Homecoming Weekend Starts with a Bang at Football Facility Groundbreaking

Oct. 6, 2006

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Several key donors, administrators and members of the football staff were present Friday morning at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the University of Kansas’ new football facility at Memorial Stadium. At precisely 11:27 a.m., Chancellor Hemenway, Head Coach Mark Mangino and several key donors broke ground to signify the beginning of construction at the Anderson Family Football Complex. Major groundbreaking is set to begin in the months following the 2006 football season.

“This is a great day for Kansas football,” said Tom Kivisto, one of the key donors to the project. “We’ve talked about this day for a long time.”

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.

“I am convinced by doing this that we’ll see a new dawn in the era of KU football,” added donor Dana Anderson.

Festivities continue at halftime of Saturday’s KU vs. Texas A&M football game when the field in Memorial Stadium will officially be named Kivisto Field.

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-America, 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.

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