RIVER FALLS, WIS. ? The University of Wisconsin-River Falls wants to upgrade its facilities in an attempt to keep the Kansas City Chiefs from finding another summer training-camp location.

The Chiefs have held their preseason camp at the university for 13 years, but no longer have a contract.

The team is considering offers from Northwest Missouri State, Southwest Missouri State, Central Missouri State, Missouri Western State College and Pittsburg (Kan.) State.

UW-River Falls’ effort for the $2.2 million in upgrades, including to its locker room and dormitories, is being backed by the student senate, the local business community and state officials, including Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls and Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat.

The UW Board of Regents will review the request in early December.

If it’s approved, the request then will go to the state’s Building Commission in mid-December. If it survives, it then would go before the Legislature.

Since becoming Chiefs’ coach, Dick Vermeil has said he wanted to move the camp closer to Kansas City, but team president Carl Peterson prefers River Falls because of the cooler weather.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Vice President Denny Thum, who is leading the team’s training-camp search, said the issue was a need for improved facilities.

He said most of the competing campuses had new or improved facilities, including better locker rooms and training areas.

But he said UW-River Falls is doing what it needs to be considered.

“It’s still an open field,” he said.

The UW-River Falls Survey Research Center estimated the camp brought in more than $2 million each year and attracted 10,000 to 15,000 people from 30 states.

NFL camps once had a major impact across Wisconsin.

At its peak in 1995, the “Cheese League” had five NFL training camps — the Green Bay Packers in De Pere and Green Bay; the Chicago Bears in Platteville; the New Orleans Saints in La Crosse; the Jacksonville Jaguars in Stevens Point; and the Chiefs.

State officials estimated the camps brought about $20 million in revenue from hotels and restaurant sales, as well as use of dormitories and training facilities at host universities.