Kansas Football Heavily Favored for Season Opener in ESPN SP+ Rankings

ESPN's SP+ model suggests Kansas football should have a very easy time against Long Island in the season opener.

Aug 29, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks huddle during the second half against the Wagner Seahawks at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas football has a renewed excitement around the program after Lance Leipold named Isaiah Marshall the starting quarterback for the 2026 season. The redshirt sophomore is hoping to succeed Jalon Daniels as the Jayhawks' next dynamic signal-caller.

While all eyes are looking ahead to the Week 2 matchup against Missouri, KU will first have a tune-up game against Long Island University before preparing for the Border Showdown. Things don't get much easier from there, as the Jayhawks will then fly to London to compete in the Union Jack Classic.

Going into the matchup a few days from now, Kansas is unsurprisingly a massive favorite. ESPN's SP+ rankings from Bill Connelly project the Sharks may not even score a point when the two teams square off on Sept. 4. According to the rating system, KU is projected to beat LIU 48-1 (technically possible with an ultra-rare one-point safety, ha!).

WEEK 1 SP+ PICKS. WE'RE BACK.

LSU 28, Clemson 18
Ole Miss 29, Louisville 24
SMU 27, FSU 25
Irish 35, Badgers 12
UCLA 26.8, Cal 26.7
Kansas 48, LIU 1, lol

Spreadsheet is updated for all levels (and postgame win expectancy -- no surprises this week)!https://t.co/sq3wG4Xaj9 pic.twitter.com/XaPmxcUs9E

— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) August 30, 2026

This prediction shouldn't be too far off, as Long Island is coming off a season opener in which it went down 42-0 before halftime. The Sharks would go on to score the next 21 points, but still lost by three scores to North Dakota.

Coming off a 6-6 season, the Sharks are slowly rising through the FCS ranks after defeating their first-ever FBS opponent in Eastern Michigan last year. Still, this isn't a particularly favorable matchup for a school that has been competing at the Division I level for less than a decade.

Leipold and his coaching staff will likely use the Week 1 game to experiment with different schemes and players.

Unfortunately for LIU, we are no longer in the mid-2010s when FCS schools could give the Kansas football program problems. For the Sharks, putting one touchdown on the board Saturday would probably feel like a victory in itself.

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