Show-Me State Times

In a recent survey conducted by the SLU/YouGov Poll, 43% of likely voters in Missouri identified the Kansas City Chiefs as their favorite National Football League (NFL) team. The poll, which interviewed 900 likely Missouri voters in August 2024, highlighted the Chiefs' popularity across the state.

The results showed a significant regional divide in support for the Chiefs. In Kansas City, 67% of voters named the Chiefs as their favorite team, while only 26% of St. Louis voters did the same. Despite this disparity, Chiefs fans are more inclined to support the St. Louis Cardinals over the Kansas City Royals when it comes to Major League Baseball teams. Among those who favor the Chiefs, 43% chose the Cardinals as their preferred baseball team compared to 39% for the Royals.

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers were distant second and third choices among Missouri's NFL fans, with just 4% and 2% of respondents selecting them respectively. A notable 34% of those surveyed indicated they did not have a favorite NFL team.

Steven Rogers, Ph.D., SLU/YouGov Poll Director and associate professor of political science at Saint Louis University (SLU), commented on these findings: “The Chiefs popularity is impressive. Overall, only 41% of voters named the St. Louis Cardinals their favorite Major League Baseball team, giving the Chiefs a 2-point edge on the 'best fans in baseball.' But it also helps they are the only NFL team left in the Show-Me-State.”

Despite leaving St. Louis in 2015, the Los Angeles Rams remain a favorite for a small portion of Missouri's population—2%, with slightly higher support among younger voters aged between 18 to 29 years old.

Rogers added insight into this dynamic: “After St. Louis suffered through Bidwell and Big Red football, the Greatest Show on Turf brought a Superbowl to St. Louis,” he said. “But it now seems that St. Louis is a place where Kaw is the law.”

The margin of error for this survey was ±3.79%. The survey was funded by SLU’s PRiME Center and utilized YouGov's panel comprising over three million United States residents.

Saint Louis University collaborates annually with YouGov to conduct surveys among Missouri voters. YouGov is recognized for its work with academic institutions and media organizations such as CBS News and The Economist.