In this Hearings newsletter:

1. Q&A on Memorial Stadium Renovations

2. Mark Mangino Talks KU Football

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EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Stadium Mailbag 📨

Q: Is this a total teardown and rebuild (in phases) or a renovation? - @Ringneck85

Scoopsmeister: The project is somewhere between a total teardown and renovation, but I’d say it’s more teardown than not. This is a moving target as budgets settle, but the RFP indicates a two-phase stadium project. They may try to keep some of the historical aspects of the stadium as well.

• Phase One is the press box side of the stadium, the bowl, and the convention center.

• Phase Two is the student section side of the stands, and closing the open endzone toward the hill.

Q: So the east stands would remain in place for the 2024 season, it sounds like?? What exactly would be the plans for the 2024 season? Having asses in seats by Late August 2024 would be a tough deadline to meet.. - @JReber16

Q: Mike, I’d like to know the back up plan on where they might play if delays happen which does happen on jobs of this size? -@thiel_doug

Scoopsmeister: KU is trying to push a MASSIVE project through quickly, which I don’t think is bad. It just makes some of these details fuzzy until a developer is hired.

I’m Hearing KU is willing to play through a substantially reduced capacity crowd for at least one season while this takes place. It’s possible KU plays in front of 20-25K one of the next three years, which isn’t entirely unusual in these situations. For example, Oregon State is playing one season with a capacity of 26,407, and sold out tickets for every home game.

I don’t expect the team to play a season off-campus. The entirety of Phase One is planned to be complete in 2025.

Q: When can we expect renderings and details? - @Sedly15

Scoopsmeister: I’ve been Hearing this fall is the current plan for a more official rollout, including renderings. I’d expect KU to put holes in the ground for construction immediately after the end of this season.

KU’s current bid for a developer mentions “Additional Renderings & Information Released” on August 11. That feels a bit too specific for my liking. We should expect to hear more during this season.

This must be a longer turnaround than KU was hoping for when it announced the stadium ahead of GameDay. Still, it doesn’t matter if the administration can stick the landing.

The stadium renovations are happening. KU doesn’t have a choice. It’s in Lance Leipold’s contract, which was a brilliant move to create urgency for the project.

Q: Is 40k capacity enough for when we start winning the Big XII here in 3 years? - SamuelB

We should focus on the atmosphere, not the capacity. TCU’s stadium holds 45,000 seats, and the program went to the National Championship. This is about the number KU is shooting for, and I think it’s the correct move.

Despite being the NFL's third-smallest stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders’ new stadium led the league in ticket revenue (per Sportico). It just so happens that KU is working with one of the same stadium designers as the Raiders (HNTB).

KU needs a stadium people want to go and come back to before it can plan on expanding capacity. That’s the plan right now, and it’s one I agree with.

Q: Is raising private funds going to be an issue for this project? - Jayhawk4ever

Scoopsmeister: I’ve asked around a lot and Heard plenty of concerns here. I think the project cost will run high, as everything in construction right now is over budget. HOWEVER, I believe raising the money isn’t a concern for KU right now.

The Jayhawks have raised a substantial amount to date, and they have a lot more to go.

Q: Will we have functioning restrooms and Wi-Fi? - @DrewMatthewsKU

Q: Working Wi-Fi when? - @TJFsports

Scoopsmeister: The RFP states that KU is “currently evaluating expansion of existing Aruba system to support Wi-Fi requirements,” which makes me think they’re trying to improve it for this season. They know it’s an issue, and I hope they get it done ASAP.

I need people sending me hot scoops during games from Memorial Stadium! Or at least some photos when Scoopsmafia gets together to tailgate before a game.

Q: Sunshades? They aren't in the renderings, any new hearings on it since the 7k newsletter - @Etrain

Q: What’s going on with those beams sticking out the top? Will there be a partial roof? - @nattynumber4

While I haven’t seen current plans for a sunroof or sunshade type of structure on top of the stadium, the conceptual rendering includes pillars which could keep the possibility alive in the future.

There will be lights on some pillars, and hopefully a sunshade one day. It just may not be in the initial construction.

Q: How do the World Cup hearings influence the plan? - @flsuku

I wondered this as well, and could we get some funding from the World Cup folks !? - @GregSimmsGLS

Scoopsmeister: In case you missed it: I previously Scooped that Lawrence is expected to host at least one country for the World Cup. The team could hold events at Rock Chalk Park and Memorial Stadium.

I don’t expect World Cup funds for Memorial Stadium, but I do think having Cliff Illig on KU’s side here is a good thing. Illig is a power-player in the KC soccer scene and a supporter of KU Athletics. His involvement in the stadium project bodes well for the Jayhawks.

Q: Also are they leaving room for the Leipold statue somewhere? I’ll hang up and listen. -@TalkinHawks

Charlie Weis once said if KU goes 6-6 they’ll start building him a statue. So, I guess it’s time to add Leipold’s statue to the stadium budget 😏. (I’m pretty sure he’d loathe the idea).

Mangino Talks Leipold, BCS, and Grudges

Mark Mangino had a fantastic interview on SirusXM Big 12 Radio Thursday with KU alum Ari Temkin. Here are some of the highlights:

Have you watched Leipold and the program?

Mangino: I know Lance a little bit, and we’ve stayed in touch. I’ve watched him build that program. I respect him, it’s a tough job, and he’s done a great job with it. He’s a blue-collar coach, he works hard every day and he puts the time in to do it the right way. I really like what he’s doing there. I think he’s doing a great job.

What went into the success you had at KU?

Mangino: I’ll be honest with you… it was very basic. It was a lot of hard work by a lot of people. We knew the margin for error was small, and we had to find players we thought could fit our system. Not highly recruited guys, but guys that had the makeup we were looking for in personality, athletic ability, and character.

It wasn’t magic or anything. It was just a lot of hard work.

What are some of the memories you had, what stands out to you, what do you remember?

Mangino: When you take over a program that struggled, there’s a lot of milestones that mean a lot of the players and coaches, that aren’t necessarily a big deal to the public.

My time at Kansas was fun. I enjoyed the players. We had good people around. There’s an Orange Bowl. There’s the [Meier catch]. James McClinton had a big stop on fourth down against Texas A&M in College Station. Beating Nebraska for the first time in 38-40 years. There were so many of them. There were good games with Mizzou and K-State.

It was the byproduct of “gotta get it done, day after day after day” that created some memorable moments. The biggest thing for me was the players. We won together. We lost together.

On the pass inference/BCS comments:

Mangino: Somebody had to do it. Somebody had to have the spine to do it. I didn’t do it for me, I did it for my players. The next day at practice, in meetings, players were lining up at my door thanking and hugging me. “Somebody will fight for us, that’s what we need.”

I took a few punches for it, but that’s alright. I can take punches.