David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium – construction description

The two-phase transformation project of the University of Kansas stadium in practice amounts to rebuilding the venue from scratch. The new stands will be built closer to the field, and the stadium will lose its characteristic “horseshoe” layout, which once accommodated an athletics track.

A distinctive feature of the “new” stadium will be tall lighting masts with curved ends, designed to resemble wheat stalks (Kansas is known as the “Wheat State”).

All new stands will be equipped with individual seats with backrests, mainly in shades of blue. An additional, smaller stand will also be built behind the southern end zone, with a new, larger videoboard placed behind it. After redevelopment, the stadium’s capacity is expected to remain close to its original level – around 47,000 seats.

The plan also includes the construction of a conference center behind the north stand, the expansion of the corner Anderson Family Football Complex, and the development of the area behind the east stand, where new buildings with student housing and a hotel are planned, along with a large public plaza.

The first phase, whose key element was the construction of new stands on the west and north sides, was carried out between 2023 and 2025. The second phase began in late 2025 – the new east stand is scheduled to be completed in 2027, while the buildings directly behind it are expected to be finished in 2028.

More details about the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium redevelopment project can be found on a separate subpage