Oct 3, 2026
11:00 AM
David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is the century-old home of Kansas football, now being transformed as the anchor of KU’s Gateway District. The project pairs a rebuilt game-day experience with conference, hospitality and year-round public spaces rather than treating the stadium as a six-Saturday facility.
The Gateway District changes
The first major phase opened for the 2025 season with rebuilt seating, clubs, concourses, video and fan amenities. That means an older guide or seating chart can be materially wrong. Use the current Kansas Athletics map for the exact game, particularly for premium access, gates and accessible routes.
The most noticeable visitor changes are wider and more modern circulation areas, new food and drink partners, upgraded premium clubs and a stronger connection to the surrounding district. Construction and later phases can still change pedestrian routes and available entrances from one season to the next.
A memorial as well as a stadium
The original Kansas Memorial Stadium opened in 1921 and was dedicated to the 125 University of Kansas students who died in the First World War. That memorial purpose explains the name and remains an important part of the venue’s identity even as most of the spectator experience is rebuilt.
The site is among the oldest continuously used college-football stadium locations in the country. Kansas games, the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State and the wider Big 12 schedule are the core events, with concerts and non-football bookings expected to grow with the district.
Getting there
The stadium sits at 1450 Schwegler Drive on the north side of the KU campus, within walking distance of Allen Fieldhouse. Game-day traffic restrictions affect campus streets well before kickoff. Parking inventory, donor lots and shuttle operations are event-specific, so check the current KU football parking notice rather than a normal campus map.
Downtown Lawrence is close enough for a longer walk, but the terrain is hilly. Allow extra time both for the climb and for construction-related detours around the Gateway District.
Fast facts
- Team: Kansas Jayhawks football
- Conference: Big 12
- Historic opening: 1921
- Address: 1450 Schwegler Drive, Lawrence
- Memorial dedication: 125 KU students killed in the First World War
- Major redevelopment: Gateway District, first phase opened in 2025
- Food-service operator: Oak View Group
Planning note
Because the venue is in an active multi-phase transformation, the current official map matters more here than at a settled building. Confirm your gate, parking route, section access and available concession locations again on the day of the game.