Wichita State’s new stadium still on track to host 2026 Kansas state track meet
Despite weather-related construction delays, Wichita State officials say the new-look University Stadium remains on track to host the Kansas high school state track and field meet at the end of May.
That reassurance comes after months of unusually heavy rainfall slowed progress on the multi-phase renovation of what was previously known as Cessna Stadium, forcing the cancellation of WSU’s signature spring track meets — the K.T. Woodman Classic and the Shocker Pre-State Challenge — that were scheduled for April.
Construction leaders project that Phase 1B of the stadium overhaul will be completed in April, giving crews a runway to prepare ahead of the May 29-30 state championship meet hosted by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.
That phase delivers the competitive backbone of the facility: a nine-lane track, a widened infield built to accommodate a regulation-size soccer field with artificial turf and fully built-out event venues. It also includes new internal sidewalks connecting the east and west sides of the stadium and a significantly expanded throws complex south of Koch Arena, featuring a longer javelin runway, new hammer and discus sectors, sprint warmup lanes and a three-sector shot put venue. Shot put will be relocated outside the stadium as part of the redesign.
“We are so excited about the new track and field facility in University Stadium here at Wichita State,” WSU track coach Steve Rainbolt said in a statement. “As I’ve watched it unfold out of the window of my office, I’m more and more convinced all the time it’s going to be one of the finest track and field facilities in the entire country. I feel terrible that the rainy conditions this past summer and fall caused such delays, and we won’t be able to host the KT Woodman, but it doesn’t diminish how excited we are for what is coming together to be such a beautiful track and field facility.”
The broader project, transforming Cessna Stadium into University Stadium, has been carefully phased to protect Wichita’s long-standing role as the anchor site for the high school state meet. Except for one season in 1978, when renovations forced the event to be split across multiple locations, the championships have been staged together at WSU every year since 1970. The meet is widely regarded as the largest single-site high school state track and field championship in the country.
Project planners built the construction schedule around that obligation.
Phase 1A work was completed ahead of the 2025 state meet and focused on the east side of the facility. That stage included demolition of the old east stands and construction of a new 5,800-seat grandstand, along with upgraded lighting, underground utilities, restrooms, concessions, ticketing areas and other fan amenities. With the west grandstand still standing, the stadium has continued to operate while the replacement unfolds in stages.
The weather proved to be the biggest curveball. Wichita recorded roughly 53 inches of rain across the summer and fall of 2025, saturating the site and compressing construction timelines. That forced the cancellation of the K.T. Woodman Classic and Shocker Pre-State Challenge, but both events should return in 2027.
The project also cleared a major financial milestone in January when the WSU Board of Trustees approved a $38 million investment to fund Phase 2 of construction at WSU. It is unclear from the release the specific source for the $38 million, but previous planning documents noted that Phase 2 was anticipated to be funded through a pending bond issue. The initial projected cost was around $54 million, while legislative authorization of up to $60 million had been proposed earlier.
That new phase will begin immediately after the 2026 state meet and calls for demolition of the west grandstand in June.
Phase 2 will deliver the stadium’s new west-side structure, planned with more than 6,000 seats plus press facilities, suites, offices, locker rooms, concessions and storage. Construction will be sequenced so that sufficient seating remains available to continue hosting the state championship meet in 2027 with full west-side completion targeted before the 2028 meet. Plans also include a pedestrian plaza between Koch Arena and the stadium to create flexible space for food trucks, merchandise tents and fan gathering areas during major events.
Across all phases, the total project budget has been estimated at $78 million. Final projected capacity for the completed stadium is listed between 12,000 and 14,000.
For Kansas high school track and field athletes and fans, the main takeaway is that the finish line to the 2026 season remains in place.
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