photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold applauds his team after a field goal during the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Kansas football team announced on Tuesday morning its full schedule for the 2025 season, as the Jayhawks return to revamped David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium for head coach Lance Leipold’s fifth year at the helm.

Highlights of the schedule include the first game back in the Booth, on Aug. 23 against Fresno State; the renewal of the Border Showdown for football, as KU’s trip to Missouri on Sept. 6 marks the first meeting between the two rivals since 2011; and matchups with new conference foes such as Arizona and Utah.

Because the Jayhawks play the Fresno State game in the so-called “week zero” before the season begins for most opponents, and because of the same calendar quirk that gave KU two bye weeks last season, they have a total of three open dates this year.

Besides Fresno State and Missouri, KU’s other nonconference game is a Friday night tilt with FCS foe Wagner on Aug. 29.

After a break, the Jayhawks open the conference schedule with back-to-back home games against West Virginia (Sept. 20) and Cincinnati (Sept. 27), then travel on the road to UCF (Oct. 4) for the first time since the Knights joined the league, and on to Texas Tech (Oct. 11).

Off its second bye, KU welcomes in Kansas State for another edition of the Sunflower Showdown on Oct. 25. Then comes a reunion with longtime foe Oklahoma State on Nov. 1 and the first road trip to Arizona (Nov. 8) since 1966.

The Jayhawks have the next week off before facing Iowa State (Nov. 22). Their final regular-season game, against Utah, does not have a finalized date between Nov. 28 and Nov. 29, so KU could end up with a second weeknight matchup on Black Friday.

The 2025 season will feature a dramatically different roster for KU after the Jayhawks said goodbye to dozens of graduating seniors who helped reshape the program in the first four years under Leipold.

In all, the 2024 campaign was a disappointing one for KU, which opened the year 2-6 with one heartbreaking one-score loss after another. The Jayhawks rattled off a historic stretch of three consecutive wins over ranked teams, only to fall flat in a decisive game at Baylor and therefore come up short of bowl eligibility at 5-7.

Longtime starting quarterback Jalon Daniels will return for a sixth and final season of college football, along with a few familiar players like running back Daniel Hishaw Jr., offensive linemen Kobe Baynes and Bryce Foster, defensive end Dean Miller and defensive tackles Tommy Dunn Jr. and D.J. Withers.

But in general KU will need to extract significant production from a transfer-portal class that numbers 22 players and counting, including the likes of defensive end Justice Finkley (Texas); linebackers Bangally Kamara (South Carolina), Trey Lathan (West Virginia) and Joseph Sipp Jr. (Bowling Green); running back Leshon Williams (Iowa); tight end Keyan Burnett (Arizona); and wide receivers Bryson Canty (Columbia), Emmanuel Henderson Jr. (Alabama), Cam Pickett (Ball State) and Levi Wentz (Albany).

2025 Kansas football schedule

Saturday, Aug. 23 — vs. Fresno State

Friday, Aug. 29 — vs. Wagner

Saturday, Sept. 6 — at Missouri

Saturday, Sept. 20 — vs. West Virginia

Saturday, Sept. 27 — vs. Cincinnati

Saturday, Oct. 4 — at UCF

Saturday, Oct. 11 — at Texas Tech

Saturday, Oct. 25 — vs. Kansas State

Saturday, Nov. 1 — vs. Oklahoma State

Saturday, Nov. 8 — at Arizona

Saturday, Nov. 22 — at Iowa State

Friday, Nov. 28/Saturday, Nov. 29 — vs. Utah