In 2018, training camp was a big deal for the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was the first time that fans could get a close look at what Patrick Mahomes would be like as the starting quarterback. Intrigue surrounding the new quarterback was at an all-time high.
After a 2018 season where the Chiefs reached the AFC title game, and Mahomes won the NFL’s MVP award, fans want to make the trip to St. Joseph to see the Chiefs ahead of the season. There’s plenty of interest surrounding a new-look defense coached by Steve Spagnuolo. It also marks the 10th season that the Chiefs have been in St. Joseph for training camp.
The Communications Director for the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, Beth Conway, spoke to KQ2 News about attendance expectations. She cited officials from both Missouri Western and the Chiefs organization as expecting an increase in attendance numbers.
“Officials from Missouri Western and affiliated with the Chiefs feel like attendance may double from even last year,” Conway said.
According to KQ2 News, the attendance for training camp in 2018 was just under 33,250 fans across the length of training camp. That means roughly 2,200 fans showed up to training camp on a daily basis. If they’re expecting double the attendance in 2019, that means 4,400 fans a day will flock to the practice fields at Missouri Western. During the Chiefs’ first year at St. Joseph in 2010, they had approximately 60,000 fans show up for camp. Now, they could be looking at 66,000 fans or more.
It’s a new era in Chiefs football and expectations high. Fans want to get that early glimpse of what could potentially be a Super Bowl team in 2019.
It might be worth getting to training camp a bit early to get in line and get a good spot on the hill or the bleachers in the event that attendance does exceed that of training camp in 2018.
For a detailed look at the Chiefs’ training camp schedule click here.
