On the eve of first GameDay visit, Kansas drops plans for 'reimagined' football facilities

For more than a decade, Kansas football was more dead than a great-great-grandparent. Then, in a flash, it wasn't. Kansas fans sold out David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for the third consecutive time as their undefeated and 19th-ranked Jayhawks prepare to host undefeated and 17th-ranked TCU, a game so big College GameDay skipped out on Texas A&M-Alabama, the Red River Rivalry and others in order to celebrate -- all for a game that isn't even on ESPN airwaves (noon ET, FS1).

This transformation didn't happen overnight, of course. The win at Texas was proof positive that Lance Leipold's plan was working, and Leipold later cited close calls with TCU and West Virginia as his own proof-of-sustainability moment. This week, new Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said it took "an act of God" for the 2021 Sooners to escape Lawrence with a 35-23 win last October.

As rapidly and as dramatically has this transformation has happened, it could all be wiped away like a sand castle in high tide if Kansas does not make the right moves in the coming days and weeks. 

With openings at Nebraska and Wisconsin and the eye of the the college football world upon them, KU is making the most of the moment by announcing "a transformational development project to create a north gateway to campus that includes new multi-use space and reimagined Kansas Football facilities."

From the announcement:

Goals for a reimagined David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium include upgrades to the in-game experience such as seating bowl design with improved sightlines that increase fan comfort and bring fans closer to the field; expanded concessions, restrooms and accessible seating locations; improved concourse circulation; and new premium amenities such as club seats, loge seats and ledge suites.

Also:

The university’s architecture and design partners will meet next week with Football Head Coach Lance Leipold to discuss improvements to the Anderson Family Football Complex, which will focus on the student-athlete and recruitment experience.

Clearly, this project wasn't thrown together just because GameDay's coming to town, but it's also in the very, very early stages. Friday's announcement is about getting the word out that KU is going to do all it can to keep Leipold in town, and figuring out the details later.

“Now, more than ever, college athletics – and certainly sustained success in the sport of football – are critical to the health and vibrancy of our entire university community,” KU AD Travis Goff said. “There is tremendous excitement for this project among donors and partners who believe in KU’s mission, and in partnership with KU Endowment, we’ll be reaching out in earnest to our benefactors and supporters to ensure this ambitious vision becomes reality.”