It's been almost a hundred years since the capacity of David Booth Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas will be as small as it will be for Friday night's home opener.
In 1927, after KU added the north end horseshoe, a sellout was 35,000. Today, thanks to construction, capacity is listed as 32,000.
The next two seasons will create complications for some fans and a financial headache for KU Athletics. KU is in the middle of a project that will rebuild the stadium and create a hotel and retail space called the Gateway District.
Athletic Director Travis Goff said the Gateway District is on time and on budget.
"Every aspect of the stadium will be completed for August of 2027, and then they'll continue working there on the hotel and residence halls," he said.
But the project is one reason KU Athletics is projecting a $13 million budget deficit this year. That is on top of a $16 million deficit last year.
At a time when KU Athletics is struggling financially, Goff said having 11,000 fewer seats available for fans is costly.
"I'll ballpark it, but it's probably $1 million difference" per game, he said.
That is not the only financial headwind.
KU anticipates almost $4 million less in apparel sponsorships, merchandising and investment income, according to budget documents.
At the same time, the school projects spending $2 million more on name, image and likeness licensing and salaries for athletes and $3 million more for scholarships and housing.
"Deficits will be minimized due to significant expense reduction initiatives implemented in FY26," a department budget summary said.
But philanthropic giving is up, the department said, and it expects to make about $2 million from the Jayhawks game against Arizona State in London on Sept. 19.
For the second year in a row, the university is diverting money from academics to subsidize athletics with $16 million.
KU is also drawing down a $50 million line of credit the athletic board approved in April.
Despite the multimillion-dollar deficits, Goff is bullish on KU Athletics' financial future.
"There's a chance to get into the black in next year's budget. I'm not necessarily assuming it will happen. It'll be very close," he said following an athletic board meeting last month. "Then the subsequent year, which would be 2029, is heavy into the black, starting to really pay down that line of credit."
Navigating 'The Booth'
When the Jayhawks open the season Friday night against the Long Island University Sharks, game day for students and the visiting team will be much different.
Fans will have to negotiate a massive construction site to enter the stadium.
For people sitting on the east side, that means temporary toilets and concession stands, no access to the visiting team's locker room and no Wi-Fi, according to the developer's contract obtained with the Kansas Open Records Act.
Goff said KU Athletics will communicate with students and ticketholders so they know how to enter "The Booth" on Friday.
As of midweek, the Long Island game isn't sold out.
The bigger test of the temporary east side configuration comes the following week, when the Border War rivalry resumes with Missouri.
The whole east side project will take two years over three phases. Phase 1 renovates the lower bowl, Phase 2 the upper bowl and the hotel, retail and parking spaces will be completed in Phase 3.
All in, the east side project will cost $220 million.
Over a third of that, $80 million, will be financed by bonds backed by KU and the city of Lawrence.
The stadium will also be available for graduation in the spring.
The contract calls for the stadium portion of the project to be completed for the 2027 season.
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