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Bill Self returning to Kansas next season after retirement speculation

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Bill Self returning to Kansas next season after retirement speculation


LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas basketball coach Bill Self is returning for a 24th season with the Jayhawks.

The program released a statement from Self on Wednesday confirming his return for another year with the program he has led to 21 regular-season conference championships, four Final Fours and a pair of national championships.

“With renewed clarity and the ongoing support from our administration, I remain focused and committed to Kansas Basketball competing for a national championship,” Self said. “I look forward to seeing and hearing the best fans in college basketball next season at Allen Fieldhouse.”

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self gestures during the first half of Kansas’ win over California Baptist in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Getty Images

The 63-year-old Self has a record of 840-272, not including the 15 wins that were vacated by the NCAA, putting him 12th on the career list.

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He passed Phog Allen as the winningest coach at Kansas with a 77-69 win over Michigan State on November 12, 2024, and finished with a record of 633-167 while leading one of college basketball’s most storied programs.

Kansas’ season ended March 22 against St. John’s and fellow Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks rallied from a 13-point deficit with 7 1/2 minutes left, tying it with 13.1 seconds to go, only for the Red Storm’s Dylan Darling to hit a layup as time expired to end their season.

The Jayhawks have not survived the opening weekend of the tournament since 2022, when Self won his second national title.

“I’ve gone through some stuff off the court, so I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on,” Self said following the loss in San Jose, California. “I love what I do. I need to be able to do it where I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. I’ll get back home and it will all be discussed.”

Self’s health has been a factor to monitor.

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Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talking to players during a timeout.
Kansas head coach Bill Self talks with players during a timeout against Cincinnati at Allen Fieldhouse. Denny Medley-Imagn Images

He was hospitalized just before the Big 12 Tournament in 2023 after feeling unwell, and had two stents inserted into his heart, which forced him to miss the NCAA tourney. Self had two more stents inserted last year, and this past January, he missed a game at Colorado after doctors advised him not to travel following a precautionary trip to the hospital.

“When you get to be doing it as long as I’ve done it, I looked at it in five-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak,” he said. “So I try to focus on this season and try to get us to a second weekend — which we failed at — so I’ll go back now and break it down and see where that leads.”

Self won national titles at Kansas in 2008 and 2022. And he’s been especially good at Allen Fieldhouse, historically one of college basketball’s toughest venues. He is 27-6 against top-10 opponents at home, and his 131-81 record against Top 25 opposition is the third-best winning percentage among Division I coaches.

He also has sent 43 players to the NBA, and more could be on the way. Darryn Peterson is expected to be among the first three players to hear his name called in June, while Flory Bidunga and others could also be selected in the upcoming NBA draft.

Self was selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

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Scare at underground storage caves sends 4 to hospital, prompts evacuation

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Scare at underground storage caves sends 4 to hospital, prompts evacuation


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Emergency crews treated nearly two dozen people after a carbon monoxide scare Friday morning. Four of those people were taken to hospitals.

The Kansas City Fire Department responded to a call about an unconscious person at a business located near NE Underground Drive near Missouri 210 Highway. The call came in around 8:30 a.m.

Emergency crews evacuated the business. They also began monitoring the air quality inside the area.

Emergency crews treated nearly two dozen people after a carbon monoxide scare Friday morning at SubTropolis in Kansas City, Missouri.(KCTV5, Grace Smith)

Crews later determined the issue was caused by high levels of carbon monoxide. Firefighters monitored the air quality for several hours after the call.

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They cleared the scene shortly before 11 a.m. and people were allowed to go back to work inside the cave.

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.



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Severe weather sets back Kansas wheat harvest

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Severe weather sets back Kansas wheat harvest


WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Severe weather and humidity are holding back the wheat harvest in Kansas and adding to historically low yields.

Justin Gilpin, the chief executive officer of the Kansas Wheat Commission said Thursday that nearly 20% of the acres planted won’t be harvested this year because of poor crop conditions.

“It’s been a challenging year for Kansas wheat farmers from production because of weather,” Gilpin said. “And ironically, the dry weather’s what caused the low, low estimates and low yields, and now, we’re seeing some crop losses because of too much rain and high humidity.”

He said some recent crop losses are piling on top of what was going to be one of the lowest productions Kansas has seen since the 1960s.

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But some farmers have had more luck than others, Gilpin said.

While some are collecting yields of 10 to 15 bushels per acre, others are getting 50 per acre, depending on when the rain hits and how the wheat varieties respond.

Gilpin said harvest has been slow because farmers have had to pause for the weather multiple times.

Despite a 40% decrease in production compared to last year, Kansas remains the largest wheat producer in the United States, which Gilpin said, is being watched by people across the globe.

“A lot of eyes, you know, around the United States but also around the world are always eager to see how the bushels are going to come in from our Kansas farms because of the impact that we have,” he said.

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Kansas City area boosted infrastructure for FIFA World Cup. Now, the games begin

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Kansas City area boosted infrastructure for FIFA World Cup. Now, the games begin


An estimated 650,000 visitors will flood the Kansas City area over the course of the month-long FIFA World Cup, which chose Kansas and Missouri as the home for four teams and at least six matches.

The event catalyzed a major transportation expansion, created temporary diplomatic offices, and established dedicated health care infrastructure to support Kansas City visitors. The area is one of 11 American host cities for the North American tournament.

The first match between Mexico and South Africa begins Thursday in Mexico City.

Kansas City’s first match is scheduled for June 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City between Argentina and Algeria, both of which will be based in the Kansas City area for the tournament’s duration, along with the teams from the Netherlands and England.

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KC2026, the area’s nonprofit World Cup planning organization, estimated Kansas City could see more than $650 million in economic activity.

As home to the tournament’s smallest host city, the states of Kansas and Missouri, and local governments will be looking to recoup $111 million in public investments dedicated to the tournament. Combined with federal funds, almost $200 million in public money has laid the foundation for the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City.

Salma Aouam, a former Fulbright Scholar and graduate student at Kansas State University, said the Kansas City area has the opportunity to capitalize on the predicted tourism influx by promoting surrounding attractions beyond the World Cup.

“They’ll visit national parks in Arkansas, visit bison farms in Missouri, and hike prairies in Kansas. They’ll experience that classic version of Midwest America, and it’s something they’ll remember long after the tournament,” Aouam said on June 4, citing her graduate research, which examined the effect of major sporting events on urban mobility.

KC2026 brought in 200 new buses to create three new bus service systems: A regional service that will connect riders to area attractions, a stadium service that will act as match-day transportation for ticket holders, and an airport service that runs between the Kansas City International Airport and downtown Kansas City every 15 minutes.

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The bus systems exist on top of existing bus, car and streetcar transportation. Aouam said the expanded park-and-ride bus options should be implemented long-term, if they prove successful. She encouraged KC2026 to continue its work after the tournament to provide long-lasting transportation solutions to the region.

“All of these are big ‘ifs,’” Aouam said. “We may see a lot of confusion when international tourists land in Kansas City for the World Cup and find out they can’t walk to the stadium, like they might in other big cities or in their home countries.”

The planning committee established in Overland Park a Consular Services Center, which provides temporary diplomatic and citizen support services for Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Ecuador and Netherlands, and Curaçao.

The countries’ governments expect the World Cup to draw “significant numbers of visitors” to the Kansas City area, according to the committee.

Algeria, Argentina, England and Netherlands have base camps in the Kansas City area.

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The consulates will be located at the Overland Park Convention Center. They are equipped to help with emergency passports and travel documents, citizen registration, welfare checks and coordination during legal or medical emergencies, according to the committee.

“Providing direct access to consular support services helps ensure visitors feel informed, supported and connected while they are here in our region,” said Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026.

The University of Kansas Health System is the designated medical provider for the World Cup, offering first aid and medical care planning.

Leading up to kickoff, the health system has published a series of short, informational videos under the banner “Before the First Kick” discussing firework and burn injuries, mass casualty events, heat illness, and the difference between urgent care and emergency care.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat representing a Kansas City-area congressional district in Kansas, delivered remarks Monday on the U.S. House floor, commemorating the start to the tournament.

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“The matches will bring excitement, visitors and economic opportunity to the Kansas City metro area. And the impact won’t end when the final whistle blows,” Davids said. “The investments we’ve made in infrastructure, transportation, safety, and community development will benefit Kansas City and our surrounding communities for generations to come.”

Davids founded the Congressional FIFA World Cup 2026 Caucus, which helped lead federal preparations. The federal government allocated $625 million to the country’s host cities for safety and security costs and $100 million for transit operations. Her office estimated the tournament will generate 185,000 jobs and $17.2 billion in GDP.

But that depends on visitors actually arriving, staying and spending the projected amount of money in host cities.

A May report from the American Hotel and Lodging Association that surveyed hoteliers across the country warned of hotel bookings trailing expectations.

Between 85 and 90% of Kansas City-area respondents reported bookings were below expectations, falling short of a typical June or July without any major events, the report said.

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