Football Facility Groundbreaking, Football Field Naming to Take Place Homecoming Weekend at Kansas

Oct. 2, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The official dedication of Kivisto Field and the ceremonial groundbreaking for the University of Kansas’ new football facility will take place Friday and Saturday, October 6 and 7, at Memorial Stadium.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the football facility will be held Friday, October 6, at 11 a.m. in the southwest corner of Memorial Stadium and the public is invited to attend. Then, at halftime of Saturday’s KU-Texas A&M football game, the field in Memorial Stadium will be named Kivisto Field. (In the event of rain, the groundbreaking ceremony will move to the tent behind the scoreboard in the south end zone.)

Funding for the $31-million Anderson Family Football Complex was provided largely through the generosity of two University of Kansas alumni families – the Kivistos (former basketball team captain Tom Kivisto and his wife Julie), and the Andersons (Dana, Sue, Justin and Jean) – as well as several other families, including Charles and Sharon Lynch Kimbell (Hutchinson, Kan.), Frank Sabatini and family (Topeka, Kan.), and Ken Wagnon (Wichita, Kan.). Plans for the building include offices, academic areas, a weight room, locker rooms, an audio-visual room, meeting rooms, a cardio room, a hydro-therapy room, a nutrition area and a display area.

A native of the Chicago area, Kivisto was a three-year starter for KU’s basketball team (1971-72 through 1973-74), and averaged 7.6 points per game for the Jayhawks’ 1974 Final Four team. He earned Academic All-American, All-Big 8 and Academic All-Big 8 honors at KU, and is a member of the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He earned a bachelor’s degree from KU, majoring in pre-med and psychology. Kivisto’s master’s work, also at KU, was in urban planning.

Kivisto has served as president and chief executive officer of SemGroup, L.P., located in Tulsa, Okla., since helping establish the midstream energy service company in April 2000.

-KU-