Athletic director Jeff Long said that an upgrade could be on the way for Kansas football’s David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Yesterday in his press conference, Kansas athletic director Jeff Long was asked about possible improvements to the football stadium, and his answer was exactly what every Kansas football fan should want to hear.
Long started by saying that the addition of the indoor football practice facility was needed and beneficial, stating that it helped the coaches recruit at a different level. He followed that up with citing the addition of Rock Chalk Park and how both Kansas tennis and Kansas soccer both won Big 12 championships this season.
It’s no secret that recruits going to the Division I level factor in the facilities when it comes to choosing what school to attend, and why shouldn’t they? When you’re an unpaid athlete that’s expected to train like a professional, it makes sense to want to go somewhere that has state of the art facilities to practice at.
In terms of funding, Long said that the “Break the Cycle Fund” had a goal of reaching $25 million in five years, and that $16 million had already been raised in less than two years. Obviously, that’s great news for the future of the project, and Long said that the early planning is already underway; however, he emphasized that the project is in its very early stages.
Long stated that Populous, and architecture firm headquartered in Kansas City, would be handling the future upgrades. Some of Populous’ former projects include TCF Bank Stadium (Minnesota football), Children’s Mercy Park (Sporting KC soccer), and McLane Stadium (Baylor football).
Towards, the end, Long said that the future of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium really depends on the performance of the team as well as Kansas football fans and supporters.
A major renovation would be amazing for the Kansas football program, and now’s the time to do it. There’s actually some excitement around the program for once, and it’s important to strike while the iron is hot. Not only would fans benefit, but the coaches would have a new weapon to use on the recruiting trail as well.
When it comes to facilities, it’s all about keeping up with everyone else, and now it’s time for Kansas to try and make a comeback.