Kansas football will get an early start to the 2027 season, with its game against Louisiana Tech now expected to land in Week 0.
The matchup in Lawrence had been slated for Sept. 18, but public records requests by FBSchedules.com and KUSports.com writer Henry Greenstein indicate Kansas and Louisiana Tech are seeking NCAA approval to shift it to Aug. 26-28.
If approved, it would give the Jayhawks their second-ever Week 0 game. Their only previous one came this past season, when Kansas beat Fresno State 31-7.
New NCAA rules will allow any school to play in Week 0 beginning next year, opening the door for the Jayhawks to get that opener moved up. The rest of Kansas’ 2027 nonconference slate is already lined up: Southeastern Missouri State visits in Week 1, and Washington State hosts the Jayhawks in Week 2 in Pullman.
That three-game setup should make for Kansas’ softest nonconference schedule in a while. With the Border Showdown home-and-home series not resuming until 2031, the Jayhawks will avoid that kind of heavyweight matchup for the time being. They also won’t have to deal with a transatlantic trip and a six-hour time change in the middle of the season like they did this year.
On paper, Kansas should be favored in all three nonconference games. That kind of scheduling gives the Jayhawks a better path to bowl eligibility before Big 12 play begins, even if it doesn’t necessarily sharpen them for conference action.
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Among the players getting a closer look is true freshman Trey Brown, a former 3-star recruit who was originally projected to be farther down the depth chart. Leipold pointed to Browns work ethic and willingness to learn throughout fall camp, and those traits have helped him stay in the mix as Kansas sorts through its options in the back end. [Read more 🡒]