Big 12 Gauntlet: Can Kansas Overcome Its Road Struggles From the Past?

It is no secret that Allen Fieldhouse is one of the most iconic venues in all of college sports and gives the Kansas Jayhawks an unparalleled home court advantage. There is a certain magic that the Phog carries on game day, and it always seems to give KU a boost when it needs it.

However, in recent years, Bill Self and Co. have struggled to win away from home. The Jayhawks posted an abysmal 7-15 road record (6-13 in Big 12 games) across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons combined.

As Kansas prepares for Big 12 play beginning with a road matchup against UCF, it is apparent that the team's performance away from Allen Fieldhouse could ultimately determine where it finishes in the conference standings.

Dec 4, 2024; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self watches action against the Creighton Bluejays during the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The Jayhawks have suffered some unusually bad losses on the road over the past two years, including a 29-point defeat in Lubbock to Texas Tech in 2024 and a 34-point loss in Provo to BYU last year. That drubbing against the Cougars tied for the largest margin of defeat ever suffered by a Bill Self-led team.

While the past couple of Jayhawk squads were clearly competing at a lower level than the program is accustomed to, it showed that winning at home alone will not be enough this season.

KU faces several difficult road tests in Big 12 play, particularly trips to No. 1 Arizona and No. 3 Iowa State. Most fans will likely pencil those games in as losses, which is understandable. However, the program's road struggles have not been limited to elite opponents.

The Jayhawks have lost at Bramlage Coliseum in each of the past three meetings against in-state rival Kansas State, whom they will face again in late January. They lost unexpected road games to inferior opponents in 2024 (UCF and West Virginia) and had an unforgettably bad collapse down the stretch vs. Baylor in 2025.

Other tricky road games that hold a lot of importance include trips to No. 15 Texas Tech and West Virginia, two environments that are always difficult to win in.

The good news is that Kansas showed plenty of fight and grit in its lone true road game this season. The Jayhawks pulled out a 77-76 overtime victory at NC State, one of the best regular season wins in recent memory. That performance showed that even without Darryn Peterson, this group is capable of coming away with signature road wins.

Although the sample size is small, the hope is that KU's road struggles come to an end this season. If it can finish with a record over .500 on the road, the team should be in good shape to finish with a top-three spot in the standings.