TOPEKA — Unbeknownst to pretty much everyone in attendance, and those watching from home, but Monday’s news that the Kansas City Chiefs will move to the Kansas side of the state line carried a unique nod to Iola.
It helped that Lt. Gov. David Toland, an Iolan, also serves as the state’s Secretary of Commerce, and was one of the key players in crafting the incentives package to lure the Chiefs to the Sunflower State.
Near the conclusion of Monday’s press conference announcing the move, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt exchanged gifts.
Hunt presented Kelly with a No. 31 Chiefs jersey, to note when the new domed stadium is slated to open — 2031, presumably near the Legends retail and entertainment district in Wyandotte County.
Kelly, meanwhile, gave the Chiefs owner a special football, autographed by Kelly, Toland and Senate President Ty Masterson and Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins.
The football was in a case adorned with special challenge coins from the elected representatives.
That’s where the second Iola link entered the picture.
Toland’s coin is emblazoned with an image of the Iola bandstand, modeled after a Gary Hawk painting
Toland said he received permission from Hawk’s family to use the late artist’s handiwork in crafting the design for the coins.
MONDAY’S announcement continued to send shock waves across both Kansas and Missouri, where the Chiefs will leave Arrowhead Stadium after calling the Jackson County venue home for more than 52 years.
The $3 billion domed stadium will be financed through a public-private partnership through the use of STAR bonds, which will be funded through local sales taxes and fees generated by use of the stadium and other developed areas.
The Chiefs will also move their headquarters and training facility to Olathe.
IN AN unrelated matter, Toland noted Arrowhead Stadium still has plenty of activities in the near future.
On top of continuing to host the Chiefs home games through 2030, Arrowhead will be home of six soccer matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting June 16 and running through July 11.
To mark the occasion, FIFA unveiled several traveling countdown clocks, including one that’s zig-zagging its way through the Midwest, with official stops in towns like Hays, Salina and Overland Park. The clock is in Abilene this week.
The 10-foot tall, illuminated clock will be displayed in Iola, although Toland was uncertain when the timepiece would be displayed here.
