Kansas football fans are excited to watch games in the renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, starting on August 23. Renderings of the massive changes and pictures of the progress cannot match what will surely be an electric atmosphere on opening day.
The most recent renovations to both the Booth and Allen Fieldhouse have one striking thing in common: the capacity of both venues has shrunk, rather than expanded.
The capacity for Allen Fieldhouse dropped from 16,300 to 15,300 by eliminating the bleachers in the far corners of the Phog. Considering there have been nearly 400 consecutive sellouts, it was a strange decision to cut the number of available seats. Of course, cutting out 1,000 seats created even more demand, which, in turn, drives the price up.
What will be the capacity for the renovated Kansas football stadium?
Before the renovation, the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1921, had approximately 47,000 seats, but has seen standing-room-only crowds of nearly 52,000 on a few occasions over the years.
In April, David Rodish of KU Sports reported that Kansas athletic director, Travis Goff, said the stadium would hold “40,000 something.” With football on campus trending upward, reducing the number of seats in the stadium seems counterintuitive.
There could be several reasons for the reduction. One reason might be the cost. There might not have been enough money. Another reason could be the footprint. There isn’t enough room at the current location to expand the size of the stadium much.
Another reason could be that they wanted to maintain an intimate feel of a smaller venue. Kansas is never going to consistently fill a stadium like those in Michigan, Texas, and around the SEC. It’s a lot easier to get 40,000 fans than 109,000 like the Big House in Michigan.
In lean years, having fewer seats also limits the number of empty seats. With the dark years this program experienced in the recent past, when there were often more empty seats than full, reducing the total number wasn’t a horrible idea.
Lastly, the seats available, at least on the west side and the northern bowl, where KU fans sit, are going to be much more comfortable. Chairs will have seat backs and more leg room. There are also 2,300 club seats.
If the Kansas football team, under head coach Lance Leipold, can stay competitive and relevant, then the smaller stadium will be easier to fill, allowing them to charge a higher ticket price for the more comfortable seats and the 2,300 club seats.
Fans have been starving for a successful football team, and in recent seasons, Leipold has delivered. These renovations are a reward for the fans’ patience and a hope for future success. These changes to the stadium are long overdue, and fans should be excited to see the Booth and the 2025 Kansas football team.