A new era: Kansas Jayhawks Unveil renderings for major stadium renovations

Credit: Brent Flanders via Flickr

In an effort to revitalize the Kansas Jayhawks' football program, plans are being made for substantial renovations to Booth Memorial Stadium and the Anderson Family Football Complex. The renovations are set to begin at the end of the 2023 season in hopes of finishing by the start of the 2025 season, per the Kansas City Star's Shreyas Laddha.

The renderings for these renovations were released Tuesday, August 15th, and have impressed many. The project will be funded mainly by private donors, with no tuition or state general funds being used, according to a statement made by Kansas Athletics.

These renovations will include building a district around the stadium to be used for both football and non-football-related activities, giving the project the apt name of "The Gateway District." The district will include new retail amenities as well as food and drink establishments, a new conference center, and more, and will be used to not only drive recruitment for the football team but to drive economic development in the city of Lawrence.

New Digs for a new era

In terms of actual football usage, the new Anderson Family Football Complex renovations will include new practice fields, new locker rooms (of which have already been completed, as shown below), and new training amenities such as a new weight room and new athletic training hub. This overhaul of the complex will further drive recruitment and will also allow the team to enter the stadium from the locker rooms directly, something that was not able to be done in years past.

These additions are expected to be a part of the first phase of construction, as well as construction on the north side that will include the aforementioned conference center, the west, and the southwest sides of the stadium.

Finally, in terms of the stadium itself, massive renovations are being made in order to keep in the arms race with fellow Big 12 programs. These sweeping renovations include a new lighting system, revitalized stadium decks on the existing sides of the stadium, new bathroom facilities, a new front gate, 2,300 new club seats, 50% more legroom in seating, four times more food and beverage offerings, and perhaps the biggest and most needed renovation, a closed bowl with a new Jumbotron.

Much of the renovations that were intended to keep Kansas in the Big 12 football facilities arms race never came to fruition due to a lack of support for a poorly performing program, a revolving door of athletic directors that failed to get the job done, and the basketball team being the main event of the athletics programs at KU, which has left Booth Memorial Stadium to be a stadium that leaves much to be desired in terms of being a stadium for a Power 5 school. No longer is that the case, and athletic director Travis Goff is doing his best to get the program back to competitiveness.

“The cumulative impact of a world-class football operations complex and one of the finest game day venues in the country catapults Kansas Football, and our entire athletics program, into this critical next chapter. We have a proud history, but this unprecedented investment makes a powerful statement about an even brighter future and provides a far-reaching impact on our university community, fans, and football program. I am grateful for the leadership of Chancellor Girod and the visionary donors who have propelled this generational project forward.”-Travis Goff in a statement for KUAthletics.com

The Jayhawks are coming...

These renovations are coming after Head Coach Lance Leipold and the Jayhawks went 6-6 in the regular season with an appearance in the Liberty Bowl, their first bowl appearance since 2008. Leipold and Goff have both breathed new life into this Kansas football program, along with help from star quarterback Jalon Daniels, running back and Lawrence native Devin Neal, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, and a host of other impact players and coaches.

The Jayhawks return an NCAA Division 1 leading 90% of their production from last year and are only projected to perform even better than the year prior. This "New Era" of Kansas Football has put donors, alum, the city of Lawrence, the state of Kansas, and the entire college football world on notice, and with these new renovations, Kansas will be on pace to becoming one of the Big 12's premier football schools. Top that with National Championship expectations for the basketball team this year as well, and you have perhaps the most anticipated year in Kansas Athletics history. As has been said before, the Jayhawks are coming, and they're going to be here to stay by the looks of it.