Kansas
Kansas Men’s Basketball Unveils Challenging Non-Conference Slate
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Highlighted by a marquee home matchup with UConn, a trip to North Carolina, and an appearance at Madison Square Garden against Duke, Kansas men’s basketball on Wednesday announced its loaded non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Additionally, KU will also face power conference foes Missouri and NC State and three more top programs in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.
Kansas will host a total of 16 games inside historic Allen Fieldhouse in 2025-26, including six non-conference matchups (Green Bay, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Princeton, UConn, Towson, and Davidson). Season ticket renewal information for the 2025-26 season is available online by clicking here or by getting in touch with your account representative. Those interested in purchasing new season tickets can fill out a form here to be contacted by a ticket representative.
“Once again, we have a non-conference schedule that should be one of the most challenging non-conference schedules that anyone will play,” KU head coach Bill Self said. “We have a home game against UConn in early December, away matchups at North Carolina and NC State, and neutral games with Duke in the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden, the three games at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, and another with Missouri in Kansas City. Those, along with the Big 12 competition, make this a very tough and demanding schedule. Our non-conference slate should certainly prepare us for what will be considered another great Big 12 season.”
Kansas will open the season at ACC foe Louisville in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 24, at the KFC Yum! Center. KU will then host Fort Hays State in an exhibition contest on Tuesday, Oct. 28, in Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks will open regular season play on Monday, Nov. 3, against Green Bay. Four days later, Kansas will play at fellow blue blood North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 7. This will be the third meeting between the two schools since 2022, with KU claiming the last two contests – 72-69 in the 2022 NCAA title game and 92-89 in Allen Fieldhouse last November.
KU then returns home for a pair of contests against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Nov. 11, and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Kansas and Duke will square off in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, Nov. 18, in New York City at historic Madison Square Garden. Since 2020, KU has won its last five Champions Classic contests. In fact, beginning in 2016, KU has won eight of its last nine Champions Classic battles.
Kansas will make its debut in the Players Era, Nov. 24-27, in Las Vegas. KU will play three games in the event, with details and opponents for the Players Era to be announced later.
On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Kansas returns home to host UConn for the second time in the past three seasons. These two powers have won three of the last four NCAA National Championships, with KU in 2022 and UConn in 2023 and 2024.
In the last meeting, then-No. 5 Kansas defeated then-No. 4 UConn, 69-65, on Dec. 1, 2023, in Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas will face Border Showdown foe Missouri on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and will then travel to NC State on Saturday, Dec. 13, in a return game from last season where KU defeated NC State, 75-60, on Dec. 14, in Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas closes out non-conference play hosting Towson on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and Davidson on Monday, Dec. 22.
Specific dates and times for the Big 12’s 18-game league schedule, along with television details will be announced later. The Big 12 Championship will be March 10-14 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday set for March 15.
In 2024-25, Kansas ranked 12th in NCAA Division I in strength of schedule, marking the 18th time under head coach Bill Self that the Jayhawks have recorded a top 20 toughest schedule in the nation, with 14 of those in the top 10, and 10 in the top three.
Kansas Men’s Basketball 2025-26 Schedule (Home games in ALL CAPS; Times and TV to be announced later)
Oct. 24 (Fri.) – at Louisville (Exhibition)
Oct. 28 (Tue.) – FORT HAYS STATE (EXHIBITION)
Nov. 3 (Mon.) – GREEN BAY
Nov. 7 (Fri.) – at North Carolina
Nov. 11 (Tue.) – TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI
Nov. 15 (Sat.) – PRINCETON
Nov. 18 (Tue.) – vs. Duke (Champions Classic, New York City)
Nov. 24-27 (Mon.-Thurs.) – at Players Era (Las Vegas)
Dec. 2 (Tue.) – CONNECTICUT
Dec. 7 (Sun.) – vs. Missouri (Kansas City, Mo.)
Dec. 13 (Sat.) – at NC State
Dec. 16 (Tue.) – TOWSON
Dec. 22 (Mon.) – DAVIDSON
The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship today announced the recipients of the 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Awards, recognizing the outstanding leaders, organizations and programs that are driving innovation and expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities across the state.
“Our apprenticeship partners have played a tremendous role growing our workforce over the last several years,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These apprenticeship awards honor what truly is possible when bold leadership and strategic collaboration align — and how, together, we can continue reimagining the Kansas workforce of the future.”
Since 2022, the Kansas apprenticeship program has experienced remarkable growth, including a 240% increase in new apprentices. This momentum reflects the strength of Kansas’ statewide apprenticeship ecosystem — and the commitment of the employers, education partners and workforce leaders to build sustainable talent pipelines.
Honorees were chosen based on innovation, measurable growth and long-term impact, with particular emphasis on forward-thinking strategies and sustained apprentice engagement.
The 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Award recipients:
- Excellence in Kansas Apprenticeship Award – Dr. Joel Gillespie, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE): Recognized for his visionary leadership in expanding teacher apprenticeship programs to 391 participants, helping transform educator pathways and remove barriers to the profession.
- Kansas Business of the Year – Panasonic: Committed to workforce development through the Industrial Manufacturing Technician Registered Apprenticeship. The company has grown from 96 apprentices to 125.
- Outstanding New Program of the Year – HCA Midwest Health: Launched Kansas’ first pre-licensure Registered Nurse Apprenticeship program. The program has 146 active apprentices.
- Outstanding Program of the Year – Western Missouri & Kansas Laborers District Council: Recognized as one of the most robust apprenticeship models. The Council has 445 active participants, working to support an array of backgrounds and strengthen the workforce.
- Youth Apprenticeship Development Partner of the Year – City of Winfield: Honored for its leadership in youth apprenticeship, bringing together K-12 education and higher education partners to create classroom-to-career pipelines for Kansas students.
The 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Awards were presented during the state’s National Apprenticeship Week Celebration on April 29 in Topeka, highlighting the continued progress and future success of apprenticeship programs and opportunities in Kansas.
“Our apprenticeship partners are making a huge contribution to our state — and to our goal of connecting 10,001 apprentices by 2031,” Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship Director Shonda Anderson said. “Their contributions not only are changing the lives of individual Kansans but strengthening our state for generations to come.”
To view photos from the 2026 Kansas Apprenticeship Awards event, click here.
For additional information about the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship, visit here.
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – The University of Kansas Medical Center is set to receive $5 million from the state to build a new network aimed at improving dementia diagnostic capabilities.
Officials at the University of Kansas Health System said the funding — which supporters intend to be annual if the state’s appropriation process allows — will help build the Kansas Brain Health Assessment Network.
The network will be located at KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and will begin this July. It will bring specialist-level dementia diagnostic capabilities into primary care practices across Kansas.
“Kansas has a unique responsibility here. Our geography creates barriers that other states don’t face the same way. We built the tools to address this at KU — and the legislature recognized that these proven care models should be implemented to benefit all Kansans across our state,” said Jeffrey Burns, M.D., co-director of KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
Burns said the funding comes as, for the first time, clinicians have access to blood-based biomarker tests to accurately detect Alzheimer’s disease without an invasive procedure.
The KU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is one of 35 centers designated by the National Institutes of Health and one of eight institutions in the world participating in the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative.
KU Medical Center said 55,000 Kansans are living with dementia and Wednesday’s announcement of funding will help specifically rural Kansans, who face months-long waits for specialist appointments.
“This initial investment reflects a thoughtful investment in both innovation and accessibility,” said Kansas State Sen. Jeff Klemp (R-Lansing), who supported the funding. “This investment leverages the strength of the University of Kansas Medical Center and extends that expertise across Kansas into our rural hospital network. This opportunity makes meaningful progress in how we approach brain health and ensures these advancements are available to all Kansans, not just those near major medical centers.”
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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