Kansas Moves Forward with $300M Stadium Renovation

After a renovation of Memorial Stadium had been discussed for nearly a decade, the University of Kansas is taking significant steps toward that goal. Athletic director Sheahon Zenger announced Wednesday at a "Football in June" event that plans for the $300 million project would be released in September, with renderings available in three weeks.

A major component of the renovation is likely to be an indoor practice facility, which KU has lacked. It's further evidence of Zenger's commitment to football, according to Jayhawks head coach David Beaty. “That guy has done so much here, and for him to clear the deck and really make room for football right now — and he’s a football guy at heart — knowing that our fans deserve a really, really nice stadium," Beaty told the standing-room-only crowd, according to The Kansas City Star. The practice facility, which would end an era of the football team practicing indoors at Anschutz Sports Pavilion, a track and field facility, is a welcome priority for Beaty. “It will be something that will be just that next step in transcending our program to the next level,” Beaty said. “We really do have to keep up with the facility war that goes on out there.”

Zenger emphasized the importance of the football program and the stadium renovation in May, when he signed a three-year contract extension, stating, "I think it’s the greatest setting in the nation for college football. We just need to get it to the point where it’s a place that’s just revered.”