For decades, the Kansas program has built its identity around packed stadiums, passionate fans, and the unforgettable atmosphere of game day. But a major stadium update is now creating an unexpected financial headache for them.
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The University of Kansas is projected to lose an estimated $1 million in revenue for every home football game this season due to ongoing stadium renovations, Sam Zeff reported for KCUR on September 3.
“Every aspect of the stadium will be completed for August of 2027, and then they’ll continue working there on the hotel and residence halls,” Athletic Director Travis Goff said, according to KCUR. “I’ll ballpark it, but it’s probably a $1 million difference per game,” he added.
Construction on the Gateway District project at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium has severely limited fan capacity. For the 2026 season, stadium capacity has been cut down to just 32,000 seats. It is a drop of roughly 11,000 seats from its typical capacity. This massive reduction in available tickets and concessions means KU Athletics is missing out on substantial game-day revenue.
For the second consecutive year, the university is diverting roughly $16 million from academic funds to support the athletic department’s budget. KU Athletics approved a fiscal year 2027 budget carrying an expected $13.2 million deficit.
“Deficits will be minimized due to significant expense reduction initiatives implemented in FY26,” a department budget summary said.
Despite the short-term financial squeeze, athletic director Travis Goff remains confident in the long-term project. Once the multi-phase $220 million east-side renovation wraps up for the 2027 season, capacity will jump back to 47,000, the pre-development level. The department projects it will return heavily “into the black” by 2029 due to a major influx of premium seating revenue and new luxury hospitality options.
“There’s a chance to get into the black in next year’s budget. I’m not necessarily assuming it will happen. It’ll be very close,” Goff said following an athletic board meeting last month, as reported by KCUR. “Then the subsequent year, which would be 2029, is heavy into the black, starting to really pay down that line of credit.”
More on the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium renovations
The multi-million-dollar renovations at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium officially began in December 2023. The master Gateway District development project was divided into two primary timelines to keep the stadium operational.
During the first phase, construction was heavily focused on completely tearing down and rebuilding the southwest, west, and north sides of the stadium. This phase also brought the addition of a new conference center. As a result, KU played all 2024 home games off-site at Children’s Mercy Park and Arrowhead Stadium.
Construction on the second phase commenced immediately following the 2025 football season with the demolition of the century-old east grandstands. The second phase is still going on.
After the reconstruction, the stadium will have an entirely new look. The west stand will have several tiers, on which the program plans to offer premium seats. The north stand will be much closer to the field and will no longer be semicircular. The east stand is also set to have an upper floor. The reconstruction also includes a new south stand.
David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium will host five primary home games during the 2026 season amid the ongoing construction. Kansas technically has six designated “home” games on its slate. One of them, the marquee Big 12 opener against Arizona State, has been relocated to Wembley Stadium in London for the inaugural Union Jack Classic.
Last season, the Jayhawks finished with a 5-7 overall record under Lance Leipold and missed out on a bowl appearance. Heading into the new campaign, Kansas has a heavily restructured roster due to turnovers at key positions. The Jayhawks will start their season against the LIU Sharks on September 4, followed by a Week 2 Border Showdown against Missouri. Both games will be played at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.