After spending a season playing home games at Children’s Mercy Park and Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas Jayhawks football team is set to return to Lawrence, where they’ll finally play in front of their home fans again. This move coincides with the ongoing completion of Phase I of a three-part, $448 million renovation project at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Among the matchups at the newly upgraded venue, KU will host its in-state rival Kansas State as it aims to snap a 16-game losing streak to the Wildcats. However, a photo of one of the stadium’s new wings sparked some playful criticism online. Former K-State basketball player Coleman Hawkins chimed in on the design, joking, “Looks like a Call of Duty map.
Hawkins, who transferred from Illinois and played the 2024–25 season with the Wildcats, posted modest numbers—10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists—during a lackluster season for K-State. His team split games with Kansas in basketball, winning at home in Bramlage Coliseum but losing at Allen Fieldhouse.
Interestingly, the section shown in the viral photo hasn’t yet been renovated—it’s scheduled for a later phase. Still, it’s no shock that a K-State player would take a jab at KU, especially considering Hawkins’ unremarkable tenure in the Sunflower Showdown.
“We love saying these four words: on time, on budget,” said Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff in an interview with the Lawrence Journal-World. “They’re putting in the work—double shifts, around 600 people on site every day—and we’re right on track for that August 23 home opener.”
The renovated stadium will feature three tiers of club suites, a new video board, and several other upgrades. While K-State fans may continue to take shots at the project, there’s no denying KU’s dominance over the Wildcats—at least when it comes to basketball.
Be the first to comment