Chiefs head to St. Joe for training camp with future unknown

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Tuesday, July 16, is Report Day for training camp for the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes, the rest of the quarterbacks, and rookies come to Missouri Western State University (MWSU) that day.

The rest of the players report by Friday while practice is open to the public starting Sunday, July 21.

There are only three days across all of training camp where it actually costs money to get into camp to see the players. It costs $5 a person Sunday, July 21, Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, August 4. The other days are free, but parking does cost $5 a day per car. The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce says these next couple of weeks are really important for restaurants and retailers.

“For the hotels, we do a call around, after camp most years, and ask you know, ‘How did camp affect you?’ And a lot of times they’ll say you know, ‘We were filled with red for those three weeks,'” Chamber Director of Communications Kristi Bailey said in an interview with FOX4 Monday.

Each day you’re at camp, you do need a ticket though, even if the day’s free. Businesses in town are ready to welcome the team and its fans.

“Oh, it’s a thing. I mean, it’s ‘a thing,'” Hi-Ho Bar & Grill Bartender Mark McKnight said in an interview with FOX4 Monday.

McKnight’s been a bartender there for about 12 years. He says Hi-Ho cashes in in late July and early August.

“Since they have early morning practices… usually the residuals, because they come after training camp is over, they come and get lunch,” he added. “They’ll actually venture on into town, even though Missouri Western is on the outskirts, they’ll venture in to see what St. Joseph is all about.”

McKnight says the chamber works with local businesses to try and make sure people come into town.

“So we actually started with these buttons before the very first training camp… ever,” Bailey said of her ‘Ask Me About Chiefs Champ’ button she was wearing as we interviewed her.

The Chiefs moved training camp from River Falls, Wisconsin to St. Joe and MWSU in 2010. They’ve been in the city ever since, minus the COVID year of 2020. The Chiefs current contract at MWSU expires after the 2024 season, plus Bailey says businesses are probably wondering what’s going to happen if the team builds a new stadium in the metro.

“But the community as a whole, I do think we would be sad if training camp left St. Joe,” she continued. “We like to say that you know, ‘The road to the Super Bowl starts in St. Joseph,’ and we feel like we’re a part of the team.”

Customers at Hi-Ho are ready to welcome the back-to-back Super Bowl champs to town too.

“It gives us a way to stand out, not only for the local people. It gives them some pride,” St. Joe resident Mark Woodbury said.

Woodbury did have a similar statement to Bailey’s though, when it comes to the future of training camp.

“We just hope that the Chiefs decide to keep it here forever if we had our druthers,” he continued. Chiefs leadership wouldn’t answer questions specific to training camp in 2025 and beyond Monday. Leadership will be talking to reporters on Friday at MWSU. For past coverage on Chiefs training camp for 2024, click here.

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