Field of Schemes
@fieldofschemes.bsky.social
Sports stadium and arena news by Neil deMause (@neildemause.bsky.social), co-author of the book Field of Schemes.
The issue is not that by subsidizing a Chiefs stadium, Kansas will lose money it gets now, but rather that it will lose money it would otherwise get in the future — which still has the potential to blow a huge hole in the state budget.
Kansas council rep sets up website to calculate how many billions Chiefs stadium would cost taxpayers
The Kansas Reflector has done a deeper dive into how the STAR bonds for a new Kansas City Chiefs stadium in Kansas would work, and while it doesn't change the likely total subsidies much — we're still...
www.fieldofschemes.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:35 PM
The issue is not that by subsidizing a Chiefs stadium, Kansas will lose money it gets now, but rather that it will lose money it would otherwise get in the future — which still has the potential to blow a huge hole in the state budget.
Finally, an economic model that adds up!
Scheduling Chiefs games every Sunday (52 games) and Taylor Swift concerts every weekday (208 shows) might work, and everyone has Saturdays to support the rest of the economy.
January 3, 2026 at 2:57 AM
Finally, an economic model that adds up!
When owners of teams like the Bears and Royals can point to previous deals handing over $4B+ in land and tax money as the cost of doing business, it makes it easier for state, county, and city officials to say, "Sure, do we at least get a luxury box?"
Friday roundup: The year that stadium subsidies went completely nuts
One year ago today, this site ran an item headlined "Was the Carolina Panthers’ $650m renovation deal really the worst of 2024? An investimagation," in response to the Center for Economic Accountabili...
www.fieldofschemes.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:29 PM
When owners of teams like the Bears and Royals can point to previous deals handing over $4B+ in land and tax money as the cost of doing business, it makes it easier for state, county, and city officials to say, "Sure, do we at least get a luxury box?"
Also, development expert Patrick Tuohey estimates that total sales within the entire 300-square-mile Chiefs stadium district would have to more than double just for the state to break even, making it likely that Kansas would have to dip into its existing tax base.
Economist Geoff Propheter: "Chiefs games and concerts, using the stupidest, most unreasonably generous assumptions I can't justify without laughing, only gets the state to 33% of the way to the annual debt service needed under existing tax policy."
Experts debate just how many billions of dollars Kansas will lose on Chiefs stadium deal
It's been a whole 48 hours since the last Kansas City Chiefs stadium update — here's what's been happening: After my back-of-the-envelope estimates on Monday that tax revenue from a Chiefs stadium wou...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Also, development expert Patrick Tuohey estimates that total sales within the entire 300-square-mile Chiefs stadium district would have to more than double just for the state to break even, making it likely that Kansas would have to dip into its existing tax base.
Economist Geoff Propheter: "Chiefs games and concerts, using the stupidest, most unreasonably generous assumptions I can't justify without laughing, only gets the state to 33% of the way to the annual debt service needed under existing tax policy."
Experts debate just how many billions of dollars Kansas will lose on Chiefs stadium deal
It's been a whole 48 hours since the last Kansas City Chiefs stadium update — here's what's been happening: After my back-of-the-envelope estimates on Monday that tax revenue from a Chiefs stadium wou...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Economist Geoff Propheter: "Chiefs games and concerts, using the stupidest, most unreasonably generous assumptions I can't justify without laughing, only gets the state to 33% of the way to the annual debt service needed under existing tax policy."
This all seems destined to end with the Cavs and Guardians owners signing new lease extensions in exchange for more public cash. You'd like to see Cleveland officials drive a hard bargain, but if they could write good leases, they wouldn't be in this mess.
Cleveland still has no money for Cavs, Guardians upgrades, is resorting to stalling
The controversy continues over the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County having to cover more than $400 million in upcoming repair costs for the Guardians stadium and Cavaliers arena despite having no...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 30, 2025 at 3:25 PM
This all seems destined to end with the Cavs and Guardians owners signing new lease extensions in exchange for more public cash. You'd like to see Cleveland officials drive a hard bargain, but if they could write good leases, they wouldn't be in this mess.
To pay off stadium bonds, Chiefs-related new spending would need to be $2.7B a year — for a team whose total revenue is less than a quarter of that. Each and every Chiefs fan would need to spend an extra $4,000 per game for Kansas to break even.
How Kansas governor claims $4B Chiefs stadium subsidy will cost “no new taxes,” and whether this makes any damn sense
Judging from my email, the proposed Kansas City Chiefs stadium deal with the state of Kansas has set off a wave of cognitive dissonance among sports fans and taxpayers: Gov. Laura Kelly says that the ...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:56 PM
To pay off stadium bonds, Chiefs-related new spending would need to be $2.7B a year — for a team whose total revenue is less than a quarter of that. Each and every Chiefs fan would need to spend an extra $4,000 per game for Kansas to break even.
To pay off $3B in STAR bonds, all increased future sales and liquor tax proceeds across much of two counties will be siphoned off to pay the Chiefs stadium bill; Kansans across the whole state will bear the cost of replacing that money in the state budget.
Friday roundup: Chiefs stadium to cost all Kansans tax money, Royals up next
I have to figure hardly anyone is reading this here on Christmas weekend, but for those of you who are, here's an abbreviated news roundup, much of it about the proposed Kansas City Chiefs stadium dea...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:04 PM
To pay off $3B in STAR bonds, all increased future sales and liquor tax proceeds across much of two counties will be siphoned off to pay the Chiefs stadium bill; Kansans across the whole state will bear the cost of replacing that money in the state budget.
The stadium tax district would cannibalize sales and liquor taxes from an enormous chunk of the NE corner of Kansas, puttiing the lie to Gov. Kelly's claim that the Chiefs deal "requires no new funds from the current state budget."
Chiefs stadium subsidy hits $4.1B, could siphon off taxes from 293-square-mile swath of Kansas
It's been a whirlwind couple of days since Monday's announcement that the state of Kansas was offering Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt billions of dollars in cash and tax breaks to move across the...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:52 PM
The stadium tax district would cannibalize sales and liquor taxes from an enormous chunk of the NE corner of Kansas, puttiing the lie to Gov. Kelly's claim that the Chiefs deal "requires no new funds from the current state budget."
An Ohio judge issued a restraining order on giving $600m to the Browns because plaintiffs could suffer "irreparable harm" if the state was allowed to raid unclaimed funds. The state's response: It's all cool, we have plenty of money to cover kiting checks.
Judge puts 14-day hold on Ohio gifting Browns owner $600m from unclaimed private funds
As we near the end of a year that seems to have been nonstop sports team owners getting everything they wanted and then some, an Ohio judge has dropped some coal in Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:56 PM
An Ohio judge issued a restraining order on giving $600m to the Browns because plaintiffs could suffer "irreparable harm" if the state was allowed to raid unclaimed funds. The state's response: It's all cool, we have plenty of money to cover kiting checks.
Forget $3B+, actual Chiefs stadium subsidy is $4B+, according to calculations by the national expert in sports tax breaks. (Clark Hunt would only get ~$3.3B of this, but there's also money that has to go to bond buyers, banks, etc.)
Ouch. Current est of public resources to the Chiefs is $6.3b (nom) and $4.1b (real). I assume the $2.775b "cap" is all debt financed. Cost comes down if state uses cash. Cap is not what is owed to bond holders but what the state commits to project. $6.3b is rivaled by DC deal for the Commanders.
December 23, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Forget $3B+, actual Chiefs stadium subsidy is $4B+, according to calculations by the national expert in sports tax breaks. (Clark Hunt would only get ~$3.3B of this, but there's also money that has to go to bond buyers, banks, etc.)
Luring the Chiefs would cost Kansas taxpayers more than $3B, the second most costly stadium project in history, behind only the off-the-charts insane Washington Commanders deal. (That sound you just heard is of Royals owner John Sherman drooling audibly.)
Chiefs sign nonbinding deal to move to Kansas that could cost taxpayers $3B+
The Kansas City Chiefs are moving to Kansas! The Kansas City Chiefs are ... maybe moving to Kansas? The Kansas City Chiefs have said they're moving to Kansas, somewhere, definitely, once they work out...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Luring the Chiefs would cost Kansas taxpayers more than $3B, the second most costly stadium project in history, behind only the off-the-charts insane Washington Commanders deal. (That sound you just heard is of Royals owner John Sherman drooling audibly.)
Mostly, this seems to be a way for the Kansas legislature to declare that the Chiefs have met the end-of-2025 deadline to be eligible for the state STAR bonds — as have the Royals, apparently, despite no concrete stadium plans at all.
Friday roundup: Chiefs to ramp up Kansas saber-rattling, Bears’ Indiana move threat gets cool reception in Illinois
Are people still flipping out about Chicago Bears management acknowledging that Indiana is next door to Illinois and they could try to build a stadium there if they wanted? Yep. Does that mostly come ...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Mostly, this seems to be a way for the Kansas legislature to declare that the Chiefs have met the end-of-2025 deadline to be eligible for the state STAR bonds — as have the Royals, apparently, despite no concrete stadium plans at all.
"This is not about leverage," added Bears CEO Kevin Warren, but when you issue a public letter announcing that the only reason you're considering leaving your state is because the state won't lavish $1B on you, it's hard to read it any other way.
Bears exec finally threatens to move team to Indiana in fight for $1B in Illinois public money
Chicago Bears execs have been asking Illinois for a pile of dough for a new stadium for years now, and have been consistently told by state leaders to go pound sand. And as a famous Chicagoan once alm...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:44 PM
"This is not about leverage," added Bears CEO Kevin Warren, but when you issue a public letter announcing that the only reason you're considering leaving your state is because the state won't lavish $1B on you, it's hard to read it any other way.
T-Wolves co-owner A-Rod called a new arena "an anchor to the community," so presumably this is meant to examine that claim — though if so, quoting an economist saying "asked and answered" under a headline making it seem an open question is ... a choice.
Stadium questions the media shouldn’t even bother asking
If you've been reading this site for any length of time, you'll know that I'm a big fan of Betteridge's Law of Headlines, which states, to save you from having to click through, that "Any headline tha...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 17, 2025 at 8:17 PM
T-Wolves co-owner A-Rod called a new arena "an anchor to the community," so presumably this is meant to examine that claim — though if so, quoting an economist saying "asked and answered" under a headline making it seem an open question is ... a choice.
While ticket taxes come mostly out of the Blue Jackets' hide, diverting casino taxes is just a straight-up handout: about $35m worth of future payments that will go into the team owner's pocket instead of to public services.
Columbus council approves first $100m in public money for Blue Jackets, $150m still to go
The Columbus city council on Monday unanimously approved raising ticket taxes at the Blue Jackets' arena from 5% to 7%, while also increasing the share of the city's casino tax that goes towards arena...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 17, 2025 at 3:59 PM
While ticket taxes come mostly out of the Blue Jackets' hide, diverting casino taxes is just a straight-up handout: about $35m worth of future payments that will go into the team owner's pocket instead of to public services.
Summit president Jen Millet insists: "When you’re a tenant in a stadium, it’s not your true hub. Women deserve that. Just like men.” We'll regroup Monday to see if team execs stick with appeals to gender equity, or go back to threats to move to the burbs.
Denver council puts off soccer stadium vote till next Monday amid public funding questions
The Denver city council met last night to cast a vote on moving forward with what could be $175 million in cash and tax breaks for a stadium for the Denver Summit NWSL team ... and instead punted: The...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Summit president Jen Millet insists: "When you’re a tenant in a stadium, it’s not your true hub. Women deserve that. Just like men.” We'll regroup Monday to see if team execs stick with appeals to gender equity, or go back to threats to move to the burbs.
Rent and taxes will be haggled over in talks, which, if the goal is a "better and financial sustainable situation" (sic) for the Whitecaps, tracks: You don't make windfall profits by leasing city land at market rate, you do it by getting a sweetheart deal.
Vancouver gives preliminary okay to build Whitecaps stadium on public land amid move threats
One week after MLS commissioner Don Garber said the Vancouver Whitecaps needed a "better lease" or else it'd be a shame about those paratroopers, the Vancouver city council and team owners have signed...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Rent and taxes will be haggled over in talks, which, if the goal is a "better and financial sustainable situation" (sic) for the Whitecaps, tracks: You don't make windfall profits by leasing city land at market rate, you do it by getting a sweetheart deal.
Cleveland's mayor's office says it wants to find money for Guardians and Cavaliers stadium upkeep but that "the general revenue fund cannot be held accountable." How good is your brownie recipe, Mr. Mayor?
Friday roundup: What if schools got all the money they needed and sports teams had to hold bake sales to build stadiums?
Yes, that story about nobody knowing how much the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics cost because the Olympic committee literally set fire to its financial records is incredible, and yes, I really need to ma...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Cleveland's mayor's office says it wants to find money for Guardians and Cavaliers stadium upkeep but that "the general revenue fund cannot be held accountable." How good is your brownie recipe, Mr. Mayor?
FIFA, in the most FIFA-y way possible, told cities that bearing all the World Cup costs while getting no direct revenue (not even sales taxes!) would be fine, because they could sell their own sponsorships — then made it nearly impossible to find sponsors.
FIFA’s bait-and-switch on sponsorships could cost US cities $250m during 2026 World Cup
I was on a stadium panel at Baruch College yesterday — video evidence to be available shortly, I hope — and one of the points I tried to make was that both elected officials and voters need to closely...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:21 PM
FIFA, in the most FIFA-y way possible, told cities that bearing all the World Cup costs while getting no direct revenue (not even sales taxes!) would be fine, because they could sell their own sponsorships — then made it nearly impossible to find sponsors.
At this point, any particular Royals stadium site has to be viewed as part leverage play — not just how much money owner John Sherman could get from it, but how much he could get from other local governments by waving it in their faces as a threat.
Building Royals stadium in Kansas could cost state 3,500 T-Mobile workers
T-Mobile announced yesterday that it will move its 3,500 workers from its Aspiria Campus office in Overland Park if the Kansas City Royals are allowed to build a stadium next door, saying the site "ca...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
At this point, any particular Royals stadium site has to be viewed as part leverage play — not just how much money owner John Sherman could get from it, but how much he could get from other local governments by waving it in their faces as a threat.
It's not clear a new stadium would do much for the Rays' finances — a new stadium plus public subsidies might, but then the problem you're solving is less "Where can the Rays play?" than "How can the Rays owners increase their profits via taxpayer money?"
Stop the presses: Rays stadium site search continues to search for stadium site
Baseball's winter meetings are on this week in Orlando, which means lots of opportunities for reporters to hobnob with team execs and fill column inches with whatever comes out of their mouths. So you...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:46 PM
It's not clear a new stadium would do much for the Rays' finances — a new stadium plus public subsidies might, but then the problem you're solving is less "Where can the Rays play?" than "How can the Rays owners increase their profits via taxpayer money?"
Reposted by Field of Schemes
The way that arena got done still pisses me off and I haven’t lived in Cbus for 30 years.
“If you pay for an arena you’ll get a hockey team.”
Nah, we’re good.
“Well, OK, we’ll build an arena then.”
Yay!
“If you don’t buy our arena from us you’ll LOSE your hockey team.”
Hmmm, yes, OK.
“If you pay for an arena you’ll get a hockey team.”
Nah, we’re good.
“Well, OK, we’ll build an arena then.”
Yay!
“If you don’t buy our arena from us you’ll LOSE your hockey team.”
Hmmm, yes, OK.
December 8, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The way that arena got done still pisses me off and I haven’t lived in Cbus for 30 years.
“If you pay for an arena you’ll get a hockey team.”
Nah, we’re good.
“Well, OK, we’ll build an arena then.”
Yay!
“If you don’t buy our arena from us you’ll LOSE your hockey team.”
Hmmm, yes, OK.
“If you pay for an arena you’ll get a hockey team.”
Nah, we’re good.
“Well, OK, we’ll build an arena then.”
Yay!
“If you don’t buy our arena from us you’ll LOSE your hockey team.”
Hmmm, yes, OK.
Blue Jackets execs want to create "new spaces for fans to gather and enjoy their company" and "wide-ranging improvements that ultimately focus on improving the experience" and "improving and securing the future of the building." So, wine bars, probably.
Who would pay for Blue Jackets’ billionaire owner’s $250m arena subsidy: a FAQ
Not sure if this is a sign of how few readers here care about the Columbus Blue Jackets, but when I wrote on Friday that the team owners are "receiving $200 million in state money plus $25 million eac...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Blue Jackets execs want to create "new spaces for fans to gather and enjoy their company" and "wide-ranging improvements that ultimately focus on improving the experience" and "improving and securing the future of the building." So, wine bars, probably.
Your city is nothing without a genuine, bona-fide, electrified, 10,000-seat soccer stadium, which is why Oklahoma City is spending $121m on one so fans can raise their fists to support of not nearly enough players spread out over way too much of the pitch.
Friday roundup: Everybody needs a soccer stadium for a pillow
Soccer! All the kids today are digging it! It's the future! And also the past! Your city is nothing without a genuine, bona-fide, electrified, 10,000-seat soccer stadium, which is why Mesa is creating...
www.fieldofschemes.com
December 5, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Your city is nothing without a genuine, bona-fide, electrified, 10,000-seat soccer stadium, which is why Oklahoma City is spending $121m on one so fans can raise their fists to support of not nearly enough players spread out over way too much of the pitch.