Three Most Pivotal Games of the 2026 Kansas Football Season

The Kansas football program is looking to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2023 as the regular season approaches. This is expected to be a make-or-break year for Lance Leipold, whose job seat could get incredibly hot if the Jayhawks don't bounce back.

While fans aren't expecting a Big 12 championship appearance or anything spectacular, there are still reasonable expectations for Kansas to win at least six games and get the program back on the right trajectory.

That won't be easy, especially with several difficult matchups on the schedule, but there are a few that will have a much bigger impact than the rest. These three contests could ultimately determine whether the Jayhawks have a successful 2026 campaign.

3. Sunflower Showdown at K-State (Oct. 17)

In the grand scheme of things, this year's Sunflower Showdown is no different from the past decade and a half. It will be played in the middle of the year and should once again be viewed as a swing game in the win-loss column.

Still, there's a level of respect the program needs to regain if it wants to be taken seriously, and that starts with ending this horrendous losing streak.

The Jayhawks have lost 17 (and counting) consecutive clashes with the Wildcats. It feels like a broken record with everyone thinking each year will finally be different, but until KU actually does something about it, this "rivalry" continues to feel like an automatic loss on the schedule.

Leipold and Co. have a chance to change the narrative this year, though they will have to do so on the road in Manhattan against an explosive Wildcats offense. After everything that's happened in this rivalry over the past 17 years, a win over K-State would mean much more than just another victory in the standings.

2. Border War vs. Missouri (Sept. 11)

After losing to Mizzou in Columbia last year, Kansas will be out for revenge when the Tigers visit David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks get Missouri in Week 2, making it an early opportunity to build some momentum before the schedule becomes more difficult.

The two schools won't meet again until their next home-and-home series in 2031 and 2032, which adds even more significance to what will be the final meeting for several years. KU certainly doesn't want Tiger fans holding a series sweep over its heads, nor does it want to begin the year 1-1.

There's also a chance Missouri could be without superstar running back Ahmad Hardy, who is still working his way back from the effects of a gunshot wound sustained in the offseason. With the game being played in Lawrence, KU has a real shot to be competitive in this one.

1. Union Jack Classic vs. Arizona State (Sept. 19)

This may not be a rivalry like the two aforementioned games, but the Union Jack Classic in London is arguably the most important contest Kansas will play all year. The biggest concern isn't necessarily Arizona State itself but rather everything surrounding the trip and what could happen afterward.

KU will travel to Wembley Stadium after playing Missouri the previous week, forcing the Jayhawks to fly across the Atlantic for a physical game against a solid Sun Devils team. ASU isn't quite as good as it has been in recent years and is certainly beatable, but if Kansas loses both games, it would enter the bye week at 1-2 with a pair of disappointing losses already on its resume.

Kansas could return home feeling confident after a 2-1/3-0 start, or it could spend the bye scrambling to find answers after a disastrous opening stretch.

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