University of Kansas AD provides updates on football stadium project

LAWRENCE, Kan. (KWCH) - In August of 2023, the future home of Jayhawk football was announced. A reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium along with a new conference center, a combination of new retail, dining and other amenities. Today phase one of construction is well underway. 12 News met with University of Kansas athletic director Travis Goff on an update of the project nine months since the announcement.

“Obviously you have some steel now starting to raise up,” Goff said. “We’re going vertical and it’s taking shape. I don’t want to say they’re ahead of schedule but thus far they’re on schedule.”

The Jayhawks were originally slated to play their upcoming 2024 season at the site of the construction on David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, but a pivot was made - specifically up the Kansas Turnpike.

KU came to an agreement with Sporting Kansas City and the Kansas City Chiefs to play their home schedule in Children’s Mercy Park and Arrowhead Stadium, rather than in Lawrence.

Goff said the quick pivot to Kansas City that was officially announced just two months after the final home game of the 2023 season was due to making sure the experience of a Jayhawk football game wasn’t lessened.

“Out of the gates, the notion was ‘Let’s find a way to play through the construction on campus,’” Goff said. “‘As things evolved the fan experience wasn’t even going to come close to what we’d aspire for it to be.’”

Although the playing conditions in Lawrence aren’t near ready for football to be played this August, Goff reassured that the fundraising for the stadium is well on its way.

“We’ve raised well over $150 million to secure this $50 million dollar grant,” Goff explained. “Athletics will do some borrowing, of course, to take on some debt service to fund a small portion of that $450 million goal, but we feel good about the pathway and of course the fundraising has been the catalyst to get this done.”

With the move to Kansas City fans in Lawrence will end up having to wait nearly 21 months to see a football game on campus, but Goff said the wait for it to return to Lawrence will be worthwhile for the finished product of phase one.

“Our people deserve it if we’re being honest,” he said. “We haven’t always been able to provide world class fan experience.”

The Jayhawks begin their season at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City on August 29 against Lindenwood.

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