Kansas Jayhawks 2024 College Football Team Preview
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Kansas Jayhawks are facing a different kind of opponent in 2024 as they will play all their home games in Kansas City away from the friendly confines of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence as one of the oldest college stadiums in the country is undergoing a massive renovation project. Kansas’ first two home games will be at Children’s Mercy Park, home of Sporting KC of Major League Soccer and the remaining home games will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the chaotic schedule ahead, expectations are high for this squad with Kansas coming off a successful 9-4 campaign in 2023 which culminated in winning their first bowl game in 15 years, a 49-36 victory over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona.
Kansas welcomes back head coach Lance Leipold, quarterback Jalon Daniels, and numerous other stars on both sides of the ball as they look to replicate their accomplishments from last season. Senior running back Devin Neal and wide receivers Lucas Grimm and Lawrence Arnold will be players to watch on offense. The defensive side will be led by senior cornerbacks Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson.
On August 29, the Jayhawks kick off the non-conference portion of the schedule against Lindenwood at Children’s Mercy Park before traveling to Illinois on September 7 and then coming back to Kansas City for a rematch of last year’s bowl game against UNLV on September 13.
Conference play will begin on September 21 with a trip to West Virginia. On September 28, the Jayhawks will play their first of four games at Arrowhead Stadium against the Horned Frogs of TCU, who they haven’t beaten since 2018.
Kansas will then travel to Tempe, Arizona, on October 5 to face one of the newest members of the Big 12, Arizona State. After the first of two bye weeks, the Jayhawks will host the Cougars of the University of Houston on October 19 and then travel to Manhattan, Kansas, for a highly anticipated match-up against arch-rival, Kansas State, on October 26.
Iowa State will then make the short trip down from Ames to Kansas City on November 9 for Kansas’ third game at Arrowhead as the Jayhawks look to beat the Cyclones for a third straight time. The following Saturday, Kansas will make a trip out west to face BYU after defeating them in Lawrence last year.
November 23 will be another highly anticipated game as coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes travel to Kansas City to face the Jayhawks.
The regular season comes to an end on November 30 in Waco as Kansas battles the Baylor Bears.
With excitement brewing about the upcoming season, there are several positives about shifting home games from Lawrence to Kansas City. First, with four games at Arrowhead Stadium, it will give these young men the opportunity to realize what it is like to play in an NFL atmosphere and push them to reach their goals of playing there on Sundays.
Second, more eyes will be on the program as fans, recruits, and friends and family of the players might have a better opportunity to be exposed to the culture of the Jayhawks football program at home games in Kansas City.
Finally, it is an opportunity for the coaching staff and players to write a new chapter in Kansas’ football history books. There are thirty seniors on this team, all with goals of taking their team to the next step from a nine-win team to a potential conference title contender in the Big 12.
If the Jayhawks want to take the next step as a program then now is the time.
Can they survive having a temporary home in 2024 and equal or exceed their win total from 2023 or will they falter against the odds and fall short of expectations? Only time will tell.
Photo credit: RNG – Ryan Wright – Jalon Daniels