First look: Kansas football stadium construction underway

The much anticipated (and long overdue) renovations to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence are finally happening.

Yesterday, the first official pictures of the stadium construction efforts were shared on social media from the Kansas football account. In the photos you can see that the previous Touchdown Club is completely gone, and the southwest corner of the stadium is beginning to be torn down.

This is all part of Phase 1 of the Gateway District project announced earlier this year.

Phase 1 includes the already finished locker room and weight room upgrades inside the Anderson Family Football Complex and a “complete new build of the southwest, west and north sides of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, as well as the conference center on the north end,” according to the KU Gateway District website.

Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff joined in on the conversation Monday by sharing his excitement for the project and how KU fans have a lot to look forward to ahead of the 2025 season.

It sounds like fans will eventually have the chance to view more of the progress being made to the stadium in real time after Goff responded to a fan on X asking for live footage of the demolition by saying, “It’s coming.”

It’s an encouraging sign that construction has started as planned and that KU leadership is willing to be so transparent about the project. They are clearly dedicated to making these plans come to fruition on behalf of KU fans, players, and the Lawrence community.

After all these years of talk of rebuilding the stadium and renderings of what it might look like, it’s exciting to see the work actually started. And although we’re still a long way away from seeing the work completed, you can bet the end product will be worth the wait.