UK Athletics surveying fans on potential Kroger Field enchancements

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What would you like to see at Kroger Field in the future -- aside from more winning football? UK Athletics wants to know.

Today, the department emailed surveys to fans about potential enhancements to Kroger Field and the proposed entertainment district outside of the stadium. In August, Mitch Barnhart announced $36 million worth of upgrades to Kroger Field, $15 million of which will go toward general renovations (seating areas, concourses, fan amenities), $13 million for new corner suites and upgraded elevator access, and $8 million for upgrades to the existing premium club space and a better stadium-wide Wi-Fi system. The feedback from the survey will help UK determine the best way to spend that money and what fans want in the new entertainment district, which could include restaurants, hotels, and other entertainment options, along with the new men's basketball practice facility.

"The Board of Trustees approved several improvement projects for the stadium in the summer of 2025, including refreshing the corner suite interiors and a potential new modernization of the west end zone," the survey reads. "The goal of these projects will be to elevate fan comfort, expand seating and hospitality options, and create unique, memorable experiences for all Kentucky fans and students.

"To assist project stakeholders in ensuring future improvements reflect fan preferences, a comprehensive research process is being undertaken that will show patrons a variety of experiences that could be included in Kroger Field in the future."

When it comes to premium areas, the survey asks fans to rate which upgrades are most important to them. It also asks fans to rate a variety of premium areas featured in stadiums across the country, with photographs of examples compared to the current options at Kroger Field, when applicable. For each option, the survey offers a variety of price points to gauge how much fans would pay for access and where in the stadium they think it would work best.

Potential Premium Areas

The survey also covers the potential entertainment district outside Kroger Field, which will "enhance the game day experience and activate the stadium on non-game days." It asks fans to rate which of the following attractions would be most appealing to them in the mixed-use development:

What else could the district be used for? The survey asks fans how likely they would be to come to the district and/or stadium for events such as:

That last one is pretty intriguing. Surveys just started going out today to fans who have purchased a ticket to a football game in the last four years, given money to the K Fund, or even bought something from UKTeamShop.com. If you have thoughts on the gameday atmosphere at Kroger Field, that survey will go out at the end of the year. For now, you've got an opportunity to let UK Athletics know what you want an upgraded Kroger Field and its surroundings to look like, so don't waste it.