LAWRENCE, Kan. ā The complete 2026 Kansas football schedule was announced Wednesday by the Big 12 Conference, featuring six home games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Union Jack Classic to be played at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London, and five Big 12 Conference road games.
Under sixth-year head coach Lance Leipold, Kansas will play six home games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium against Long Island (Friday, Sept. 4), Missouri (Sept. 12), Middle Tennessee (Oct. 3), Baylor (Oct. 24), UCF (Nov. 7) and BYU (Nov. 21). The Jayhawks will also travel to London to take on Arizona State in the Union Jack Classic at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 19.
The Jayhawks will kick off their 135th season on Friday, Sept. 4 against Long Island, marking the second season played at the new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. It will be the first time Kansas and Long Island have faced off on the gridiron.
In week two, Kansas will host rival Missouri for the StorageMart Border Showdown on Sept. 12 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The rivalry has been played 121 times dating back to 1891, which is tied for the 10th-most played rivalry in all of college football. The meeting will be the first in Lawrence between the two teams since 2005, when KU won, 13-3. Kansas owns the all-time series lead in games played in Lawrence, 26-16-3, while Missouri holds a slight advantage in the all-time series, 57-55-9.
Kansas will then play the first-ever college football game at the iconic Wembley Stadium in the 2026 Union Jack Classic against Big 12 Conference opponent Arizona State on Sept. 19. The matchup will serve as a home game for the Jayhawks in what will be Kansasā first international game in program history. Fans looking to purchase tickets for the Union Jack Classic can do so by clicking here.
The Jayhawks will then have their only open week of the season during week four, before hosting Middle Tennessee State on Oct. 3. It will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Kansas will then play nine-straight Big 12 Conference games, beginning with a road trip to Salt Lake City to take on Utah on Oct. 10. It will be Kansasā first road game at Utah since 1996 and its third overall, after splitting the first two meetings.
The 2026 Dillons Sunflower Showdown between Kansas and Kansas State will take place on Oct. 17 in Manhattan, in what will be the 124th meeting between the two teams. Kansas holds the all-time series advantage at 65-53-5.
Following two-straight Big 12 road games, the Jayhawks will return home to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24 to host Baylor. In week nine, Kansas will travel to Fort Worth to take on TCU on Oct. 31, before returning home to host UCF on Nov. 7.
The Jayhawks will then head east to Morgantown on Nov. 14 to face off against West Virginia. Kansas will play its final home game of the 2026 season on Nov. 21, when the Jayhawks take on BYU. Kansasā regular season finale will take place on Nov. 28, when the Jayhawks travel to Stillwater to play Oklahoma State.
The Big 12 Conference Championship game is slated for Friday, Dec. 4 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Kansas football enters the sixth season under head coach Lance Leipold, and the Jayhawks bring back vital pieces in offensive tackle Calvin Clements, wide receiver Cam Pickett, linebacker Trey Lathan, defensive tackle Blake Herold and cornerbacks Jalen Todd and Austin Alexander, among others. The Jayhawks also welcome a talented transfer portal class and 17 incoming freshmen who are looking to make their impact in their first season in Lawrence.
2026 Kansas Football Schedule
Week
Date
Opponent
1
Sept. 4 (Fri.)
Long Island
2
Sept. 12
Missouri
3
Sept. 19
Arizona State (London)
4
Sept. 26
BYE
5
Oct. 3
Middle Tennessee State
6
Oct. 10
at Utah
7
Oct. 17
at Kansas State
8
Oct. 24
Baylor
9
Oct. 31
at TCU
10
Nov. 7
UCF
11
Nov. 14
at West Virginia
12
Nov. 21
BYU
13
Nov. 28
at Oklahoma State
14
Dec. 4