The Collin Klein era begins with a friendly calendar. Kansas State plays five of its first six games at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, including three straight non-conference dates to open, and gets seven home games in all. The former Wildcats quarterback takes over a program whose 2026 schedule front-loads the home cooking and saves the travel for late October and November.
Three kickoff times are already set. The rest follow the Big 12’s in-season selection process.
Games That Will Decide Kansas State’s Season
| Sept 26 at Cincinnati | Klein’s first Big 12 game is a true road opener — the 22nd time in 31 Big 12 seasons K-State has started league play away from home. It’s also the first trip to Cincinnati since a 23-21 last-second win in 1995. |
| Oct 17 vs Kansas | The Sunflower Showdown at home, with K-State chasing an 18th consecutive win over the Jayhawks. Nothing else on this schedule carries the same local weight. |
| Oct 24 & 31 road trips | Arizona State then Colorado — the only back-to-back road games all season. K-State plays in Tempe for just the sixth time ever and the first since 1989. |
| Nov 28 at Iowa State | Farmageddon closes the regular season in Ames for the third time in the last five trips. K-State is seeking just its second win there in five tries. |
How the Schedule Sets Up
Nicholls, Washington State, and Tulane at home gives Klein three weeks to install a system before anything counts. The Big 12 opener at Cincinnati is a genuine road test, and then the lone bye arrives on Oct 3. What follows is the heart of the season: Houston and Kansas at home, then the only back-to-back road trips of the year at Arizona State and Colorado. November is balanced — Oklahoma State at home, TCU away, Arizona on Senior Day, and Farmageddon in Ames to close. Seven home games and five of the first six in Manhattan is about as forgiving a first-year setup as a new head coach could ask for. For the postseason picture, here’s how the College Football Playoff works under the 12-team format. Conference scheduling across the NCAA FBS has trended toward deeper league slates.
The Bottom Line
Seven home games, five of the first six in Manhattan, the Sunflower Showdown in October, and Farmageddon to close — Collin Klein’s first Kansas State schedule gives him every chance to start well. Bookmark this page; times, networks, and results are updated throughout the season.