Kansas basketball set for two Big Monday showdowns

Kansas basketball will have two marquee opportunities under the national spotlight during the 2026-27 season after the Big 12 and ESPN announced the conference’s Big Monday schedule Monday.

The Jayhawks will appear on Big Monday twice, first traveling to Houston to face the Cougars on Feb. 1 before returning home to host Iowa State on March 1. Both games will tip off at 8 p.m. Central time and air nationally on ESPN. 

The trip to Houston will give Kansas an early February test against one of the Big 12’s most consistent programs. The Cougars have established themselves as one of the conference’s top teams under head coach Kelvin Sampson and reached their seventh consecutive Sweet 16 last season. Kansas and Houston also split their two meetings last season, making the matchup another important chapter in what has become a competitive conference rivalry. 

Playing at the Fertitta Center will also provide a major challenge for the Jayhawks. Houston has built a reputation for being one of the toughest teams to play at home, and Kansas will have to be prepared for the intensity that comes with a nationally televised Big Monday game.

The second Big Monday matchup could be even more meaningful because it will take place inside Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas will host Iowa State on March 1 in the final game of the Big 12’s five-week Big Monday lineup. The Jayhawks and Cyclones will play each other twice during the regular season because they are among Kansas’ three home-and-home conference opponents. 

The matchup could come at an important point in the season with the Big 12 Tournament approaching just over a week later. Kansas will want to enter March playing its best basketball, while Iowa State will be looking to make a statement on the road.

The Cyclones also reached the Sweet 16 last season, adding even more significance to the matchup. Each team won on its home floor in last season’s meetings, setting up another competitive series between two programs that have developed a strong rivalry. 

For Kansas, the Big Monday appearances are more than just two nationally televised games. They give the Jayhawks opportunities to test themselves against high-level competition while showcasing the program to a national audience.

Kansas has also enjoyed considerable success on Big Monday throughout its history. The Jayhawks are 85-25 all time in Big Monday games and have not lost a Big Monday game at Allen Fieldhouse during Bill Self’s tenure. 

With Houston on the road and Iowa State coming to Lawrence, Kansas will have two major opportunities to make an impression.

If the Jayhawks are competing for a Big 12 title and a high NCAA Tournament seed, these two Big Monday games could become some of the most important games on their schedule.