“There are corporate partners with the Rams from a national branding standpoint that will follow the Rams wherever they go,” Garner said. “That won’t be as big a priority for us. Our priority will be companies in St. Louis that don’t have a purely local feel but are based in St. Louis. We just want to be that solution for them.”

Missouri continues to play a men’s basketball game in St. Louis every December against Illinois — though attendance has plummeted with both programs struggling — but it’s been six years since the Tigers played a football game in St. Louis. The Sports Commission hopes that ends soon.

“I keep dreaming about a scenario where in alternating years Mizzou would play a game in St. Louis and Kansas city,” Sports Commission president Frank Viverito said, “whether it’s a home or road game we could bring here, an SEC game or a nonconference game, a high-profile or a low-profile opponent or holiday weekend.”

St. Louis was close to landing last year’s Mizzou-Arkansas State game at Busch Stadium until ASU opted to keep the game in Jonesboro. Meanwhile, St. Louis and Mizzou will partner to serve as hosts for the 2017 NCAA wrestling and gymnastics championships and the 2018 SEC men’s basketball tournament.