Big 12 · Manhattan, Kansas
Kansas State Football
2026 college football program hub
The short version
Kansas State football in 2026
Kansas State is 3-1 through 4 completed games: 3 wins, 1 loss.
Latest confirmed result: Kansas State lost to Cincinnati Bearcats, 26-31, on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Kansas State plays next against Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at home in Manhattan, Kansas. Kickoff is 12:00 PM EDT. TV coverage is TBD.
Program center
Kansas State football pages
2026 season
Big 12 football
3-1 current recordHead coach
Collin Klein
Leading the Kansas State Wildcats through the 2026 season.
Program profile
Manhattan, Kansas
Kansas State
In pictures
KSU on game day
Program background · Reviewed 2026-09-01
A handover, not a firing
Every other coaching change covered on this site last winter was a dismissal. Kansas State's was not. Chris Klieman announced on December 3 that he would retire after seven seasons, having won the Big 12 in 2022 and taken the programme to its first Sugar Bowl. The following day Kansas State named Collin Klein, who quarterbacked the Wildcats and finished third in the 2012 Heisman voting, as his successor.
That distinction matters more than it sounds. A programme replacing a retiring coach with one of its own former players is managing a succession rather than repairing a failure, and it changes what a first season is reasonably for.
Program background · Reviewed 2026-09-01
Orderly at the top, turbulent below
The roster tells a different story from the leadership. Around thirty players left through the transfer portal and a similar number arrived, and the coaching staff was rebuilt almost entirely, with several assistants following Klein from Texas A&M. Only a handful of position coaches carried over from the previous regime.
Kansas State also turned down a bowl invitation after finishing 6-6, citing the coaching change alongside injuries and departures. That was the first season since 2020 without a bowl game, and it is an unusual decision for a team that had earned eligibility.
Explore
More on KSU
Players
Roster
Published player records by position group, with available class years, measurements, and hometowns.
Staff
Coaches
Collin Klein and the published staff directory.
Numbers
Season stats
Confirmed results, points scored and allowed, and per-game scoring averages.
Archive
Program history
Championships, milestones, and the program’s history.
League
Big 12
The rest of the conference and how the title race is shaping up.
Nearby
Teams in Kansas
Other programs in the same state, if you follow more than one.
FAQ
KSU frequently asked questions
What is the KSU 2026 football record?
Kansas State is 3-1 through 4 completed games: 3 wins, 1 loss.
When does KSU play next?
Kansas State plays next against Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at home in Manhattan, Kansas. Kickoff is 12:00 PM EDT. TV coverage is TBD.
Who coaches Kansas State?
Collin Klein is the head coach.
What conference does KSU play in?
Kansas State competes in the Big 12.
Did Chris Klieman retire or get fired?
He retired. Klieman announced on December 3, 2025 that he would step down after the season, following seven years in which he won the Big 12 title in 2022 and took Kansas State to its first Sugar Bowl. It was his decision rather than a dismissal.
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