Lance Leipold isn’t pretending the bar at Kansas is still low, and that honesty is part of why the buy-in around him keeps growing.
What he’s built in Lawrence since arriving ahead of the 2021 season has already changed the conversation. Kansas, which had long been stuck near the bottom of the power-conference pile after Mark Mangino’s departure in 2009, has gone 27-35 in Leipold’s five years, reached two bowl games and put together a 9-4 season in 2023. The program has also taken real steps forward in recruiting and in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
That progress has created a different kind of pressure. Bowl eligibility is no longer a nice bonus for the Jayhawks - it’s the expectation. And after back-to-back 5-7 seasons, they’ve fallen short of that standard twice in a row.
Leipold didn’t dodge that reality when asked about how much the program’s standards have shifted since the rough stretch that followed the Les Miles era.
“Obviously, standards have changed, and expectations have changed in Lawrence, Kansas, since we arrived, and we're proud of that.’
He also owned the part that still stings: Kansas has let several close games slip away.
“And obviously, the last couple years, we haven't found a way to close out some close ball games. We've had some opportunities, probably well documented, some close losses.
We could be sitting up here today talking about four consecutive bowl games and yada, yada, yada. But we haven't done that.
And it falls on the head coach, and I have to do a better job of doing that.”
That’s not empty coach-speak. It’s a direct admission that the margin has been thin, and that Leipold knows the responsibility sits with him. Last season, narrow losses to Missouri, Cincinnati, Arizona and Utah ended up shaping the final record.
At the same time, Leipold made clear he believes this team still has enough to make noise. He pointed to the way opponents now treat Kansas differently and said his players understand that reality.
“Our players embrace that. They understand that we're getting people's better shots than we did a couple years ago, as far as who the Kansas Jayhawks are.
And we have to embrace that. But I also know that our guys believe that we put together staff and a team this year that could be extremely competitive, could be surprising.”
He also referenced the wider landscape of college football, where the transfer portal has flattened the field and created room for unexpected rises, including runs from TCU and Baylor earlier this decade. In other words, a breakthrough from a team outside the usual circle is hardly unthinkable, especially in the Big 12.
The roster construction doesn’t scream contender on paper. Kansas’ transfer portal class is ranked 53rd by 247Sports, and its recruiting class checks in at No.
- But for a fan base that’s lived through much leaner years, the ask is more practical than glamorous: get back to a bowl and keep the program moving forward.
If the Jayhawks can reach a third bowl game in six full seasons under Leipold, that would only strengthen the case that he’s one of the best hires of the decade. That makes 2026 a huge season for him and for Kansas.
The Jayhawks’ first chance to show what they’ve got comes September 4th against LIU at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
In Other News...
Kansas Football Just Made A Massive Statement About Its Future
Kansas is putting a major stamp on its football future with the ongoing renovation of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, a centerpiece of the Gateway District project that has quickly become one of the most ambitious facility pushes in the sport. The upgrades are designed to bring in improved seating, modern fan amenities and a more polished game-day atmosphere, all while signaling that the program under Travis Goff and Lance Leipold is serious about building something lasting.
The project also carries real weight beyond aesthetics, because it gives Kansas a chance to present itself more like a Power Four program when it comes to recruiting and the overall experience around the team. With completion expected by 2027 or 2028, the stadium work is still unfolding, but the message is already clear: Kansas is investing heavily in a future it expects to compete for at a much higher level. [Read more 🡒]
Former Jayhawk Lands In Shocking New Legal Trouble
A former Kansas basketball player is back in the news for all the wrong reasons, with Lagerald Montrell Vick arrested in Memphis and booked into Shelby County jail after a July 4 incident at a party. The case has already taken on serious weight because investigators say a shooting was involved, and Vick is now facing a separate firearm-related charge as the legal process begins to unfold.
For Kansas fans, the troubling part is that this is not an isolated off-court issue. Vick already had a pending case from an earlier arrest in April that involved aggravated burglary, theft and vandalism allegations, and now he is dealing with another court fight on top of that. His bond was set at $1.5 million, leaving a once-familiar Jayhawk name tied to a rapidly escalating legal situation with a lot still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Former Kansas Star Just Reopened A Frustrating Jayhawks Debate
The recruiting pitch around Kansas has never been more delicate, especially with the Jayhawks already looking ahead to the Class of 2027 and keeping tabs on prospects such as Javon Bardwell and Demarcus Henry. At the same time, the program and the Big 12 are leaning harder into new corporate sponsorships, with uniform patches tied to NIL support becoming part of the backdrop around the roster-building effort.
So when a former Kansas star and projected top pick says he did not enjoy his time in Lawrence because the ball was not in his hands often enough, it naturally reopens an old debate about role, usage and what elite talent expects from a blueblood program. For Kansas, it is the kind of comment that lingers because it touches both the past and the future, right as the Jayhawks try to sell the next wave of recruits on a place where the fit has to work for everyone. [Read more 🡒]