Friday, September 4, 2026. Kickoff 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Kansas opens at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium against Long Island University, an FCS program from Brookville, New York making a 1,200-mile trip for a Friday night opener.
| Kickoff | 8:00 p.m. ET · 7:00 CT · 6:00 MT · 5:00 PT |
| TV | ESPNU |
| Streaming | ESPN App, Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling Orange |
| Venue | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence |
A Long Way to Travel
Long Island University is on Long Island, roughly 1,200 miles from Lawrence. LIU only restarted its football programme relatively recently after merging its two campuses, and competes in the Northeast Conference at FCS level.
Trips like this are almost purely financial for the visiting school, funding a substantial portion of an athletic department budget in a single afternoon.
Kansas’s Renovated Home
Kansas has poured significant money into its stadium in recent years, part of a broader push to make the football programme competitive in a basketball school’s town. A Friday night opener under lights is a showcase for that investment.
The Big 12 schedule that follows offers no comparable warm-up.
How to Watch
ESPNU is cable-only — no antenna option. Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling Orange all carry it, and the ESPN App streams it for authenticated subscribers.
It shares the 8 p.m. Friday window with Toledo at Michigan State on FS1 and UTEP at Oklahoma on SEC Network+.
The Bottom Line
Long Island at Kansas kicks off 8:00 p.m. ET Friday, September 4 on ESPNU from Lawrence. ESPNU requires a cable or streaming subscription.