The Kansas athletic department took another step in its Gateway project with a topping-out ceremony last Thursday, which centered on the placement of the final beam of the east-side bowl at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
That concluded the implementation of more than 1,200 tons of steel as part of the ongoing second phase of the project.
“I’m just so proud of the project,” KU athletic director Travis Goff said, per a press release from JE Dunn Construction, which along with Clark Construction is undertaking the project as part of a joint venture. “We have a remarkable team that is part of what is arguably the most complex and far-reaching development in our region. Certainly, it is when we think of Lawrence and the University of Kansas, but it even transcends that. This will be one of the best homefield environments in the country.”
While the steel has now been erected for the full east side of the stadium, the upper bowl will not be completed in time for KU’s fall season — as Goff explained in a post on X on Thursday, there will be no seats or concrete on the upper end of the east side for the moment. As was previously announced officially in January, KU will play before reduced-capacity crowds during the 2026 campaign with seating available in the lower bowl, plus a grandstand on the south end with seating for students and the band.
The west and north sides of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, including the new KU Conference Center, were completed last summer as part of the first phase of the project.
The second phase, meanwhile, will also eventually feature a hotel, student housing, retail, restaurants, office spaces and more, with the entire project — its overall cost is expected to exceed $800 million — done by 2028.
“I’ve witnessed KU’s football program evolve over many years, from my time on the team during college through my stint in the Athletics Department earlier in my career,” said Banks Floodman, who is now a development director for Edgemoor/Sunflower Partners, the east-side developers. “This development is an exciting next step for the program and for the University. Seeing that beam go up drives home the impact this project will have on the members of the KU and greater Lawrence community.”
The press release states that with the conclusion of this structural phase of the east side, “the project team will shift focus to enclosing the building and advancing interior construction.”
“Reaching this milestone is a true testament to the strength of our partnership and the dedication of the entire project team,” said David Young, project director for Clark-JE Dunn, in the release. “Setting the final structural steel beam atop the new east grandstands is a symbol of the craftsmanship, pride, and commitment of the hundreds of skilled workers bringing this vision to life.”
Thursday’s event was the second topping-out ceremony KU has staged during the Gateway project; it previously held a more elaborate event as part of the first phase on Sept. 19, 2024.
Construction workers put their names on a commemorative sign at a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas held a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas held a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
The final steel beam is raised as part of a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
The final steel beam is raised as part of a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas athletic director Travis Goff speaks at a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas athletic director Travis Goff speaks at a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas athletic director Travis Goff speaks at a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas held a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
The final steel beam for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is pictured at a topping-out ceremony on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Construction workers gather at a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas held a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Kansas athletic director Travis Goff speaks at a topping-out ceremony for the east side of the new bowl of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction
JE Dunn Construction