In this Hearings newsletter:

1. Questions and Hearings for the stadium renderings reveal 👏

2. Flory Bidunga highlights 🎥

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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.

Questions and Hearings Ahead of KU’s Stadium Renderings Reveal

Tuesday is a huge day for KU Athletics.

I’m expecting KU to roll out the long-awaited renderings of Memorial Stadium. The project has officially landed. Before I get into the questions I hope are answered, I’ve got a few Hearings to share for the stadium.

Stadium Hearings

• I expect the stadium to generally look a lot like the early draft of renderings I shared back in June. The details are what’s gonna really catch our eye.

• I’ve Heard KU has worked hard to ensure the design ties the culture around Kansas: Waving the wheat, the golden valley, limestone, The Hill. There are some really cool details around this.

• The wheat aspect should include the lights and paneling around the stadium. I’ve Heard it’s made to look like waving wheat. The early chatter is very promising.

While the rendering may look similar, the beauty of this project should be in the details. And that’s some of what we’re gonna see for this first time tomorrow. I’d keep your calendars open for a late afternoon public unveiling.

Questions For The Reveal:

How is the Hill incorporated?

As I mentioned above, I’ve Heard KU has made sure to include the Hill into the project. I’m excited and curious to see how the developers pulled it off.

Where will the video board be located?

I think KU has gone back-and-forth on where to put the main video board. One idea was for a shorter, wider video board on the Hill side of the stadium. The other option is moving it to the bowl side of the stadium or putting multiple boards in the corners. I’m not sure where this landed.

Will KU mention capacity?

KU fans understandably panicked a bit when stadium consultants suggested less than 40,000 seats. I’m curious to see if KU will roll out a capacity number for the stadium tomorrow.

Are the seats closer to the field?

I’ve Heard the seating should be steeper and closer to the field. This would make a huge difference, and I’m curious to see if that’s a selling point for the new stadium.

Did they keep the party deck?

In the past, I’ve mentioned KU planned on including a party deck of sorts on top of the Anderson Family Football Complex. I’m curious to see if this made the cut for the final designs.

Will Wi-Fi get addressed?

We all want Wi-Fi improvements for Memorial Stadium. I’d love to know when we can expect these changes.

How does the project cater to everyone?

KU has talked a lot about making a premium experience at Memorial Stadium, which generally makes sense. It needs to be a place people are excited to go for hours on fall Saturdays. But, I wonder what aspects of the project cater to the folks and families who aren’t donors. We’re gonna find out soon.

New KU Commit Flory Bidunga Highlights

Kansas stunned the college basketball recruiting world Saturday when it landed big man Flory Bidunga. 247Sports had 8 “Crystal Ball” predictions for Bidunga — and they were all for Auburn.

Bidunga is the No. 5 player in the Nation and the No. 1 center for the 2024 class. It’s a major coup for the Jayhawks.

I asked one source how the Jayhawks pulled this off. “KU just recruited the sh*t out of him,” the source replied.

Check out Some Highlights. You’re gonna get excited:

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