Kansas men’s basketball now has the full map for the Big 12 grind, and it starts the new year with a familiar test at Allen Fieldhouse.
The league released its complete schedule Thursday afternoon, locking in 18 conference games for the Jayhawks once again. That means one open date and no change yet to the current setup, despite the ongoing chatter about the Big 12 possibly moving back to a 20-game slate.
KU opens conference play on Jan. 2 against West Virginia, a home date that will bring immediate attention to how the Jayhawks handle the first step of league play. From there, the schedule turns fast. Kansas heads to Utah on Jan. 6 and then to BYU on Jan. 9 for a two-game road swing.
After that comes a stretch that mixes home comfort with a couple of difficult trips. Colorado visits Lawrence on Jan. 13, followed by UCF on Jan.
- Then the Jayhawks hit the road again for games at Cincinnati on Jan. 19 and at Kansas State on Jan.
- Cincinnati now has Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun in charge, while the Wildcats are led by Belmont’s Casey Alexander.
Colorado, meanwhile, will be coached by former Jayhawk Tad Boyle.
Kansas’ open date falls just before a Jan. 30 home game against Oklahoma State and the previously announced Big Monday matchup at Houston on Feb. 1.
The Jayhawks then return to Lawrence for Texas Tech on Feb. 6 and Arizona State on Feb. 9.
One of the marquee dates on the calendar comes on Valentine’s Day weekend, when KU goes to Hilton Coliseum to face Iowa State on Feb. 13.
It marks the second straight year that trip lands on that weekend. The Jayhawks will then host Baylor on Feb. 17 before heading to Arizona on Feb.
- Arizona won both the Big 12 regular-season title and tournament championship last season in just its second year in the league.
The final stretch sends Kansas to TCU on Feb. 24, then wraps up the home-and-home series with Kansas State at home on Feb. 27 and Iowa State at home on March 1. KU closes that sequence with a trip to Baylor on March 6.
Bill Self enters his 24th season leading the program, and this group comes with plenty of attention after a 2025-26 season that had bright spots but ended with a second-round exit. The roster is headlined by top-ranked freshman forward Tyran Stokes and also includes first-year guard Taylen Kinney, transfers Leroy Blyden Jr., Keanu Dawes, Christian Reeves and Dennis Parker Jr., plus returners Paul Mbiya and Kohl Rosario, among others.
Kansas opens the season against Fordham on Nov. 2.
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