Travis Goff thankful for David Booth, excited for football, vote by the city

Kansas Athletics Director Travis Goff looked back on the $300 million gift from David Booth, calling it the largest in both Kansas Athletics and University of Kansas history, and among the largest single contributions in the history of college athletics.

Goff said he spoke with Booth the night after the announcement.

“He felt really good,” Goff said. “More importantly than all the storylines and publicity yesterday, at his core, he feels like he’s doing something impactful for a place that he loves and for a place that, in so many ways, launched his life journey and professional journey.

“And that’s truly one of the most rewarding aspects of this, just knowing that David feels wonderful about the impact he’s having.”

Goff recalled that when he took over as athletics director, he knew Booth cared deeply for the university but didn’t anticipate the partnership growing into something of this scale.

“He’s wanted to see other people step up and be part of it,” Goff said. “That wasn’t some leverage play. That was just him saying, ‘Hey, I hope others are going to rise to the challenge.’”

Goff added that Booth has inspired many other KU donors and alumni to contribute, and their momentum made this historic moment possible.

“I’m thankful and fortunate to be able to call him a really good friend, a mentor in a lot of ways,” Goff said.

Goff excited to open new stadium

Just over a week from opening the new Kansas David Booth Memorial Stadium, Goff admitted the excitement has been building.

“I can’t believe it’s nine days,” Goff said. “Monday was the first time I was able to say, ‘Hey, next week.’ And I had to catch myself — like, next week, we’re playing football in the new Booth.”

He noted that final touches are coming together inside the stadium, from cleaning to adding shine to the finished areas. Watching all of it take place has him excited for the moment fans, players, and donors get to experience the upgraded facility.

[Watch: Goff meets with media on Thursday]

Goff also confirmed that television networks are preparing to highlight the stadium in their game coverage.

“They’ve understood that, in their space, it’s not very often they’re able to showcase what, at least in our regard, is two-thirds of a brand new stadium,” Goff said.

He likes that the cameras will face the old east stands, calling it “a reminder of where we’ve been and that we’ve still got work to do.”

Big vote on Tuesday continues momentum

Tuesday night was another big step for Kansas Athletics and the University of Kansas as the Lawrence City Commission approved tax incentives that could total nearly $95 million for the Gateway District project.

The decision represents a significant step toward funding components such as a new conference center and supporting infrastructure around the stadium.

Goff praised the decision, saying the city’s ability to balance tradition with progress.

“This is a great community with a lot of smart people who know the balance of retaining what makes Lawrence unique and special,” he said. “But also looking at what’s progressive, what’s going to drive new impact. In this case, economic impact far beyond KU.”

He credited KU’s transparency across different interests to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

“We found ways through this agreement to drive direct impact to Lawrence, not just projected economic impact, but very real benefits that show KU’s desire to make Lawrence a better place with the stadium,” Goff said.

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