Kansas Jayhawks football schedules 1st practice in renovated stadium: the details
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- Kansas football schedules first practice in renovated stadium for Aug. 1.
- Coach Leipold cites strong team attitude and effort during fall camp opener.
- Quarterback Jalon Daniels begins final season with optimism and reflection.
It’s only one practice for the Kansas Jayhawks football team, but coach Lance Leipold is already liking what he sees from his squad.
And he’ll no doubt like things even more once KU takes occupancy of its newly renovated stadium.
“I’m very pleased,” Leipold said Thursday after one day of practice in preparation for the fall 2025 season. “(Everyone) has a great attitude and they’ve been anxious to get out there and play for real.
“I love the attitude and the hustle so far. (I) threw a lot at them on the first day. It’s a good first day and first step, we got a lot to work on, but I like where it’s trending.”
Quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has returned for a sixth and final year of college football with KU, sounded contemplative with one day of training camp workouts in the books.
“It’s my official last ‘first day of fall camp’ as a college quarterback,” he said, “and I look back at all the fall camps that I’ve had — even the fall camp where Coach Leipold wasn’t here yet.
“I look at every single year and try to be able to take in the experience. Today was the very first day of the last one. I went out there and had a great experience. I had fun with the guys playing football, because at the end of the day that’s what we’ve all been looking forward to.”
The Jayhawks are getting ready to play in a Week 0 home opener against Fresno State on Aug. 23. The matchup will be the first of many at the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Leipold said the Jayhawks will practice in their rejuvenated stadium for the first time on Friday, Aug. 1. He had previously said the team would practice a few times in the stadium before KU’s game, and he reaffirmed that Thursday.
“We’re hoping for August 1 to be a night practice in there,” Leipold said. “We had a meeting with the turf people. Things are very much on schedule. Now everything else logistically with the stadium that will allow us to get in there and do some work (is being finished).”
The building excitement around the official unveiling of the updated venue extends beyond the team, of course. The Kansas fanbase is buzzing right alongside KU’s players and coaches.
KU football’s X account unveiled the finished Jayhawk logo in the middle of the field on Wednesday. Much of the team also visited the field in person Wednesday afternoon.
“A lot of players got the chance to actually go,” Daniels said, “to be able to go (and) see the field with their own feet (on) the ground.
“When we’re practicing on the (nearby) practice field, we get the chance to see the ‘Rock Chalk’ on the home side of the stadium. It’s definitely exciting. We’re excited to be able to get to practice on that field for the first time. We’re looking forward to it.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 3:48 PM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks football schedules 1st practice in renovated stadium: the details."
