Houston’s Big 12 slate is still in its early stages, but the Cougars now know exactly when they’ll head to Manhattan for another tricky road test.
The No. 20 Cougars will play Kansas State on Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m.
CST, with FOX carrying the game. The network and the Big 12 Conference announced the kickoff and TV assignment earlier this week.
That sets up another national spotlight game for Houston. It will be the Cougars’ third national TV appearance of the season and their second on FOX, though none of those games have landed in a night slot. Houston’s most recent national showcase came in Week 3 at Texas Tech on Friday night.
For now, though, the attention in Houston is still on the Big 12 home opener against UCF. Even so, the Kansas State trip stands out as one of the tougher stretches on the front end of the conference schedule, and the road environment in Manhattan is part of that challenge.
Houston and Kansas State did not meet last season, but the teams played in both 2023 and 2024. The Cougars pulled off the upset in the most recent matchup, knocking off then-No.
17 Kansas State 24-19 in a game that included a weather delay. Houston also rallied from a 19-10 deficit in the fourth quarter.
This will be only the third meeting between the programs. Kansas State won the first one, a 41-0 result in Manhattan during Houston’s first Big 12 season. It also marks the first time Houston will play the Wildcats on the road under coach Willie Fritz.
Houston’s road work has been strong, with a 6-0 mark away from home last season, and the Cougars are 1-1 on the road so far this year after a 28-26 loss at Texas Tech. Still, this trip looks like another stern test.
Houston’s 2025 road list included Rice, Oregon State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, UCF and Arizona State, and the source of real difficulty was Arizona State. Kansas State may not be ranked, but a true Big 12 road game rarely comes easy.
Kansas State is now led by first-year head coach Collin Klein, a K-State alumnus who previously served as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M. Klein also played quarterback for the Wildcats and coached there previously.
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