Kansas Plans Upgrades To Memorial Stadium, Addition Of New Facilities

The University of Kansas is enjoying a breakout year on the football field. Soon that breakout will extend to construction at the on-campus David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Originally opened in 1921 as the first stadium on a college campus west of the Mississippi River, one of the oldest venues in the NCAA is part of a plan to upgrade football facilities at Kansas, including the stadium, the Anderson Family Football Complex and the addition of new multi-use facilities near the stadium that can serve to help generate revenue for academic programming.

While work on Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, may be the most noticeable, the project starts in 2023 with upgrades to the football complex.

“The intersection near 11^th and Mississippi streets is a primary campus entrance for prospective students, alumni and guests who are touring KU and visiting David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium” says Douglas Girod, Kansas chancellor. “For these reasons, it’s the ideal location to develop a new gateway with multi-use facilities to better serve these audiences, generate revenue for academic programming, drive economic growth in the region and reimagine our football facilities.”

The goals for the stadium upgrades include an updated seating bowl design with improved sightlines to increase fan comfort and bring them closer to the field, expanded concessions, restrooms and accessible seating locations, improved concourse circulation and new premium spaces.

“This project is unmatched in its vision to benefit a broad range of KU constituents while signaling a new era for Kansas football,” says Travis Goff, Kansas director of athletics. “Once complete, this project will ensure our football program has the facilities it needs to compete at the highest level and provide the best-possible game day experience for student-athletes and fans.”

Kansas has chosen HNTB as the lead architect, in partnership with local Multistudio.

Upgrades to the Anderson Family Football Complex will focus on student-athlete and recruitment experiences.

“This project will have a profound impact on the future of Kansas football and the entire community,” says Lance Leipold, Kansas head football coach. “It will specifically impact our current and future football players, who will now have a state-of-the-art facility to train in. With an up-to-date facility and a commitment to improve Anderson Family Football Complex, our day-to-day operation will be more efficient and effective.”

The hundreds of millions of dollars needed for the project will get funded primary with private donations, economic development funds, premiums seating sales in the football stadium and future development opportunities.

An economic impact study will analyze the potential uses of mixed-use space as part of the project. And the school will select a project developer to help formulate a vision for how the facilities in and around the reimagined football stadium could be used to attract conferences, events or other opportunities, such as retail.

“We are thrilled,” Goff says, “this project goes beyond football to benefit the entire university and the regional economy.”