Countdown to Kansas Football: 23 Days Until Long Island U

With the 2026 football season approaching, all eyes in Lawrence are on the Jayhawks' Week 2 rematch with Missouri in the Border Showdown. However, the Jayhawks have one obstacle to overcome before they can attempt to get their revenge on their cross-state rivals.

KU will take on the Long Island University Sharks in a Friday night game scheduled for Sept. 4. It will be the first game the Jayhawks play all season and the home opener at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

If you don't know much about LIU's program, we don't blame you. There's no reason for a Kansas fan to have much prior knowledge about a small university with just 15,000 students on the North Shore of Long Island. So, let's break down everything the Jayhawk faithful should learn about their opponent before the opener.

What Kansas Fans Should Know About LIU

LIU is a university in New York that has only played at the Division I level since 2019. The Sharks compete in the Northeast Conference, or NEC, in the FCS, where they finished tied for third with a 4-3 conference record a year ago.

The Sharks are coming off a historic season by their standards, defeating Eastern Michigan 28-23 for the school's first-ever FBS victory. They'd go on a losing skid before pulling off victories in five of their final six contests.

The program now has the confidence to schedule another ambitious slate, including matchups against KU and Florida International three weeks later. Projected to finish third in the NEC's preseason poll, LIU has earned renewed confidence after its breakout year.

LIU's head coach is Ron Cooper, who has been at the helm since 2022. He has over 40 years of college football experience and even spent one season as the defensive backs coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL.

This will be the fourth time in its eight years of Division I experience that LIU has squared off versus a Big 12 school. Its past meetings include a 45-0 loss to TCU in 2024, a 30-7 loss to Baylor in 2023, and a 66-0 loss to West Virginia in 2021.

LIU Players to Watch

DB Trey Watkins

Perhaps the most impressive player on the Sharks' roster is defensive back Trey Watkins. The safety-cornerback hybrid tied for second in the FCS with five interceptions a year ago, adding 51 tackles and two pass breakups.

A New Jersey native, Watkins was selected to the FCS Preseason All-America Third Team. He will likely line up opposite Nik McMillan on the outside in what will be his biggest matchup of the season.

QB Ethan Greenwood

Greenwood is the projected starting quarterback for the Sharks. He had a productive 2025 season, finishing with 645 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and three interceptions, along with 416 rushing yards and four more scores on the ground.

He entered his name into the transfer portal this offseason but withdrew it to continue his development with the Sharks. Greenwood is the orchestrator of LIU's run-first, option-heavy offense, which should feature plenty of zone reads against Kansas.

DT Kezni Brown

One last player to monitor is Kezni Brown, the Sharks' top defensive tackle. He is a 21-year-old redshirt junior who finished the previous campaign with 15 tackles, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble.

Standing at 6 feet and weighing 284 pounds, Brown is a run-stuffer who will look to clog the gaps created by KU's offensive line. Like the other two players mentioned, he earned Preseason All-NEC honors heading into this season.

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