LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Football added a special piece to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium ahead of the conclusion of Phase I of renovations: A wall commemorating the current Kansas state champions in high school football.
The Kansas Football social media announced the addition of the wall Wednesday evening. The wall has the helmets of the high schools set up side-by-side on shelves with their name and classification. Behind each helmet is a map of Kansas with a star on the location of the school.
Champions are born in KANSAS 🔴🔵
Every Kansas high school state title has a place in The Booth. pic.twitter.com/2a4KNWDSKK
— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) July 30, 2025
While speaking with the media Thursday, July 31, KU’s head football coach Lance Leipold hinted at a possibility of hosting the state championships in the future. Leipold mentioned that they were in talks with K-State Football to possibly alternate championship sites between David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence and Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.
“When the stadium is complete, the possibility of state championships being played here is something I’ve talked with [K-State head football coach Chris Klieman] about, even tossing the idea of alternating the site of the championship between the two universities,” Leipold said. “I think the state championship should be played in the FBS. Nothing against Pitt State and any of the other locations, but I think it’s a great exposure and a great experience young men.”
Leipold did also mention that there could possibly be scheduling conflicts as the 2025 state championships are played Nov., 28-29 during the college football season, but added that it would be a great additional use to the stadium when it is complete. The projected completion of Phase II, including the east and south sides of the stadium as well as the full Gateway District, will be announced at a later time.
Currently, there are three state championship locations for high school football in Kansas. The 6-Player and both 8-Player divisions play at Kiowa Co. High School in Greensburg, 1-3A plays at Gowans Stadium in Hutchinson, and 4-6A plays at Welch Stadium in Emporia. The 2025 season will be just the second season with only three state championship venues since 1993 when title games were held in Manhattan, Wichita, and Hays. Each classification had its own location from 2004-2024, with the exception of the 8-Player divisions who played in the same location.
There was a stretch between 1983-1988 where both KU and K-State hosted multiple state championship games before alternating from 1989-1998. K-State has not hosted a state championship since 1998, nor KU since 2003.
The current state champions who have their schools recognized at the stadium are as follows:
- 6A: Gardner Edgerton
- 5A: St. Thomas Aquinas
- 4A: Andover Central
- 3A: Andale
- 2A: Southeast of Saline
- 1A: Conway Springs
- 8-Player DI: Hoxie
- 8-Player DII: Axtell
- 6-Player: Weskan
