The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing to leave Arrowhead Stadium behind, and the iconic name may not make the journey to their new home. Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt has confirmed that the next stadium, planned for a 2031 opening, is unlikely to carry the Arrowhead name. That decision could be emotional for fans who have spent decades connecting the venue with Chiefs football, but the franchise says the building itself will preserve many of the traditions that made Arrowhead special.
Chiefs new stadium will likely drop the Arrowhead name
Clark Hunt confirmed the naming decision during an interview with FOX4 on September 10, making it clear that the franchise wants its next home to establish an identity of its own.
“I don’t think we’ll call it Arrowhead,” Hunt said. “But we wanted to make sure there were enough elements in the design that remind every fan who has attended a game at Arrowhead about what a great stadium that is. We really want to honor the legacy of Arrowhead, and we know how important Arrowhead is to our fans.”
The change marks a major moment for a venue that has been part of Chiefs history since 1972. Arrowhead has witnessed some of the franchise’s biggest wins, including five Lamar Hunt trophies and three Super Bowl victories over the past seven seasons.
The name itself has also gone through changes. GEHA secured naming rights in 2021, leading to the GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium branding. That arrangement was later reverted to Arrowhead Stadium. FIFA also used the name “Kansas City Stadium” during the 2026 World Cup, when the venue hosted six matches.
Yet fans continued to call it Arrowhead.
New Chiefs stadium aims to preserve Arrowhead’s legacy
While the name may disappear, much of the stadium’s character is expected to live on. The new 70,000-seat venue will draw inspiration from Arrowhead’s recognizable dome-shaped design while adding modern features aimed at improving comfort and the overall game-day experience.
A fully enclosed roof made with translucent ETFE panels will help create an all-weather environment. The Chiefs also plan to work with audio engineers to amplify crowd noise, a fitting choice given Arrowhead’s reputation for an electric atmosphere.
The current stadium famously recorded a crowd noise level of 142.2 decibels in 2014, setting a Guinness World Record at the time. The new complex will also include more than 20,000 parking spaces, expanded Chiefs Hall of Honor facilities, a Lamar Hunt statue, the Drum Deck ceremony and the Chiefs Ring of Honor.
The wider development is expected to include a new practice facility and team headquarters in Olathe, alongside other privately funded projects. The investment is projected to create thousands of jobs and provide a significant economic boost to the region.
For Chiefs supporters, however, the biggest question may be simpler. If the name Arrowhead disappears, can the new stadium earn the same emotional place in Kansas City football history?
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