The University of Kansas on Tuesday hosted an event to unveil the plans and renderings for the future of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and what will soon become a Gateway District that serves as the entrance to KU's campus.
The $300 million project is on track for a 70% completion by the start of the 2025 season, with the west side being completely redone and the north bowl being reconstructed as well. The seats will move closer to the field. Fan amenities will jump from just getting by to elite and the promise of a prime time game day experience for everyone is at the forefront of KU's plans.
During a Q&A session following Tuesday's announcement, KU Chancellor Douglas Girod said simply, "Think of an outdoor Allen Fieldhouse. That's what we're shooting for."
With $165 million raised of that $300 million goal — $50 of which will go toward renovations at Allen Fieldhouse — KU is attempting to capitalize on the momentum of a football turnaround on the field and fan interest off of it. In order to exist as a real player in the modern world of college athletics, upgrades such as these are necessary. And if they're able to bring these renderings to life, which KU AD Travis Goff believes they are on the path toward doing, Kansas football soon will be known for its world-class facility as much as anything else.
And the results of that, according to head coach Lance Leipold, could be game-changing.
Here's more from Wave the Wheat on the impact of this announcement on the current players. Many of them will not ever play a snap in the new stadium. But they will be the ones responsible for helping deliver it.
Here are the renderings of the future home of Kansas football.
KU's Anderson Family Football Complex also will get a facelift as part of the project. And it, too, will be significant.
Last week, the current players got their first look at the new locker room and weight room that Leipold asked to have done first so the current group can at least experience some of the benefits of the momentum that will change the look and feel of Kansas football.
But the future changes will be even more impressive. They include a new team room, training room, workout facility and nutrition center, along with what is arguably one of the most impressive parts of the entire project — a tunnel connecting the Anderson complex to the field.
As players exit the locker room and make the walk through the tunnel and out onto the field for kickoff, they will do so under a meeting room that features a massive wall of glass windows that look out from Anderson into Memorial Stadium.
Here's a look at those renderings.
— For tickets to all KU athletic events, visit kutickets.com
