In August of 1972 the Kansas City Chiefs opened their brand new home, Arrowhead Stadium, for a preseason game against the St. Louis Cardinals, a geographic rival. The Chiefs had been occupying Municipal Stadium since their relocation from Dallas in 1963, but that venue lacked the necessary seating to meet new NFL standards.
Four years after ground was broken Arrowhead finally opened for the Chiefs, who have been the stadium’s primary tenant other than Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards (1996-2007).
Here is the program from that first Chiefs game at Arrowhead, a 24-14 win over the Cardinals that drew 78,000-plus spectators.
Compared to the rather unremarkable programs the Chiefs used in 1972 — all teams shared the same NFL-issued designs — this one is great. Why they couldn’t continue with fun covers the rest of the season is beyond me, but at least we have this much.
As a special bonus, here’s a press photo taken on the day of Arrowhead’s first game.
