Kansas men’s basketball has its first two Big 12 schedule markers for the 2026-27 season, and both come with the ESPN Big Monday spotlight.
The Jayhawks will open the conference’s five-week Big Monday stretch on Feb. 1 at Houston, then close it out on March 1 at Allen Fieldhouse against Iowa State. Both games are set for 8 p.m. and will air on ESPN.
Big Monday has been kind to Kansas over the years. KU is 85-25 all time in those games, and at Allen Fieldhouse the program has stayed perfect in Big Monday play across Bill Self’s 23 seasons. That streak now sits at 41-0.
Self’s run was tested plenty during the 2025-26 season. Kansas knocked off then-unbeaten Arizona 82-78 on Feb. 9 without star guard Darryn Peterson, in a game that also marked the first time a No. 1 team had ever played in Lawrence during Self’s tenure.
The Jayhawks also handled then-No. 5 Houston 69-56 at home on Feb.
Kansas already grabbed one road Big Monday win last season, too, when Peterson buried two late 3-pointers to push the Jayhawks past Texas Tech, 64-61, on Feb. 2.
The trip to Houston stands out for another reason: KU didn’t go to the Fertitta Center in 2025-26. The venue has not been a friendly one for the Jayhawks since Houston entered the league. Kansas lost there 76-46 in the 2024 regular-season finale, then came back the next season and fell 65-59 in a closer one.
Last season, the Jayhawks beat Houston at home but then dropped the rematch 69-47 in the Big 12 tournament.
This year’s Houston roster looks different, though not empty. The Cougars lost a lot of last season’s production, but they do bring back defensive anchor Joseph Tugler and add transfers Corey Hadnot II from Purdue Fort Wayne, Dedan Thomas Jr. from LSU and Delrecco Gillespie from Kent State. Houston also brings in a freshman pair in guard Ikenna Alozie and center Arafan Diane.
Iowa State will give Kansas another familiar Big Monday test. The teams split their two meetings last year, with one game at Allen Fieldhouse that started KU’s long winning streak and another at Hilton Coliseum that ended it. The Cyclones return frontcourt starter Blake Buchanan along with young guards Jamarion Batemon and Killyan Toure.
The rest of the Big 12 slate has not been released yet. Kansas opens the season Nov. 2 against Fordham and finishes its nonconference schedule Dec. 29 against the newly renamed LSU New Orleans.
In Other News...
Kansas Let Border Showdown Slip Away For One Frustrating Reason
Kansas had enough defensive moments to keep the Border Showdown from getting out of hand early, but the offense never gave the Jayhawks the kind of support they needed in a 38-21 loss to Missouri. Isaiah Marshall completed just 43.3% of his passes, and while he did throw two touchdowns, the passing game also produced two interceptions. The run game never really took off either, with Kansas backs totaling 57 yards, leaving the Jayhawks to chase the game in a rivalry they badly wanted to control.
Lance Leipold pointed to the defense after the loss, saying there were stretches where Kansas had a chance to win, even if the group was put under pressure too often. The bigger frustration was that the Jayhawks could not turn those defensive stops into momentum on the other side of the ball, and the offensive mistakes kept handing Missouri short fields and fresh chances to pull away. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads To Arizona State With A Quarterback Question Looming
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Lance Leipold, Andy Kotelnicki and D.K. McDonald all offered updates on the group, but the picture remains incomplete this close to kickoff. For Kansas, the challenge is less about one player and more about how many moving parts it may have to manage at once, especially if the offense has to adjust at quarterback while waiting on several key contributors to get closer to game-ready. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Needs A Fast Response Before This Big 12 Test Gets Worse
Kansas football heads into a quick-turn Big 12 test looking to steady itself after a recent loss, and the setting only adds to the challenge. Arizona State is in the same spot, coming off a setback of its own, so both teams arrive with something to prove and little margin for another step backward.
For the Jayhawks, the matchup carries the feel of a needed response game, especially with the pressure of staying on track in conference play. Kansas is the underdog here, which only sharpens the questions around how it matches up, how it handles the stage, and whether it can avoid letting one loss start a tougher slide. [Read more 🡒]