Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt Quotes
July 28, 2025
OPENING STATEMENT: “It’s great to see everybody. We’re excited to be in week two of our training camp here at Missouri Western. I want to say thank you to the staff of Missouri Western – Dr. (Elizabeth) Kennedy and the entire staff doing such a great job of hosting this every year. We love being up here in St. Joe and appreciate the community and opportunity that we have to come together and lay the foundation for the season. Certainly, with the season not finishing like we wanted to last year, I sense an urgency on behalf of everybody associated with the team, on getting here, getting on the field, and getting prepared for the upcoming season. With that, I’ll open it up.”
Q: You guys have done a lot of big deals this off season. Is Trent McDuffie a priority to get an extension done. Is it something you guys would like to do before the season or afterward?
HUNT: “Yeah, well, we were excited to get the guys done that we did this offseason. I think one of the themes you saw was rewarding players that we drafted. I’m a big believer that you build football teams through the draft, and we’re lucky that (Chiefs General Manager) Brett (Veach) and his team have done such a great job, and we have so many players who have played at a high level and that we would like to keep long term. I don’t want to speak specifically about any one player, but it is a priority for us to keep the nucleus of the team together.”
Q: How close are you to making a decision on the future of the stadium, and what obstacles still potentially remain?
HUNT: “I know (Chiefs President) Mark Donovan spoke to you all a week ago and shared that we’ve made a lot of progress, and that’s absolutely true, and that progress is on both sides of the state line. We’re grateful to have two really good options. I don’t want to get into how close we’re making a decision, because we’ve found over time with stadium situations, that until they’re done, they’re not done. There’s a lot of work, a lot of moving parts, and we’re working through those. Certainly, I would say we feel an urgency to bring the process to a conclusion. But that doesn’t mean I can will it to happen in any specified period of time.”
Q: On the two good options for the future stadium.
HUNT: “Well, I think if we were to move to Kansas, it would obviously involve a new stadium, and our priority on Missouri side has been a renovation of GEHA Field at Arrowhead. So, those are the two primary options.”
Q: The two projects would cost different amounts of money, and the two states have structured things differently. How big of a factor is getting a vote done, and how much is the cost to you and your family?
HUNT: “The two projects obviously cost different amounts, that’s absolutely true. And you know, from a family standpoint, we’re not really focused on our financial commitment. We’re more focused on getting it right, picking the option that’s best for our fans, one that’s best for the community, and best for the organization for the next several decades.”
Q: This is the most momentous decision for the organization since your dad moved the team here. Can you describe the family dynamics when you and your siblings are ready to break it all down and make a decision?
HUNT: “Yeah, Vahe (Gregorian), you’re exactly right that it’s a very big decision, and it’s one I certainly want my family’s input on. It’s something that will affect our family for multiple decades and maybe several generations. So, having broad input is really important. I’m hopeful that the decision will be clear cut for us. I don’t know that it will be when we get to that point, but certainly having a collaborative process is important.”
Q: On balancing emotion and sentimentality when making this decision.
HUNT: “Well, I think anybody who has been coming to Chiefs games for decades understands what a special stadium GEHA Field at Arrowhead is. And you know, it’s fun being here at training camp and getting to interact with our fans. And I certainly hear from them in terms of their thoughts. And many of them have grown up going to games with their dad, their mother, their family, and so it’s a very special place for them. So that’ll be part of the calculus for sure.”
Q: On how progress is going for World Cup modifications and how those might impact the stadium for the start of football season.
HUNT: “So that process has been going on for a couple of years now. This summer was really the bulk of the work where we had to take out a number of rows of seats on the north side of the stadium so that we can have the proper width for a World Cup pitch. And we pretty much have that complete, and the stadium will be back in its normal configuration come late August, when we host our preseason game here.”
Q: We heard there were new beds in the dorms this year at training camp. How did that come about?
HUNT: “Yeah, we’re always looking for ways improve the amenities for our players. Certainly, sleep is really important, particularly at training camp. Something you’ve probably heard the players talk about over the years is how challenging it is to sleep in a dorm room. And I’ll second that, because when I’m here, I sleep in the dorm room with them. A number of our veteran players in the past have brought in their own mattresses. We were able to partner with a local furniture store this year to provide mattresses for all the players and the staff. Having spent a few nights here, I’ll say the sleeping is definitely better.”
Q: On it being the 15th year of training camp at St. Joe.
HUNT: “This is our 15th year hosting training camp here out of the last 16 years. The experience has been fantastic for the organization. First of all, starting with the football team, I know you’ve heard Coach Reid talk about how important he thinks it is in terms of bringing the team together to be up here in this environment. The facilities are outstanding. The folks in the cafeteria do a great job with the food. So, it’s been an all-round win for the football team. But, I also really like it in terms of the opportunity it provides our fan base to attend practices. It was great to see so many fans out here the last couple of days. Many of them are local. Some have driven up from Kansas City or really across the bi-state region. And having the fans here helps the players from an intensity level at practice, and then also creates a very special environment where the fans and players are able to interact, like we saw here just a few minutes ago with our players signing autographs. So, it’s really been great for the organization. We were glad to be able to extend our relationship going forward. We do believe it’s been a key part of helping us win a few championships.”
Q: On overall feelings on how the Draft went.
HUNT: “Following the Draft, Brett Veach and his team felt like they had knocked it out of the park again. And we’ve seen some draft classes here recently where we’ve been able to bring a number of new starters to the franchise. And I think he feels the same way about this Draft class. We’ve only been out there for a week, a lot of it was without pads, but the early returns are really positive. I think it’s going to be a special Draft class. Part of that was shoring up the offensive line that you mentioned, I would also say the defensive line as well. Both sides in the trenches, we think we’ve added some players that are really going to be able to help us, but they’re rookies and they’ve got a lot to learn, and there’s a learning curve that they’ll have to go through.”
Q: On the urgency of making a stadium decision.
HUNT: “The urgency for us really comes from the timeframe of our existing lease, which expires in the spring of 2031. So, we’re coming up on five and a half years left on the lease, and stadium projects generally are four and a half to five years from the time you start designing, getting the entitlements and then building whatever you’re building. They’re not short-term projects. So, it’s important for us to be able to make a decision somewhat in the in the near term to be able to be on schedule to have the renovated or new building open in ’31.”
Q: On potential development around a stadium.
HUNT: “Yeah, so at GEHA Field at Arrowhead, the majority of the work will be inside of the stadium, and that’s the feedback we received from the fans. In addition, making sure that the tailgating experience is at least what is today, if not better. I do think there’ll be some opportunities to enhance the tailgating experience if we stay at the Truman Sports Complex. In Kansas, depending on where we end up, there may be a development opportunity around the stadium. We just don’t really feel that outside the perimeter of the Truman Sports Complex that that’s really a ripe area for development.”