Here are kickoff times for KU Jayhawks’ first three football games (two on Fridays)
Kansas football will be playing under the lights in its first two contests of 2021.
The Jayhawks will open their season with a 7 p.m. Friday game on Sept. 3 against South Dakota on ESPN+, as KU released the schedule and TV times for its first three contests on Thursday.
First-year coach Lance Leipold’s second game also will be on a Friday night, as KU will play at Coastal Carolina at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10. That game — the first ever for a Power Five school at Coastal Carolina — will be nationally televised on ESPN2.
The unusual start will give Leipold an extra day to prepare for his Big 12 opener. KU will play host to Baylor at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18 in another matchup that will be streamed on ESPN+.
KU’s first two Friday games were the result of the program working in reverse order to finalize its slate. ESPN showed interest in having KU-Coastal Carolina move to Friday for a national audience, and KU wanted to ensure a full week to prepare for the Chanticleers, which meant shifting up the season opener to Friday.
After Baylor, the Jayhawks finish their nonconference schedule at home on Sept. 25 against Duke at a to-be-determined time.
