KU gets approval to rename football stadium to include major donor’s name

The Kansas football team’s renovated stadium will have a new name.

During Wednesday’s Kansas Board of Regents meeting in Topeka, KU chancellor Douglas Girod proposed the new facility be called “David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.” The motion was approved.

In September, Booth — a KU alumnus — made a $50 million pledge to the new stadium, which was largest in the program’s history.

“That’s not all David has done,” Girod told the Board of Regents on Wednesday. “He’s been a tremendous supporter for decades.”

Girod said another goal of the renaming would be to re-emphasize that Memorial Stadium, built in 1922, was dedicated to those who died in World War I.

Booth, whose name is on the Jayhawks’ hall of athletics, also purchased James Naismith’s original rules of basketball for a total of $4.3 million in 2010. Those are now on display at the DeBruce Center, which is adjacent to Allen Fieldhouse.

There has been no official timetable set for the completion of renovations at Memorial Stadium.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 5:40 PM with the headline "KU gets approval to rename football stadium to include major donor’s name."