Kansas opens the 2025-26 season on Nov. 3 at home against Green Bay before its loaded nonconference slate begins. The Jayhawks have a date with North Carolina on the road to close out the first week of the college basketball season on Nov. 7. Kansas also has matchups with Duke, Notre Dame and Syracuse before the calendar turns to December.
Since coach Bill Self and company defeated North Carolina to win the program’s fourth national title in 2022, the Jayhawks have failed to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons. That includes a loss in the first round of the tournament this past spring to John Calipari and Arkansas, which marked the first time Kansas lost in the opening round since 2006.
Expectations for this Kansas squad will stop and start with the play of five-star freshman phenom Darryn Peterson. The No. 1-ranked player in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports is one of the top candidates to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Self hasn’t been shy about his praise for the star combo-guard, going as far as to say that Peterson is the best player he has recruited at Kansas.
Kansas spent most of this century under Self at the top of the Big 12 standings, but since Houston joined the league in 2023, the Jayhawks have been lackluster in conference play to their standards. Kansas finished 11-9 in conference play last season after going 10-8 during Houston’s first year in the league.
NCAA to keep 2026 March Madness men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at 68 teams
Matt Norlander
With all eyes on Peterson and Kansas this season, here are the top five games to watch involving the Jayhawks this season.
1. Duke (Champions Classic)
When: Nov. 18, 2025 Where: Madison Square Garden (New York)
Anytime blue bloods like Duke and Kansas play, it’s always must-watch TV. This year will be no different. This game in particular is intriguing because it will see Peterson and Duke’s Cameron Boozer — two of the top candidates to go No. 1 next summer in the draft — play against each other in college.
The Cooper Flagg era at Duke may be over, but the Blue Devils will be a team to watch. Duke returns Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster and Ngongba II to pair with the No. 1-ranked high school recruiting class in the country, headlined by Boozer. This game will be a great measuring stick for both.
2. vs. Houston
When: TBD Where: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kansas)
The matchup between Houston and Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse proved to be one of the best (and craziest) games of last season. Houston stunned Kansas after trailing by six at the end of regulation and overtime in the final moments. It was one of the biggest end-of-game collapses from any team last season, which makes the next matchup that much more intriguing. The dates for the Big 12 basketball schedule haven’t been finalized, but we do know that Houston and Kansas will only play each other once during the regular season.
Since Houston arrived to the Big 12 in 2023, the Cougars have taken the league by storm. Houston won back-to-back Big 12 regular season titles and reached the national title game this past spring. The 2025-26 version of Houston may even be better, with blue-chip recruit Chris Cenac Jr. headlining the second-ranked recruiting class in the 2025 cycle by 247Sports. On top of that, Houston returns star guard Milos Uzan. Circle your calendars (when the Big 12 schedule is released) because this will be an epic game.
3. vs. BYU
When: TBD Where: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kansas)
Getting a matchup between the projected No. 1 and 2 overall picks from the same draft during the regular season is rare. The last time it happened was in 2021. Duke and Paolo Banchero faced off against Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga, which went on to be one of the best games of the 2021-22 campaign. We could once again get that type of matchup because Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa are projected to go 1-2 next summer.
The hype around BYU is real. The Cougars not only have aspirations of winning a Big 12 title, but also of making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. BYU has never reached the Final Four, but this could be the year it happens. Kansas vs. BYU is a game to watch if you’re a fan of either team or a draft sicko doing some early scouting on the 2026 draft class.
When: Dec. 2, 2025 Where: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kansas)
By UConn’s standards, last year was a down year. After winning back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, the Huskies were eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by (eventual) champion Florida.
There is strong reason to believe UConn will bounce back this year. The Huskies return Solo Ball, Tarris Reed, and Alex Karaban. UConn also did work in the transfer portal by adding Georgia’s Silas Demary Jr. and Dayton’s Malachi Smith. UConn coach Dan Hurley and company also welcome five-star guard Braylon Mullins, who projects as a starter for the Huskies this season. The fact that this game is being played at Allen Fieldhouse instead of a neutral site makes it even better.
5. at North Carolina
When: Nov. 7, 2025 Where: Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Kansas’ first true test of the 2025-26 season will come during the opening week with (likely) a top 25 matchup against North Carolina. Kansas, like North Carolina, also lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this past spring, so getting back on track this season will be paramount.
UNC had a busy offseason, to say the least. The Tar Heels added multiple newcomers via the transfer portal, including Alabama’s Jarin Stevenson, Arizona’s Henri Veesaar and Colorado State’s Kyan Evans. All eyes will also be on five-star freshman Caleb Wilson, the No. 8 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. This is an incredible matchup to open the season. It could also prove to be a springboard for the winner, too.
Kansas’ 2025-26 nonconference schedule
Day/DateOpponentLocationMon., Nov. 3Green BayAllen Fieldhouse, LawrenceFri., Nov. 7North CarolinaDean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, N.C.Tue., Nov. 11Texas A&M – Corpus ChristiAllen Fieldhouse, LawrenceSat., Nov. 15PrincetonAllen Fieldhouse, LawrenceTue., Nov. 18DukeMadison Square Garden, New YorkMon., Nov. 24Notre Dame (at Players Era Festival)MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las VegasTue., Nov. 25Syracuse (at Players Era Festival)MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las VegasWed.–Thu., Nov. 26–27TBD (at Players Era Festival)MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las VegasTue., Dec. 2UConnAllen Fieldhouse, LawrenceSun., Dec. 7MissouriT-Mobile Center, Kansas CitySat., Dec. 13North Carolina StateLenovo Center, Raleigh, N.C.Tue., Dec. 16TowsonAllen Fieldhouse, LawrenceMon., Dec. 22DavidsonAllen Fieldhouse, Lawrence
Big 12 Opponents Home Only: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, TCU, Utah Big 12 Opponents Away Only: Arizona State, UCF, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, West Virginia Big 12 Opponents Home and Away: Arizona, Iowa State, Kansas State
