In sports , a division is a group of teams who compete against each other for a championship.
55-642: The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos , Kansas City Chiefs , Las Vegas Raiders , and Los Angeles Chargers . The division has sent teams to the Super Bowl twenty times beginning with Super Bowl I when
110-462: A $ 102 million bond issue in 1967 to build a new sports complex with two stadiums. The original design called for construction of side-by-side baseball and football stadiums with a common roof that would roll between them. This design proved to be more complicated and expensive than originally thought and so was scrapped in favor of a more conventional open-air configuration. The Chiefs staff, led by team general manager Jack Steadman , helped develop
165-404: A 2–3 victory for the later on April 13, 2024 to accommodate for the large demand for tickets to see Inter Miami player Lionel Messi . It was Sporting's first game at the stadium since 2010 and attracted a crowd of 72,610, the fourth highest attended MLS event. Arrowhead Stadium was chosen as one of the 16 venues that will host games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup , which will be hosted jointly by
220-573: A 40-year sales tax increase to help fund the project. The Chiefs will consider options beyond renovating Arrowhead Stadium, including building a new stadium in the Kansas City area , including the Kansas side of the state line. From 1963 to 2008, the TD Pack Band was a mainstay at every Chiefs home game. The band was founded by trumpeter Tony DiPardo. The band was previously known as The Zing Band while
275-518: A charged timeout against Kansas City. Thank you for your cooperation." On October 13, 2013, in a game between the Chiefs and Oakland Raiders , the crowd at the stadium set a Guinness World Record for the loudest stadium, with 137.5 dB . That record would be broken by Seattle Seahawks fans at CenturyLink Field on December 2, 2013 at a home game against the New Orleans Saints . Seattle gained
330-566: A few hours' drive via Interstate 29 from Arrowhead, it made sense for a program which, at the time, one of the Big XII's lesser teams. The stadium also played host to the annual Fall Classic at Arrowhead , a Division II game that featured two nearby powerhouse programs in Northwest Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University . The 2004 game featured No. 1 Pittsburg State defeating No. 2 Northwest Missouri State in
385-867: A former AFC West member) won that division with a 7–9 record, the Panthers won the NFC South division with a 7–8–1 record, the Washington Football Team won the NFC East division with a 7–9 record, and the Buccaneers won the NFC South with an 8–9 record. Along with the AFC (formerly AFL) East, the AFC West is the oldest NFL division in terms of creation date (1960). Place cursor over year for division champ or Super Bowl team. In 1969, The Western Division 2nd place team played
440-477: A kitchen, and a living room, to the design of the football stadium. To increase seating while limiting the stadium's footprint, the upper sections were placed at a steep incline which cannot be replicated in modern stadiums due to accessibility regulations. Deaton's design was implemented by the Kansas City architectural firm of Kivett & Myers . Arrowhead Stadium is considered by some to have had an influence on
495-452: A league system. All teams in the league (and by extension, the divisions of the league) are at the same competitive level and remain so year after year. North American professional sports leagues often construct their season schedules in a way such that teams in a division play matches against each other more often than other teams in the league. This not only has the effect of reducing travel costs, but also creates exciting rivalries between
550-785: A naming rights deal between GEHA and the Chiefs. The agreement began at the start of the 2021 season and ends in January 2031 with the expiration of the leases for the Chiefs and Royals with Truman Sports Complex owner, the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority. When the Dallas Texans of the American Football League (AFL) relocated to Kansas City in 1963 and were rebranded as the Chiefs , they played their home games at Municipal Stadium . They originally shared
605-532: A particular region of the continent are grouped together in the same division. For instance, in Major League Baseball , both the American and National Leagues have East, Central, and West divisions; the teams in each division are mostly (but not always) located in the eastern, central, and western sections of North America respectively. In a franchise system, teams are not promoted or relegated as are teams in
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#1732847663308660-546: Is an American football stadium in Kansas City , Missouri , United States . It primarily serves as the home venue of the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). It was built at the same time as neighboring Kauffman Stadium , home of Major League Baseball 's Kansas City Royals , which together form the Truman Sports Complex . Arrowhead Stadium has been in use since 1972 NFL season , and
715-671: Is currently the oldest stadium in the AFC . It has a seating capacity of 76,416, making it the 25th-largest stadium in the United States and the fourth-largest NFL stadium. It is also the largest sports facility by capacity in the state of Missouri . A $ 375 million renovation was completed in 2010. The stadium is scheduled to host matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has hosted college football games, as well as other soccer games. The stadium has been officially named GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (pronounced G-E-H-A) since March 2021, following
770-555: Is located in the south-central United States, the Cowboys are a member of the NFC East division due to their long-standing rivalries with the New York Giants , Philadelphia Eagles , and Washington Commanders , all of whom are located on the Eastern seaboard . In U.S. college sports , a "division" has a meaning different from either sense listed above, although somewhat closer to that of
825-685: The Border War between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers . The 2007 game between the No. 2 Jayhawks and No. 3 Tigers , dubbed "Armageddon at Arrowhead" by media and fans, drew the second largest crowd in stadium history, at 80,537, with the Tigers winning 36-28. Kansas also played Oklahoma at Arrowhead in 2005. Missouri played Arkansas State in 2005 and BYU in 2015 as home games at Arrowhead. Missouri
880-563: The Division also won back to back Super Bowls. The Broncos in 1997 and 1998 and the Chiefs in 2022 and 2023 . The Chiefs won the most recent, eighth straight, and 16th AFC West title in 2023. Kansas City's previous title, won in 2022 made the AFC West the only division in the NFL where all 4 teams had the same amount of division titles (15 each). The division was formed in 1960 as the American Football League 's Western Division. In 1970, as part of
935-751: The Oakland Coliseum , although in 2008 the division was the NFL's weakest since the AFC Central in 1985 by sending the San Diego Chargers to the playoffs as division winners with an 8–8 record while the New England Patriots missed out at 11–5 after losing out on tiebreakers for both the AFC East and the wild-card . In 2010 , the Raiders swept the entire division, going 6–0, but failed to qualify for
990-683: The Pittsburgh Steelers . In 1977, the Seattle Seahawks were added to the AFC West after spending their expansion season in the NFC West ; they would move back to the NFC West in 2002. The first-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976 played as a member of the AFC West before being aligned into the NFC Central in 1977. Each of the four AFC West teams won a division title in the first four years of
1045-577: The Pro Bowl . Due to an ice storm and brutally cold temperatures the week leading up to the game, the game's participants worked out at the facilities of the San Diego Chargers . On game day, the temperature soared to 41 °F (5 °C), melting most of the ice and snow that accumulated during the week. The AFC defeated the NFC , 15–13. In 1984, the Jackson County Sports Authority re-evaluated
1100-508: The 2002 Eddie Robinson Classic, while Kansas State played Cal in the 2003 Eddie Robinson Classic. In 1998, Oklahoma State moved its scheduled home game vs. Nebraska to Arrowhead. The move was done to boost attendance and revenue: Lewis Field in Stillwater sat less than 50,000 fans at that time, the Huskers were the defending national champions, and with many Nebraska supporters living only
1155-543: The 2010 season. In 2019, the Chiefs announced multiple renovations for the 2020 season, which included replaced seats in the lower level, a new video display on the East end, and locker room upgrades. In February 2024, the Chiefs announced additional plans to renovate the stadium starting in 2027, which would further increase the seating capacity along with other upgrades; however, those plans were shelved in April when voters rejected
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#17328476633081210-460: The A's was a shock to local sports fans an community leaders and there was a growing sense that government subsidy of a stadium complex would be necessary to keep major league baseball and professional football in the city. When Kansas City was unable to find a suitable location for a new stadium, Jackson County stepped in and offered a location on the eastern edge of town near the interchange of Interstate 70 and Interstate 435 . Voters approved
1265-483: The AFL/AFC West since its inception, and are currently the only teams in the division. Largely because of this, and the fact they have played each other twice a year for over 60 years, the entire division is considered one very large and very heated rivalry. Given the fact that all four teams have played each other in the same division since 1960, the AFC West could be considered the oldest division (in its present form) in
1320-403: The AFL/AFC West while still in the division. Division (sport) In sports using a league system (also known as a pyramid structure), a division consists of a group of teams who play a sport at a similar competitive level. Teams can move up to a higher division of play or drop down to a lower one via the process of promotion and relegation , based on their performance in the standings at
1375-583: The Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers , winning ten times second only to the NFC East . As of the conclusion of the 2023 season , the Chiefs have the most Super Bowl wins of any AFC West team with four Super Bowl victories. The Broncos have appeared in the most Super Bowls in the division with eight, the Chiefs have appeared in six, and the Raiders have appeared in five. The Chargers lost their lone Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXIX . Two members of
1430-491: The Eastern Division 1st place team in an Interdivisional game. Updated through the 2023–24 NFL playoffs *Combines AFC Championships and AFL Championships won between 1966 and 1969 †AFL Championships won prior to Super Bowl I (1960–1965) ‡Combined Super Bowl championships and AFL Championships won prior to Super Bowl I in 1967 The table below reflects division titles and playoff appearances from former members of
1485-633: The Hunt family, which originally had intended to donate $ 75 million. The renovated stadium features the Chiefs Hall of Honor, a tribute to Lamar Hunt , and "horizon level" seating in which luxury suite owners sit outdoors. Reconstruction for the stadiums started on October 3, 2007. Refurbishment of nearby Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals baseball team, commenced at that time, and both completely-refurbished stadiums were ready for play by
1540-540: The Miami Dolphins, the team that defeated the Chiefs in the final game football game at Municipal Stadium, a double overtime playoff game on Christmas Day 1971 that is still the longest game in NFL history. On November 5, 1972, 82,094 people (the largest crowd to see a game at Arrowhead Stadium) saw the Chiefs defeat the Oakland Raiders , 27-14, to mark their first regular-season victory in their new home. In 1973,
1595-842: The NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals played the last two AFL seasons in the AFL West despite being further east than Houston , where the Houston Oilers played at the time and were members of the AFL Eastern Division . The Bengals (along with the Oilers) moved to the AFC Central (formerly the NFL Century Division , now the AFC North ) in 1970, forming rivalries with the Cleveland Browns and
1650-508: The United States, Canada and Mexico . The stadium will require renovations. Kansas City, Missouri mayor Quinton Lucas estimated the cost of the necessary renovations at $ 50 million. The stadium will host six matches, including four group stage matches, one Round of 32 match, and one quarterfinal match. On April 4, 2006, Jackson County voters approved a tax increase to finance municipal bonds to pay for $ 850 million in renovations to Arrowhead Stadium and nearby Kauffman Stadium . Before
1705-403: The bond election, the NFL announced it would award hosting rights of a future Super Bowl to Kansas City provided it would have a climate-controlled stadium. With the passing of the stadium bill, the Chiefs signed a new lease which ensures that the team will remain at Arrowhead until at least 2031. However, a second bond issue to build the rolling roof shared with Kauffman Stadium that was part of
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1760-429: The complex. Construction began in 1968. The original two-stadium concept was initially designed by Denver architect Charles Deaton and Steadman. The baseball and football stadiums have a very different appearance, but share utilities, parking, and underground storage. Plans to have covered stadiums were dropped, leaving two open-air stadiums. Lamar Hunt included an owner's suite, complete with three bedrooms, bathrooms,
1815-542: The concept of a fabric dome. The concept was disregarded as being unnecessary and financially impractical. Arrowhead hosted the Drum Corps International World Championships in 1988 and 1989. In 1991, two Diamond Vision screens shaped as footballs were installed. In 1994, other improvements were made and natural grass playing surface was installed, replacing the original artificial AstroTurf playing field. In 2009, Arrowhead Stadium completed
1870-447: The corners of the end zones to comply with FIFA field regulations . Space would also have to be made for hospitality and media seating (outside of the stadium's already existing press box). The field will also undergo improvement to its ventilation system. In February 2024, renovations were announced and showcased. The renovations were scheduled to begin in 2027 if an extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax from Jackson County, Missouri , voters
1925-470: The design of several future NFL stadiums. Construction of the stadium was a joint venture Sharp-Kidde- Webb construction firms. Construction on Arrowhead Stadium was completed in time for the 1972 season . On August 12, 1972, the Chiefs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24–14 in the first preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium. In the first regular season game at Arrowhead Stadium in 1972, the Chiefs were defeated by
1980-490: The end of the season. The existence of divisions based on level of competition ensures that teams at one competitive level can play other teams at a similar competitive level, thus creating parity and more exciting matches. In North America , where sports usually operate on a franchise system rather than a league system, a division is a group of teams within a league which is organized along geographical lines rather than competitive success. Teams based in cities that are in
2035-504: The exception of schools in the highest level of NCAA (American) football , which have never had an NCAA-recognized national championship ). As an example, the NCAA is split into three divisions: The term division is also used in US college sports to indicate the groupings of members of a given conference . However, this usage is more recent. The first conference to divide its teams into divisions
2090-413: The installation of a multimillion-dollar integrated system from Daktronics . Two high definition video displays were retrofitted into the existing football-shaped displays in both end zones. Approximately 1,625 feet (495 m) of digital ribbon board technology was also installed in the stadium. In 2013, Arrowhead Stadium started using a new playing surface known as NorthBridge Bermudagrass. The reason
2145-598: The league system. The major governing bodies for college sports, the NCAA and NAIA , divide their member schools into large competitive groups. These groups are much larger than divisions in either the league or franchise system—for example, the NCAA's highest competitive level, Division I , has more than 300 member schools. The vast majority of teams are members of conferences , smaller groupings that usually have between 6 and 14 members. Conference champions, plus selected other teams, compete in national championship tournaments (with
2200-546: The new NFL's two-conference, six-division alignment, the AFL West entered the merged league more or less intact as the AFC West. The original AFL West had four members – the Dallas Texans (who moved to Kansas City in 1963 as the Chiefs ), Denver Broncos , Los Angeles Chargers (who moved to San Diego in 1961, then back to Los Angeles in 2017) and Oakland Raiders (who moved to Los Angeles in 1982, back to Oakland in 1995, and Las Vegas in 2020). These four teams have remained in
2255-464: The only Division II game to feature the nation's top two teams playing in the regular season finale. For the 2024 season, Kansas played four conference home games at the stadium due to renovations at their stadium . *Win vacated With the formation of Major League Soccer in 1996, Arrowhead Stadium became home to the Kansas City Wiz, now known as Sporting Kansas City . After the 1996 season,
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2310-562: The original 1967 stadium plan was defeated by voters, and Kansas City chose to withdraw its request to host Super Bowl XLIX in 2015; the game was played at the University of Phoenix Stadium (now State Farm Stadium) in Glendale, Arizona . On August 15, 2007, the Chiefs announced final plans for the renovated Arrowhead Stadium, which would cost $ 375 million. The cost to the city was reduced by $ 50 million thanks to an additional payment by
2365-508: The playoffs as they only won two non-divisional games. The division was very weak in 2011 as well, when a loss by the Raiders in the last game of the season gave the Broncos the division title with only an 8–8 record. Only the NFC West in 2010, the NFC South in 2014 and 2022, and the NFC East in 2020 have historically sent a worse division winner to the playoffs, when the Seahawks (themselves
2420-530: The realignment – Oakland in 2002 , Kansas City in 2003 , San Diego in 2004 and Denver in 2005 . It is the only one of the eight NFL divisions to have all of its teams win titles in the first four seasons of the North-East-West-South format. In the early and mid-2000s, the division was often cited as one of the NFL's "Toughest Divisions" due partially to the home-field advantages of Empower Field at Mile High , Arrowhead Stadium , Qualcomm Stadium and
2475-516: The record by reaching a noise level of 137.6 decibels. The Chiefs reclaimed the title on September 29, 2014 in a Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots , hitting 142.2 decibels. Arrowhead Stadium has hosted five Big 12 Conference football championship games : Kansas State versus Oklahoma in 2000 and 2003, Colorado versus Oklahoma in 2004, Nebraska versus Oklahoma on December 2, 2006, and Missouri versus Oklahoma in 2008. From 2007 to 2011, Arrowhead Stadium hosted
2530-519: The stadium was the first in the NFL to include arrows on the yard markers to indicate the nearer goal line. (Initially, they resembled little Indian arrowheads.) This practice would eventually spread to the other NFL stadiums as the 1970s progressed, finally becoming mandatory league-wide in the 1978 season (after being used in Super Bowl XII ), and become almost near-universal at lower levels of football. On January 20, 1974, Arrowhead Stadium hosted
2585-623: The stadium with the Kansas City Athletics of Major League Baseball , but the Athletics relocated to Oakland, California, after the 1967 season, with the expansion Kansas City Royals being added in 1969. Municipal Stadium, built in 1923 and mostly rebuilt in 1955, seated approximately 35,000 for football, but as part of the AFL–NFL merger announced in 1966, NFL stadiums would henceforth be required to seat no fewer than 50,000 people. The loss of
2640-417: The team made the switch was due to the cold weather tolerance, rapid recovery and aggressive rooting. In 2021, the Chiefs sold the naming rights for Arrowhead Stadium to GEHA , renaming it GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Arrowhead Stadium will be one of the hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and it is scheduled to undergo small renovations in the years ahead. Seating capacity is expected to be reduced in
2695-538: The team was renamed the Wizards. They left after the 2007 season, after being sold by the Hunt Family to On Goal, LLC , once their lease ended. This was also beneficial so that construction work on Arrowhead Stadium's renovation could take place during the NFL off-season. The Wizards moved to CommunityAmerica Ballpark, now known as Legends Field , in 2008 and did not return to Arrowhead except for one friendly. That friendly
2750-550: The teams in a division. Furthermore, the results of the realignment may not always reflect geographical realities. For instance, in 1995, the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) moved to St. Louis, Missouri and became the St. Louis Rams . The team retained its place in the NFC West division despite the fact that St. Louis is further east than Dallas, Texas , home of the Dallas Cowboys . Although Dallas
2805-414: The teams in the division. Moreover, the top teams in a division qualify for the postseason playoff tournament that crowns the league champion, which heightens the rivalries between the teams in a division. Geographically-based divisions can become skewed if an expansion team joins the league or if one of the franchises within a division moves to another city, necessitating a shuffling or realignment of
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#17328476633082860-410: Was approved; however, the sales tax extension failed to pass. In 1990 in a game against the Denver Broncos , the Chiefs were threatened with a penalty if the crowd would not quiet down. After John Elway was backed up to his own goal line and unable to even run a play he quickly spoke to referee Gordon McCarter . After listening to Elway, McCarter said "Any further crowd-noise problem will result in
2915-675: Was played on July 25, 2010; the Wizards faced Manchester United at Arrowhead Stadium for the English team's third preseason friendly in America during 2011. Due to ticket demand, they could not play the game at their new home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The match ended with Kansas City winning 2-1 with Dimitar Berbatov scoring the only goal for Manchester United on a penalty kick . The stadium has hosted two US Men's National Team matches and three Women's National Team matches. Arrowhead hosted MLS teams Sporting Kansas City and Inter Miami in
2970-662: Was scheduled to play Arkansas in 2020; however, the game location was changed to Columbia due to the COVID-19 pandemic . In 2009 and 2010, Arrowhead Stadium hosted the annual "Farmageddon" game (a reference to the shared agricultural roots of the two competing schools) between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas State Wildcats . Iowa State previously played at Arrowhead against the Florida State Seminoles in
3025-433: Was the Southeastern Conference which, upon expanding to 12 members in 1992, divided into Eastern and Western divisions. Other conferences have undergone similar expansion and division. The usage in the section above is still maintained. For example, the Georgia Bulldogs are in Division I, but are also in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. Arrowhead Stadium Former capacity : Arrowhead Stadium
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