Gateway District Info

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Saturday’s Dillons Sunflower Showdown will serve as the end of an era as it is the final game played in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium as we know it. The home of the Jayhawks takes on significant changes following the 2023 season with the transformation of the University of Kansas Gateway Project.

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium has stood since 1921 and has seen 102 years of games played. It was the first stadium built on a college campus West of the Mississippi River and it remains the seventh-oldest collegiate stadium in the nation.

• The first game in Memorial Stadium was played on October 29, 1921, when the Jayhawks defeated Kansas State, 21-7, in front of 5,160 fans.
• Saturday’s game will be the 548th game played in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, where the Jayhawks hold a 279-268 all-time record.
• Kansas has gone undefeated in a season at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium four times, including 1947 (4-0), 1951 (5-0), 2005 (6-0) and 2007 (7-0).
• The largest crowd in stadium history of 52,530 came on Sept. 5, 2009 to see the Jayhawks defeat Northern Colorado, 49-3.
• Kansas played its first home night game against Haskell on Friday, October 2, 1931.
• Kansas has defeated seven top-15 opponents at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium all-time, including No. 2 Oklahoma in 1984 and most recently No. 6 Oklahoma in 2023. Kansas recorded its first win over a top-10 ranked team at home on October 14, 1967, defeating No. 8 Nebraska, 10-0.

DBKMS Through the Years

Key Dates

• 1919 – The University of Kansas initiates the Million Dollar Drive, designed as a fund-raising campaign to secure funds for the construction of a memorial honoring the KU students who died during World War I.
• 1920 – Phog Allen, in his only season as football head coach, rallied the Jayhawks from a 20-0 halftime deficit to a 20-20 tie against Nebraska. The following Monday, students and faculty gather to celebrate the comeback and more the $200,000 is pledged over a three-day period to build a concrete stadium.
• 1921 – The university observed “Stadium Day” (May 10) and more than 4,000 students showed up to help demolish the old stadium, McCook Field.
• 1921 – In the first game in Kansas Memorial Stadium, KU defeated Kansas State, 21-7 in front of 5,160 fans on Oct. 3, 1921.
• Nov. 11, 1922 – Just prior to the KU-Nebraska game, Kansas Memorial Stadium was formally dedicated.
• Nov. 23, 1991 – Running back Tony Sands set an NCAA single-game record by rushing for 396 yards on 58 carries in a 53-29 win against Missouri in Lawrence.
• Oct. 4, 1994 – Head Coach Terry Allen led the Jayhawks to a 20-17 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners inside David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, marking Kansas’ 500th victory in program history.
• Nov. 3, 2007 – Kansas scored a program-record 76 points in a 76-39 victory over Nebraska in 2007. In the win, quarterback Todd Reesing threw a school record six touchdown passes.
• Nov. 5, 2022 – Head Coach Lance Leipold led Kansas to a 37-16 victory over No. 18 Oklahoma State, making Kansas bowl eligible for the first time in nearly 15 years. The win also ended a 44-game losing streak to ranked opponents.