The Big 12 Conference and its television partners announced game times and television designations for the first three weeks of the 2026 Kansas and Kansas State football seasons.
Kansas will open its 135th season at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, against Long Island at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
Kansas State will begin its first season under head coach Collin Klein at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, against Nicholls at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The game will stream on ESPN+.
The Jayhawks will remain at home the following week for the return of the Border Showdown against Missouri. Kansas and Missouri will meet at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, in Lawrence, with the game televised on FOX.
The rivalry dates back to 1891 and has been played 121 times, tied for the 10th-most played rivalry in college football. It will be the first meeting between the two teams in Lawrence since 2005, when Kansas won 13-3. Missouri leads the all-time series 57-55-9, while Kansas holds a 26-16-3 advantage in games played in Lawrence.
Kansas State will host Washington State at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, in Manhattan. The game will air on TNT and HBO Max. It will be the first football meeting between the Wildcats and Cougars.
Both programs will play at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.
Kansas will face Arizona State in the Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium in London. The game, which will air on FS1, will be the first college football game played at Wembley Stadium and the first international game in Kansas program history. The matchup will serve as a home game for the Jayhawks.
Kansas State will host Tulane at 11 a.m. Sept. 19 on ESPN2. It will be the third meeting between the Wildcats and Green Wave in five seasons. Tulane defeated Kansas State 17-10 in Manhattan in 2022 before the Wildcats won 34-27 in New Orleans in 2024.
ESPN also announced Kansas State’s Oct. 24 game at Arizona State will air on an ESPN network. A kickoff time and exact television designation will be announced later.
Game times and television designations for the remainder of the Kansas schedule will be announced during the season.
Kansas football schedule
- Friday, Sept. 4: Long Island at Kansas, 7 p.m., ESPNU
- Friday, Sept. 11: Missouri at Kansas, 7 p.m., FOX
- Saturday, Sept. 19: Arizona State vs. Kansas at Wembley Stadium, 11 a.m., FS1
Kansas State football schedule
- Saturday, Sept. 5: Nicholls at Kansas State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
- Saturday, Sept. 12: Washington State at Kansas State, 11 a.m., TNT/HBO Max
- Saturday, Sept. 19: Tulane at Kansas State, 11 a.m., ESPN2
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Kansas State at Arizona State, TBA, ESPN network