A complete breakdown of all Fieldhouse upgrades

Allen Fieldhouse officially opens its 70th season Friday night with Late Night in the Phog, celebrating the start of the season for Kansas men's and women's basketball.

The building will open after the second phase of extensive modernization work. The first phase of updates was completed ahead of the 2023/24 season. Immediately after the season, the second phase began and can now be revealed before the start of the 2024-25 season. Below is a detailed breakdown of the improvements to the iconic venue.

Wagnon Student-Athlete Center:
• Refurbished main entry with extensive upgrades including new graphics and branding packages, carpeting, lighting and open floor plan.
• Renovated Kansas Athletics Development office with additional office space and front entrance off Wagnon Lobby.
• Fresh landscaping in front of the building.
• New conference room on the second floor to serve student-athletes and administration.
• Renovated men's basketball coaches' offices with additional conference area and offices.

Allen Fieldhouse Seat Shell:
• New state-of-the-art centrally hung video board.
• The centrally hung video board is divided into different sections.
– The main video board measuring 9.84 feet high by 18.04 feet wide with four displays in each direction of the fieldhouse.
– The corners of the main video board, which consist of four displays with an area of ​​9.84 feet high and 3.28 feet wide.
– The top of the board consists of a custom ring with an active area of ​​3.28 feet high and 88.58 feet wide.
– Underbelly video boards on the center-hung video board, facilitating viewing from the lower sections on the east and west sides of the arena.
• Two LED video displays in the southwest and northeast corners of the fieldhouse that display additional statistical information during the game.
• The corner panels are 13.94 feet tall and 24.60 feet wide with a pixel pitch of 5.9 mm.
• Closed captioning will be displayed on corner boards for fans at Allen Fieldhouse for the first time.
• Free public WiFi throughout the building for every fan to connect to upon arrival at the arena.
• New plumbing/systems and plumbing for the entire third level were added to improve air circulation in the seat shell.
• New mechanical equipment was added in each of the four corners of the Fieldhouse, significantly increasing the width of the concourse and allowing for better air circulation and better food and beverage service.
• The number of ADA seats was doubled, moving from all accessible seating on the floor to a distributed plan throughout the arena with significantly more space.
• Student seating has been moved closer to the floor by adding two rows of seats to the front of both student areas behind the baskets, keeping the student count for the upcoming season the same as previous years.
• 1,100 chairbacks were added to the west side of the fieldhouse.
• Brand new pitch with a brighter finish and circus font graphics.
• Brand new, state-of-the-art sound system that improves overall clarity and sound quality.

Allen Fieldhouse halls:
• All-new graphics and branding package highlighting the tradition and history of Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas basketball.
• New photo opportunities displays, including an original piece of the Allen Fieldhouse floor from 1979-1992, which will be displayed in the second level concourse in the southwest corner.
• Renovated and modernized concourses on the second and third levels, providing a more accessible and modernized layout with more than 75 percent of fans seated in the second and third level bowl areas.
• Additional and new concession areas with grab-and-go areas, digital menu boards and other offerings throughout the arena. The Fieldhouse will now have a total of 96 retail locations, four grab-and-go stations, a marketplace, 24 portable booths and four permanent booths. The 96 outlets have increased from 64 in the previous layout. There are now a total of more than 40 sales points on the second and third levels.
• Updates to all restrooms throughout the arena.
• Enclosed pedestrian bridges at the north end of Allen Fieldhouse, providing safer and more convenient access for fans.
• New elevator at the north end of the arena to improve accessibility.
• Refurbished food service areas, including the Crimson Club, which will be directly connected to the concourse on the second level of the Fieldhouse.
• Addition of Allen Fieldhouse's first on-site chef's kitchen in the Naismith Room, managed by new hospitality partner OVG.
• Additional Rally House store on the second level of the arena.

Gallery: (10/18/2024) Newly renovated Allen Fieldhouse