The University of Kansas announced this week a renovation project to the 68-year-old Allen Fieldhouse that aims to enhance the fan experience at Jayhawk men's and women's basketball games. These renovations will include a new center-hung scoreboard, LED lighting, and a new sound system, along with enhancements to concession and hospitality areas. Since opening on March 1, 1955, Allen Fieldhouse is generally considered one of college basketball's best venues.
The project, funded by private donations, will occur in two phases to minimize disruptions to the Jayhawks' 2023-24 seasons. All renovations are expected to be complete by the fall of 2024.
“Allen Fieldhouse is a preeminent destination for sports fans and has long been heralded as the best in-game experience in basketball,” KU Director of Athletics Travis Goff said in a press release. “There is no arena in sport that provides the tradition and character of the Fieldhouse, and this project will go to great lengths to maintain that, while dramatically enhancing the fan experience for our men’s and women’s basketball supporters. This is a strong statement to our commitment to not just sustaining but elevating Kansas Basketball to new heights, and it will be a game-changer for our programs, student-athletes and fans.”
The project will also expand the Fieldhouse's concourses, add a "Jayhawk Pub" concept on the venue's second level, and a new team store with flexible mezzanine space above it. Further, the adjoining Wagnon Student Athlete Center will be remodeled to create a "front door" to Allen Fieldhouse while maintaining space for student-athlete services.
The renovations to the Fieldhouse come as KU is also developing a new campus gateway just outside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Jayhawks' home football stadium for the past 102 years. That project will significantly upgrade the stadium and will also feature the construction of conference, entertainment, and retail space at the corner of 11th and Mississippi Streets, on the campus's north side.
Rendering of Allen Fieldhouse Renovations, Courtesy of the University of Kansas
Rendering of Allen Fieldhouse Renovations, Courtesy of the University of Kansas
Rendering of Allen Fieldhouse Renovations, Courtesy of the University of Kansas