Kansas head coach Lance Leipold watches as Oklahoma State gets set for a field goal attempt at the end of the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Photo by Nick Krug

The Kansas football team announced its 2026 schedule on Wednesday morning, officially revealing a series of games that promises to be unlike any other the Jayhawks have played before.

The season begins on Friday, Sept. 4, against Long Island at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and continues with the second game of the renewed Border War in Lawrence on Sept. 12. But the highlight of the schedule — and its central disruptive factor — is the previously announced Union Jack Classic, a matchup with Arizona State in London on Saturday, Sept. 19 (in which KU is technically the home team).

That game, which will be the first power-conference college football contest ever played in England, is followed by a bye week and forced the rescheduling of a nonconference tilt with Middle Tennessee State that had been planned for the same day. KU originally hoped to use a waiver to move it to the so-called “week zero,” a week before the season starts for most teams, but that plan apparently did not work out, as it is now scheduled for immediately after the bye week, on Oct. 3.

From that point on, in a stark contrast to its open-date-laden schedule in 2025, KU embarks on a series of eight consecutive Big 12 contests. First up are KU’s first two official road games of the year — at Utah on Oct. 10, at rival Kansas State on Oct. 17 as the Jayhawks look to snap their 17-year losing streak — and then they return home to host Baylor on Oct. 24.

They will spend Halloween in Fort Worth, Texas, facing TCU there for the first time since 2021, and then look to continue their recent success against UCF when they welcome the Knights to Lawrence on Nov. 7.

KU will face West Virginia for the third straight season in a road contest on Nov. 14, then host BYU on Nov. 21. The regular-season finale is set for the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 28, on the road at Oklahoma State.

The Big 12 championship game is set for Friday, Dec. 4, in Arlington, Texas.

The Jayhawks will look to make a return to the postseason after back-to-back 5-7 campaigns. They finished 2025 on a three-game losing streak and then declined a bowl invitation when there was a shortage of bowl-eligible teams willing to participate in the postseason.

KU returns some marquee talent, particularly on defense with players like defensive tackle Blake Herold, linebacker Trey Lathan and cornerback Jalen Todd, but its roster has experienced a dramatic overhaul over the course of January. Former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has also returned with the new title of associate head coach in the offseason’s most significant staffing change.

2026 KANSAS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Sept. 4 — vs. Long Island

Saturday, Sept. 12 — vs. Missouri

Saturday, Sept. 19 — vs. Arizona State (in London)

Saturday, Oct. 3 — vs. Middle Tennessee State

Saturday, Oct. 10 — at Utah

Saturday, Oct. 17 — at Kansas State

Saturday, Oct. 24 — vs. Baylor

Saturday, Oct. 31 — at TCU

Saturday, Nov. 7 — vs. UCF

Saturday, Nov. 14 — at West Virginia

Saturday, Nov. 21 — vs. BYU

Saturday, Nov. 28 — at Oklahoma State