Kansas football unveils renovated weight room, locker room as facility upgrades continue
LAWRENCE — There are plans for the Kansas football program that athletes who aren’t even a part of the team yet will one day benefit from.
The stadium renovation that’s part of the Gateway Project is one of them. It’s probably the most high-profile change that’s coming the program’s way. It’s something that’s set to be so significant the collegiate athletics landscape may take notice.
But Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold said Tuesday he and Travis Goff, KU’s athletic director, have also talked about wanting to accomplish things for the players that are with them right now. Those athletes, Leipold continued, are helping turn the program around. And so, the fact Tuesday also saw Kansas unveil its renovated locker room and weight room took on some added significance.
“It’s a dream come true,” director of sports performance Matt Gildersleeve said. “I think this is something you think about for a very long time. There’s a lot of work that went into this. But, I think most importantly is, none of this happens without our athletes — and that’s the absolute truth. What they did last year on the field and continue to do on a daily basis — none of this gets built without them.”
Elevating the level of what’s possible
Kansas football is eyeing ways to upgrade its standing on the field. It’s preparing for a 2023 season that could see it reach a bowl game for a second-straight year for the first time in more than a decade. And these upgrades, for which a specific project cost was not provided, will look to help the Jayhawks take the next step.
Leipold said the locker room, which is up to 8,000 square feet from a bit more than 6,000, will provide more space and comfort for his players. It’s a gathering space with 124 lockers, up from 110, that include a number of different features like reclining capabilities designed for football players. Considering all the time athletes spend in the facility, the various improvements — such as a new audio system — were critical.
Gildersleeve said the weight room, which has customized equipment made for the way Kansas trains, now features more efficiency because of the layout and that equipment. There are 24 platform weight racks now instead of 12, with eight designed differently than the other 16 so they can address things such as training for offensive linemen and certain movements. Gildersleeve noted someone can complete an entire lift without leaving their rack, whereas in the past they would have run from spot to spot over the course of a workout.
“Time is our most valuable asset,” said Gildersleeve, whose new weight room also includes sports science investments, “and we got a whole heck of a lot of it back by having this facility.”
There’s more to come
Leipold understands that this program has been viewed as being behind in the past when it’s come to facilities. This, he said, is another statement for a university, athletic department and community that’s aiming to show recruits and more that they are not on the sideline anymore. And there is more coming.
When Leipold says more, he means that the Anderson Family Football Complex has more upgrades coming. There are things they’re accomplishing that will help out on the administrative end that he’s excited about as they continue to elevate the team’s day-to-day operation. But that more does also include the stadium renovation, which the program plans to release more details about on Aug. 15.
“The whole thing, I think, as we’ll find out really soon, will definitely be game-changing and be a statement in college football,” Leipold said.
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Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas football unveils renovated weight room, locker room
