See photos from Allen Fieldhouse renovations ahead of 2024-25 KU basketball season

The University of Kansas’ long-awaited renovations to Allen Fieldhouse were revealed Friday.

And the venerable college basketball venue certainly looks different after its $50 million facelift.

KU is scheduled to host its annual Late Night in the Phog season-kickoff event Friday evening. The Jayhawks women’s and men’s teams will hold intrasquad scrimmages and skits, and DJ and rapper Lil Jon will perform afterward.

Fans will notice many of the alterations immediately.

The historic fieldhouse’s top two levels were overhauled for a more modern appearance. The student section is also situated two rows closer to the court.

The most significant addition is a new video board, which features two screens tilted toward the lower levels, making it easier for fans to see.

Two corner video boards were also added (in the southwest and northeast corners of the fieldhouse); they will display additional statistics and information throughout games.

“We are working with ‘ShotTracker’ on some type of 2D stat animations that fans will be able to see,” Jason Booker, KU’s deputy athletics director for external affairs and revenue generation, told The Star recently.

KU even unveiled a new name for the hardwood on which the Jayhawks play: James Naismith Court.

Inside the donor atrium, known as the Crimson Club, a new and improved hospitality area awaits. It will connect directly to the second-level concourse.

New graphics were also added to the fieldhouse concourses. They’re designed to showcase the tradition and history of the building and KU’s basketball program.

New concession areas include grab-and-go items and digital menu boards, and every restroom in the arena has been updated. An on-site cooking kitchen was added to the Naismith Room, and it will be managed by OVG, a new KU hospitality partner.

Capacity at the updated fieldhouse has dropped from 16,300 to 15,300, but 1,100 chairback seats have been added on the arena’s west side. And the amount of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible seating has doubled.

Free public Wi-Fi is available throughout the fieldhouse, and any fan should be able to connect upon arrival.

“The top two items for us, as we zeroed in and made some decisions about how to invest and where to focus, our primary objective was to make sure 15,300 (fans) were going to be benefited,” KU athletic director Travis Goff said Friday. “Every single attendee in this building, we hope you all feel that.

“It wasn’t just about a particular segment. It wasn’t just about the donors. It wasn’t just about the students. But the beauty of it, I think, is that it really does move the needle for each and every one of our patrons, including every single student that will step foot in here.”

Goff continued.

“The second part is, of course, what it’s going to mean for the game-day environment. ... Once we get in here tonight and certainly the next couple of weeks ... (we) are going to demonstrate how much we’re able to do with the game-day experience and, of course, the student-athlete experience. “

The Kansas men’s team opens its season at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 4 against Howard, while the Jayhawks women’s squad opens at the remodeled venue on Nov. 6 against Lindenwood.

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