The Big 12 announced the schedules for each of its conference teams, giving Kansas State fans the opportunity to see how they'll match up with each Saturday.
Here is the full list of games on the Wildcats schedule:
HOME GAMES
9/5 - Nicholls State
9/12 - Washington State
9/19 - Tulane
10/10 - Houston*
10/17 - Kansas*
11/7 - Oklahoma State*
11/21 - Arizona*
AWAY GAMES
9/26 - Cincinnati*
10/24 - Arizona State*
10/31 - Colorado*
11/14 - TCU*
11/28 - Iowa State*
* indicates a Big 12 matchup
Among the more notable matchups are the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas, as well as a few against teams that fluctuated in rankings throughout the season, including Houston, TCU, Arizona, and Iowa State.
Kansas State will hopefully fare better than it did in 2025. The team finished with its worst record since 2020, in a year when they were expected to reach the next echelon of college programs. The Big 12 title expectations and playoff hopes dwindled each game and were eliminated by the third week. From then on, it was just a matter of finishing with a winning season to avoid an outright disaster.
Quarterback Avery Johnson is certainly motivated to elevate the team in his final season.
"After a lot of prayer, conversations with my family, and talks with my coaches, I've made the decision to return to Kansas State for my final year," Johnson said in his returning Instagram statement. "There is unfinished business here, and I'm not done yet. This place, this program, and this fanbase mean everything to me. The relationships I've built, the culture we've created, and the goals we still have ahead of us are too important to walk away from. I believe in this team. I believe in our coaches. And I believe the best is still ahead."
New coach Collin Klein has the same outlook, vowing to re-establish championship standards within the program. He won a Big 12 title for the team as a quarterback in 2012 and then again as the offensive coordinator in 2022.
“I love challenges and doing hard things," Klein said in his introductory press conference. "To go and take this program where it’s never been is gonna be hard. I want it to be hard, I want it to be difficult. We’re gonna attack it together as a staff, as a fanbase, and as an administration, and we’re gonna take this program where it hasn’t been before.”