The Kansas-Missouri stadium border war surrounding the NFL’s Chiefs and MLB’s Royals is set to continue, at least for a few more months, extending and heightening the drama around one of the most-watched facility deliberations in sports. 

A bipartisan group of Kansas lawmakers voted unanimously Monday to keep in place a framework for stadium bonds, called Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds, that was originally passed last year. Those bonds had been set to expire on June 30, but the vote now legally extends the deadline by a year, to the same date in 2026. Kansas officials, however, have said they want a decision from the teams by the end of this year. 

The Kansas funding, aimed at turning the state into a “professional sports powerhouse” in the words of Gov. Laura Kelly, would provide up to 70% of the cost of the stadiums for one or both of the teams. 

“Although I don’t like having to extend the statute for this, I feel in fairness to the teams, it’s incumbent on us to make sure that we do things that are fair and above-board,” said Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins. 

Broader Considerations

The Chiefs, the NFL’s most-watched team on television and still an on-field power, are at the center of the Kansas bond deliberations as discussions continue with the state about the team potentially relocating across the border from Missouri to Kansas to build a new, domed stadium. Such a facility would be capable of hosting major events such as the Super Bowl and Final Four in addition to housing Chiefs games.

As the original expiration of the Kansas bond structure approached, the Chiefs asked state officials for more time as they determine their facility future and whether to leave Missouri. A large-scale renovation of the team’s current stadium, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., is also an option, and Missouri officials recently approved their own funding mechanism that would aid in such an effort.

“The complexity and scale of the project—and the importance of crafting a structure that works for all stakeholders—make it clear that more time is needed to bring the effort to full fruition,” Chiefs president Mark Donovan recently wrote in a letter to Kansas legislators. 

The Chiefs previously had said they wanted to make a stadium decision “by summer at the latest,” but the recent moves in both states will extend that timeline. 

“It’s literally getting down to the final points and making sure that everybody’s in agreement on what we need to do, and that we have all the pieces lined up,” Donovan said of the forthcoming stadium decision.

The Royals, meanwhile, are continuing their own ballpark deliberations separate from the Chiefs, but more definitively plan to build a new facility to succeed Kauffman Stadium. Where that will be, though, remains an open question.

“Our focused discussions continue as we seek the best option for the future generational home of the Kansas City Royals,” the club said. “The extension of the Kansas STAR bond legislation enables us to continue our pursuit of the right choice for our fans, our organization, and our regional community.”

As NBA free agency has slowed down, Draymond Green, one of the league’s most outspoken players, took to social media to vent about the league’s CBA.

Green sent out five posts on Threads late Monday night saying that the NBA’s current CBA put “an end to Free Agency” due to the presence of the second apron—which acts as a hard cap for teams. The 13-year NBA veteran believes the changes drastically affect players, but he thinks many “mismanage their careers” because they are not aware of the intricacies of the business.

“I sit here and watch so many players overplay the market and not understand what they are up against with the new rules. Which leads me to trying to understand the unstaggering percentage of guys that has no idea of THE BUSINESS they are apart of,” Green wrote.

Despite the criticisms, Green was complimentary of the NBA, saying the league has an “amazing partnership amongst players, staff, front office, ownership, and fans.” The crux of his issue appears to be the lack of education among players of the CBA and how it affects their contracts and earning potential.

Green believes he could have helped educate the players better—if he were the president of the National Basketball Players Association.

“I should’ve been the Players association president lol. I could’ve helped a lot,” the 35-year-old wrote. 

The NBPA president is CJ McCollum, who was elected in August 2021. Two years later, the NBA’s current CBA was ratified. Other players on the board include first vice president Grant Williams, who was appointed a few months before the new CBA, and Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who has been a board member since 2019.

The union’s executive director is Andre Iguodala, Green’s former teammate with the Warriors. The pair won four NBA championships together alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Iguodala took the role in November 2023, months after the current CBA took effect. 

Green hinted he may not be done opining about the CBA and free agency. “Maybe I’ll write a long piece, or maybe I’ll just do a podcast lol.” 

The four-time All-Star hosts a podcast called The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, which has more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube. 

The sports world has been a key rallying point in the recovery from last weekend’s devastating central Texas floods, which have claimed more than 100 lives, with dozens more missing. 

A search-and-recovery effort extended into a fifth day Tuesday following the initial flooding in the early hours of July 4 in the Texas Hill Country. Many of the state’s pro sports teams have made donations. Among the publicly announced donations from teams and leagues:

• A collective $1.5 million donation from the NFL’s Cowboys, Texans, and NFL Foundation
• A collective donation of “more than $2 million” from the NBA’s Mavericks, Rockets, Spurs, the NBA Foundation, and the National Basketball Players Association
• A $1 million donation from MLB’s Astros. The club is buttressing that with “a fan-based initiative to mobilize our passionate fan base” and provide additional support
• A $1 million donation from MLB’s Rangers
• University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning, one of the highest-paid athletes in college sports, said Tuesday he was donating to relief organizations addressing the flood damage and pushed for others to do the same

Among the hardest-hit areas in the floods was Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, a Christian summer camp for girls that had been in existence since 1926. Among the Camp Mystic attendees lost in the flood was Janie Hunt, a 9-year-old who the wife of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt referred to as a “precious Hunt cousin.” Six other cousins of Janie Hunt also attended the camp but have survived. 

“Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the floods in Kerr County and Texas Hill Country, especially for the young girls and their families, as well as all of those lost and their loved ones,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “This has been devastating to see and we hold everyone impacted in our thoughts and prayers.”