Once a Memorial, Always a Memorial
By Megan Linder
It has been almost 100 years since the University of Kansas built Memorial Stadium and it is still one of the most prevalent structures on campus. The football team first played games on McCook Field but it was lacking in overall size and by the 1920’s it was time to build a more suitable arena to host fans, students and faculty. According to College Gridirons, the initial push for the stadium as well as the construction was led by Director of Athletics, Dr. Forest “Phog” Allen.
The original structure that cost $275,000 consisted of grandstands on both the east and west sides of the field and seated 22,000 fans. However, Allen was passionate about making sure the stadium continued to expand to have the proper seating to hold large audiences.
“We promised 10,000 seats for our Aggie-Kansas game October 29, and 15,000 for our Thanksgiving Homecoming game with Missouri. Welcome home ye loyal sons and daughters of Kansas to your Alma Mater,” said Allen in article about the expansion of the stadium.
In 1927, stands on the north side of the end zone were added to create a horseshoe shape. After this was completed, the next renovations didn’t take place until thirty-five years later when the west side grandstands were expanded and a new press box was constructed. This design is closest to the model of the stadium that is used today.
The most important aspect about the creation of Memorial Stadium, is that it was dedicated as a World War I Memorial to remember the lives of the students who died fighting for their country. In a local pamphlet published following the completion of initial construction, there was a page that stated the commemoration.
“More than three thousand former students of the University of Kansas entered service in the World War. One hundred twenty-six gave their lives. In commemoration of the Kansas sacrifice in service the memorial is dedicated,” read the document.
With Kansas Athletics deciding to honor fallen students by naming the new football facility Memorial Stadium and making it an official WWI Memorial, the lives of these students and the historic significance of the war will never be forgotten.
In the past 20 years, stadiums around the country have continued to adapt to technological advancements, larger attendances and modern designs. With these features being added at universities that are able to get funding, this gives them the edge to get better recruiting classes, higher ticket sales and the ability to host championship and bowl games. This is the main issue Kansas Athletics has recently attempted to address. After the Insight Bowl game win in 2008, there was a major campaign for a complete stadium renovation. There was even a post made by KU Sports.com claiming there was an approval for the expansion.
“The board on Thursday approved a $34 million addition of high-dollar seating on the east side of Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium, and praised the proposal. Under the deal, Kansas Athletics Inc. will direct $40 million — a portion of revenue expected from the sale of 3,000 Gridiron Club seats — to academic programs at KU,” stated the article.
Despite multiple media posts and claims of the stadium being approved for construction, Kansas Athletics was never able to get enough funding to follow through with the plans. Howard Graham, Associate Director for Academic Programs, said after this fundraising ended in 2009 it was like it never even happened. Now that it has been ten years since the last attempt to make major improvements to the stadium, there is a new campaign, “Raise the Chant,” that launched in late 2017.
In September 2017, KU alumnus David Booth contributed to the funding with a $50 million pledge, the largest in the program’s history. After Booth made this generous donation, his name was added to the stadium title making it “David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.” This will be a part of the $350 million campaign that is intended to make major changes to the football stadium as well as other facilities on campus. Chancellor Douglas Girod was optimistic about the how this will positively impact the university as stated in the Kansas City Star.
“A competitive football program benefits the entire university and is important for KU to continue to be a strong member of the Big 12 Conference,” Chancellor Girod said. “In recent years, we have transformed the university with nearly $1 billion in new and renovated facilities, and this is the next step in that transformation.”
Who knows what is in store for the future of Memorial Stadium. Even if the name changes and the new modern features make it unrecognizable to the original stadium, it will always be a memorial to pay tribute to the students who lost their lives in the Great War 100 years ago.