K-State Won't Be Entertaining Jerome Tang in Manhattan in 2026

The Big 12 schedule was released on Friday, with teams learning their conference matchups for the 2026-27 college basketball season. One of the most highly anticipated Big 12 games was the matchup between K-State and Baylor. Jerome Tang was fired late in the season, and he is now back at Baylor, once again as an assistant on Scott Drew's staff. While the two schools will face each other in Waco, the Bears won't be traveling to Manhattan to take on the Wildcats in Bramlage Coliseum.

Big 12 opponents locked in 🔒

🔗 https://t.co/WkQ7Nrk8aJ @Big12Conference x #EMAW pic.twitter.com/NeRevEXXCa
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) June 11, 2026

Things ended very poorly last year in Manhattan

K-State made national news last season when the school announced that it was firing Tang with cause after he made comments after a loss to Cincinnati last February. With the decision to fire him for cause, the Wildcats were looking to avoid paying him the $18.7 million that it still owed on the contract. Tang got himself a lawyer to fight the decision, and there has yet to be a decision or a settlement between the two sides.

Things weren't always bad for Tang in Manhattan, as he helped lead the Wildcats to one of their best seasons in school history in his first season. He helped lead K-State to the Elite Eight in 2023, as Marquis Nowell became the darling of the NCAA Tournament, leading the Wildcats on a magical run that ended in a 79-76 Elite Eight loss to a Florida Atlantic led by current Michigan coach Dusty May.

However, that was the highlight of Tang's time in Manhattan, as the Wildcats went only 45-47 in his final three years. It was especially bad the last two seasons, as K-State went 15-17 in 2025, and then 10-15 at the time he was fired last season. After he was let go, one of his assistants, Matthew Driscoll, was the interim coach for the rest of the year before Casey Alexander was hired in the off-season.

K-State and Baylor could still have two regular-season matchups

While the Wildcats won't be hosting the Bears next year, the two schools could still play each other twice in the regular season. Both schools are participating in the Players Era 16 tournament in Las Vegas. K-State plays Gonzaga in the first round, while Baylor takes on Alabama. Based on results in that matchup, the two teams could play against each other on November 25 in Las Vegas.

For this year, K-State fans won't get to welcome Tang back to Bramlage Coliseum. The best-case scenario is that there may be a matchup in Kansas City during the Big 12 Tournament,

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