidated the state championship games to three host sites, which was down from every classification having its own site. The three sites have been a success, with fans enjoying multiple games while operations and officials only have to worry about three sits.
The ease of three sites could be made easier if going to one site.
There’s already been a desire to go to one site from KU head coach Lance Leipold. This fall, Leipold shared that he would love for the Jayhawks to host a state championship once their stadium is completed. When asked about moving state championships to KU, it was met with optimism.
“We are always interested in giving the players a great experience,” KSHSAA’s Executive Director for football, Mark Lentz, told the Capital-Journal.
Sterling celebrates their win over Rossville in the KSHSAA Class 1A State Championship game at Hutchinson Community College on Nov. 28, 2025.
NFL hosting state championship games is not new with nine NFL stadiums hosting high school’s biggest game.
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The Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets and Giants along with the Minnesota Vikings host the state title game in their teams’ respective stadiums. The Giants and Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The common denominator between these nine teams: Seven of the stadiums are domes. The Chiefs’ new stadium is expected to be a dome, and it could be crucial for high school athletics.
In 2023, the high school football state championships were headlined by a massive snow storm. This caused traffic problems and poor quality of football. A domed stadium could offset these weather-related challenges while providing high school athletes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
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Arrowhead Stadium was no stranger to hosting high school football games. The current Chiefs stadium hosted the Missouri high school football state championships for four years. The stadium hosted the Missouri high school titles in 1973, 1982, 1984 and 1986.
Liam Keating covers high school sports and Washburn University for The Topeka Capital-Journal. Send stats or information to him at Lkeating@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Why Kansas City Chiefs’ new stadium would be perfect for KSHSAA State Championships