Kansas Jayhawks Launch Season With Major Stadium Upgrade

The University of Kansas recently debuted a $450 million campus renovation that includes the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in a seasons opener against Fresno State.

The team defeated Fresno State on the field (31-7) and the fans won big in the stands.

The players’ impression of their sold-out, home field with 41,000+ fans was equally enthusiastic including their first “tunnel walk” – something that wasn’t possible in the old Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1921.

“First of all,” Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels told the Kansas City Star, “we’re walking out of the tunnel now. So, let’s start there. I mean, you come out of the tunnel and see the fans all striped out. It means a lot.”

Entering the stadium and seeing fans in alternating blue and white sections was a huge departure from the days when players would leave the Anderson Family Football Complex and wind through metal barricades before entering the stadium through an inflatable tunnel.

In 2024, the NCAA Div. 1 team played home games at Children’s Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City, and Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. , while the old stadium was razed and one of the largest building projects in school history hit full throttle. The project is two-thirds complete with construction on the east side of the stadium in the next phase.

The stadium now features several levels of seating on the west and north sides along with 42 suites, new concourses and concessions, as well as the new tunnel from the adjoining football complex into the stadium.

A massive capital improvement project is a heady accomplishment for any athletic director, Travis Goff, who was brought on as AD five years ago, got the project rolling with the support of the university administration and donors. In the past month, the Lawrence City Commission agreed to a $94.6 million tax incentive package to help finish the football stadium, while a $300 million donation from Kansas alum David Booth also includes money earmarked for the facility.

Under Goff and head coach Lance Leipold, the Big 12 Jayhawks have been to bowl games two of the past three seasons and barely missed the mark in 2024.

“Last year was great. No excuses. We had great crowds, great environments,” Goff told the Associated Press, “but there’s something special about playing at home.”