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Thursday, January 25, 2007

K.C. cheers KU-MU relocation

Move of annual clash to Arrowhead will boost revenue for Mo. governments

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Lawrence's loss is Kansas City's gain.

Government officials in Kansas City, Mo., are looking forward to collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in anticipated sales taxes and other revenues from next season's football clash between Kansas University and the University of Missouri.

Instead of filling Memorial Stadium in Lawrence with thousands of fans, drawing dozens of vendors and triggering massive spending in Lawrence on Thanksgiving weekend, all that commerce will be headed across the state line to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. A year later, Missouri's home game against KU will be played at Arrowhead.

Mike Sanders can't wait.

"For us, it's an absolute win-win," said Sanders, a longtime MU season-ticker holder who took office as Jackson County executive three weeks ago. "This is a circumstance where taxpayers and, I think, Jackson County come out the real winner here - and we get to watch two great football games."

The decision to settle their rivalry at Arrowhead for the next two seasons will more than make up for an anticipated loss of a Kansas City Chiefs home game, Sanders said.

At the NFL's instruction, the Chiefs are lining up to play a future game overseas, a move that has been criticized by city, county and state leaders because of an anticipated loss of tax revenue. According to the city of Kansas City, each Chiefs home game triggers $8.4 million in spending at the stadium alone - an average of $107 per fan for tickets, parking, concessions, souvenirs and anything else while on site at the Truman Sports Complex.

That would translate to Kansas City missing out on about $200,000 in sales tax revenue for a game taken overseas, the city says, while the state would lose out on even more, while the county would go without about $100,000.

Audio clip

Mike Sanders, Jackson County executive, on his prediction for next season's KU-MU football game

The consternation eased with this week's announcement for KU-MU in KC.

"Those two games will more than make up for one game lost by the Chiefs," Sanders said.

Cindy Smith, director of national events for the Kansas City Sports Commission, said that this year's KU-MU game would cap an eventful sports week in the city: a college basketball tournament, featuring MU, to open the Sprint Center; a probable Chiefs game Thanksgiving night; and the Jayhawks-Tigers clash Saturday at Arrowhead.

KU is in negotiations to play in the hoops tournament in '08.

"It's a tremendous week of sports - fun and exciting things in Kansas City," Smith said. "We're very excited."

Comments

  1. seattlehawk_78 (anonymous) says…

    I hope someone has done the math on this. Clearly from a tax revenue standpoint the state of Missouri is at a distinct advantage. From a revenue generating standpoint for the universities, both schools should come out ahead. If this game is capable of generating the type of fan interest and exposure it is intended to produce, I'm for it. However, I am somewhat less than optimistic. We are talking about two programs with less than impressive resumes.

    Maybe they should try to exploit the basketball rivalry. Play their home and away conference games each year and schedule a "non-conference" game at the end of the regular season at Kemper.

  2. Jayhawktriplegrad (anonymous) says…

    Wake up, Kansans--here's just one of the "costs" not calculated against the athletic department's so-called increased "profit". If you want to figure out the TRUE "profit" of this move, subtract from the revenues costs such as the lost sales/fuel tax revenues for Lawrence, Douglas County and the State of KS. Perhaps the athletic department should reimburse our governmental entities for those lost tax dollars.

    And aren't we all so happy we're making Mizzou grad Mike Sanders' day?

  3. Geekinout (anonymous) says…

    The only people that I can see who favor this move, are the one's who live in K.C. Why don't the Chief's play one of their games at Memorial Stadium and see if anyone has any complaints about losing money?

  4. kylecisnum1 (anonymous) says…

    screw kansas city!!! they already have the royals (not like they actually get any revenue from them, lol), the chiefs (who sell out every game), the wizards (soccer, eh...), and whatever takes place in kemper and municipal auditorium. i really dont think they need the money. what are they gonna do next? move the ku-mu bball games to the sprint center when it opens? what kind of college atmosphere is that?!?!?!

  5. JayhawkPhil (anonymous) says…

    I live in KC and I am not in favor of the KU/MU game being off campus. I am just as disgusted as you guys are. I was there in the stands when touchdown Tony Sands ran for a zillion yds to beat MU at KU and I was there in Columbia in the icy cold rain when KU got Warren Powers fired. The KU MU game should always be at the end of the year and it should be at alternating campus's.

  6. doubleJ (anonymous) says…

    This article is a prime example that the athletic department is only looking out for itself. I mean we're helping out the state of Missouri for cryin outloud. I live in Missouri (St. Louis mind you) but I'm still against anything that helps out Missouri. Why isn't our athletic department trying to keep money in the city they call home? Lawrence is a beautiful city and taking the revenue away is just shy of a crime to me. I honestly hope this is just for the 2 years.

  7. shelleysue (anonymous) says…

    I realize I'm just one person buying only 3 or 4 tickets to every home game so it's not like I'll make a major impact. However, we most always get a hotel, purchase food and drinks for the game, eat several meals out, go to Mass Street for shopping, end up at Target, Kohls, Old Navy etc. for more shopping, and end up spending a hundred dollars once we get to the game on programs, merchanidise and food. Not to mention the fact that we can't seem to make a trip to Lawrence without buying KU stuff. Long story short, we end up spending a good $500 each time we come to Lawrence. We live in a small town so I like to shop while we're there because it's all so convenient. I will not do this in Kansas City. Even IF we went to the game I would not shop like this in KC. The thing that draws us to Lawrence (besides loving Jayhawk football) for games is the awesome atmosphere both before and during the games - something we won't get in KC. So I'll save my money and hold my own little boycott and stay home to watch the game on TV. I really HATE that I'm being forced to choose between supporting the team and standing up for what I believe. I'll let Lew Perkins and the University of Kansas take that blame. If enough people stayed home we would probably see all the games played at Memorial.

    As for impressing recruits ... KU will likely never be a major football school. Yet look at game day. It's awesome!! The fan support is incredible. THAT is what will impress recruits. Amazing fans creating an amazing atmosphere to play in!!

  8. JBurtin (anonymous) says…

    So by your own argument, wouldn't going to the game and making sure that the visiting recruits see that the KU fans outnumber the MU fans be a good way to impress the local recruits.

    Get your hotel room in Lawrence, drive to the game, then go back to lawrence to shop and celebrate afterwards.

    Just because you disagree with the game is no reason to take it out on the team.

    We should all just pull a reverse Norm Stewart and make sure we don't spend any more money than we need to while we are there.

    Go watch the game, support the hawks, and bring the business back home with you.

  9. fabio (anonymous) says…

    If Boise State can be a major player in college football then of course we can too. All KU fans need to get that defeatist attitude out of thier heads. KU does not have to be second rate. Have you guys not seen the progress that has been made just in the last five years?

    KU fans dont think we will ever be great in football, KU fans wont drive 40 miles to watch a rivalry game, KU fans dont sell out most conference home games with a capacity of only 51,000, KU fans would rather spend a weekend in November going to a meaningless basketball game in Vegas instead of a KU/Mizzou football game in Columbia.
    I dont like saying it but KU fans have a long, I mean a long way to go, before I will call them incredible.
    I hate to be so negative but we are competing against schools that dont have a lot of those problems and unless we deal with these problems they will never be fixed.

  10. JBurtin (anonymous) says…

    Well said

    I don't have the money to travel with the team for away games yet, but I'll be there for any home game, no matter how minor I perceive the opponent to be.

    Anyone who has season tickets near me would tell you, my fiance and I are crazed fans that yell every single defensive down. Stopping them on first and ten is just as important as stopping them on fourth and one.

  11. fabio (anonymous) says…

    Thats great to hear JBurtin. I need to find a girl that nuts about KU football. Your fiance dosent have a sister does she?

  12. Jayhawkfootballfan (anonymous) says…

    I for one will attend the game and I will sit right on the border between the KANSAS fans and the little bitches from misery and will have a great time yelling at them and telling them to have a accident on the way back to columbia!

    Its a bad Idea to take it out of Lawrence but its out of my hands.

    I have supported the Jayhawks for many years now I didn't miss a game last year. I went to Lincoln, Toledo, Waco,Aimes, and columbia.

    I will follow the Hawks all the way to Hell and back again!!

    now if we could somehow arange for the game to be played in KC every other year on the evens im ok with that.

  13. Jayhawkfootballfan (anonymous) says…

    People in my section tell me to be quiet I yell on first second third forth and even when the ball is in play!

    Section 8 had better be ready for next year wahooooo

  14. Jimmy_Dean (anonymous) says…

    "The best things in life are free, but you can give it to the birds and bee's, I want my money!"
    -KU fans