Kansas will get two chances to play under the Big Monday lights in the 2026-27 season, with ESPN and the Big 12 unveiling a schedule that puts the Jayhawks in the national spotlight twice.
The first comes on Feb. 1, when Kansas heads to Houston for an 8 p.m. Central tip against the Cougars.
The second arrives a month later, on March 1, when Iowa State visits Allen Fieldhouse for another 8 p.m. Central start.
Both games will air on ESPN.
Houston should offer an immediate February measuring stick. The Cougars, coached by Kelvin Sampson, have become one of the Big 12’s most reliable programs and reached their seventh straight Sweet 16 last season. Kansas and Houston split their two meetings a year ago, keeping this matchup firmly in the mix as one of the conference’s more compelling showdowns.
The setting only raises the difficulty. Fertitta Center has earned a reputation as a difficult place for visitors, and Kansas will be walking into a Big Monday environment that is built for pressure.
The Iowa State game may carry just as much weight, especially because it lands in Lawrence and closes out the Big 12’s five-week Big Monday slate. Kansas and Iowa State are set to meet twice in the regular season as part of Kansas’ three home-and-home conference pairings.
That late-season date could arrive at a pivotal moment, with the Big 12 Tournament coming just over a week later. Kansas will be aiming to hit March in form, while Iowa State will have a chance to make a road statement. The Cyclones also made the Sweet 16 last season, and each team protected its home floor in last year’s meetings.
Big Monday has long been a favorable stage for Kansas, too. The Jayhawks are 85-25 all time in Big Monday games, and they have not lost a Big Monday game at Allen Fieldhouse during Bill Self’s tenure.
So while the schedule only gives Kansas two Big Monday appearances, both are the kind that can tell you plenty about where the Jayhawks stand. One comes on the road against a steady Houston team. The other comes at home against Iowa State, with March right around the corner.
In Other News...
Tre White Just Put Kansas In A Bigger Roster Waiting Game
Tre White has added another layer to Kansas roster uncertainty by joining a lawsuit against the NCAA that seeks a fifth collegiate season of eligibility under the sports new rules. The case, filed in Monroe County, Indiana, includes 89 plaintiffs from the high school class of 2022 who say they have already used up their four seasons and want the updated five-year framework applied to them.
For Kansas, the timing matters because the front office of the roster picture is still being sorted out as the season approaches. The legal fight remains ongoing after a temporary restraining order recently expired, with more court filings expected, and the Jayhawks are also dealing with other eligibility matters around the edges, including waivers filed for former Rutgers center Emmanuel Ogbole. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Heads Into Big 12 Opener With Key Availability Questions
Kansas is spending the early part of the week sorting through the fallout from its loss to Missouri as it turns toward a Big 12 opener against Arizona State. The injury list is the main storyline for Lance Leipolds staff, with quarterback Cole Ballard, tight end Carson Bruhn and linebacker Daveon Crouch all coming out of the game banged up and their availability far from settled.
Leipold offered only partial clarity, leaving the Jayhawks to weigh what the depth chart might look like if any of those players cannot go. Chase Jenkins and Quincy Davis are among the options being considered for expanded roles, but the real uncertainty sits with the players whose status will shape both the offense and the defense heading into a conference game that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Still Has One Defensive Problem It Must Fix Fast
Kansas defense left the Border Showdown with a familiar concern hanging over it, and it was not the run game. Missouri found plenty of room through the air, piling up 292 passing yards and three touchdown throws while Kansas struggled to disrupt the quarterback. The Jayhawks were mostly steadier against the run outside of one long gain, but the bigger issue was clear enough: the coverage and the pass rush were not working in tandem.
Coach D.K. McDonald pointed to the corners as a key part of the fix, saying they need to make quarterbacks hold the ball longer and work through second and third reads before the line can finish the job. Kansas did not record a sack, which only sharpened the urgency around that point. Until the secondary tightens up enough to create hesitation, the pass rush may keep arriving a step late. [Read more 🡒]