![]() Goff even clarified that point on Twitter and said that seating would not dip below 40,000. It’s also important to remember that these are just recommendations from the consultant – they are not set in stone. In today’s world, that includes things like “premium seating” and “club seats” and other items mentioned in the proposal. To get people in seats, you need to have a stadium and atmosphere that makes fans have the best experience possible. Nowadays, fans have unlimited entertainment options, many of which are available from the comfort of their own homes. So, a reduction in seating shouldn’t really impact fans’ ability to attend games based on recent attendance numbers, coupled with the fact that people aren’t attending college football games the way they used to. From 2015-19, the average attendance was approximately 26,000. This past season, attendance averaged less than 35,000 per game despite having the best season in more than a decade. “We wanted to create a more intimate feeling in the stadium, make it louder and improve the quality of the fan experience,” said Karla Leeper, vice chancellor for strategic communications and public affairs. It also makes for better sight lines for fans and a better fan experience overall once in the stadium. That’s an enhancement for both fans and Kansas players on the field who have rarely experienced an intimidating home field advantage since stepping foot on campus. Having a stadium with seats closer to the field should make for a louder, more exciting environment when the game is underway. Related Story: Early evaluations of Kansas AD Travis Goff's coaching hires While a reduction in seating capacity isn’t exactly something many fans were clamoring for, it’s not hard to see why it makes sense and why it could be beneficial on game days. Having been a KU fan and student himself, Goff has shown in multiple ways in his two years on the job that he has a great feel for what matters to the fanbase. And thus far, it’s hard not to trust his judgement when it comes to making the best decision for KU Athletics. Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff and his staff have put in a lot of work and effort to turn this into reality. Finally, after all these years, it’s happening. Reasons for excitementįirst and foremost, the new football stadium is happening. Understandably, many KU fans took to social media to voice their concerns with some of these changes, but there are pros and cons to the suggested proposals released yesterday. The consultant’s recommendations would also eliminate the parking lot and grassy area directly east of the stadium – a key location for parking and tailgating for fans. However, in order to fit those additional structures, the consultant is recommending that KU reduce seating in Kansas David Booth Memorial Stadium to 39,839 seats, which would be a decrease of more than 7,000 seats from the stadium’s current capacity. The unnamed consultant is recommending a 55,000-square-foot conference center, a 175-room upscale hotel, and a 2,500-seat concert and event venue among other facilities as part of the project. There is also a rendering of what the new area could look like once the project is completed. The article covers all kinds of updates including proposals from the outside consultant that KU has hired as part of the process. Yesterday, more details regarding the upcoming renovations to the Kansas football stadium and the surrounding “campus gateway” project were announced in a piece from the Lawrence Journal-World. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |