The Kansas Jayhawks and Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are set to open the 2027 season in Week Zero, FBSchedules.com has learned.
Originally scheduled for Week 3 on Saturday, Sept. 18, the matchup is now tentatively slated for Saturday, Aug. 28, 2027, at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kan. According to a copy of the contract amendment obtained from the University of Kansas via a state public‑records request, the game could also be played on Thursday, Aug. 26, or Friday, Aug. 27.
The amendment notes that the schools “…acknowledge the Game is currently scheduled for September 18, 2027, but the institutions shall work together, and each shall use their reasonable best efforts, to obtain the necessary NCAA approval to hold the game during 2027 Week Zero on one of the following dates: August 26, 2027, August 27, 2027, or August 28, 2027.”
Such approval is no longer required. In June, the NCAA announced the adoption of a standardized 14‑week regular‑season format beginning in fall 2027. Under the new structure, FBS teams may open most seasons in Week Zero—the weekend prior to Labor Day—and conclude play the week after Thanksgiving.
The only seasons in which FBS teams will be barred from opening in Week Zero without an exemption are those in which the span from Labor Day weekend through the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays. The next time that occurs will be in 2030 and 2031.
It’s possible the amendment language was included as a precaution, as the official NCAA rules for the 2026–27 season have not yet been published.
Kansas and Louisiana Tech have met four times previously, with the Jayhawks holding a 3–1 advantage.
Kansas’ remaining non‑conference slate for 2027 includes a home game against Southeast Missouri on Sept. 4 (or Sept. 2–3) and a trip to Washington State on Sept. 11.
Louisiana Tech’s 2027 non‑conference schedule features Nicholls at home on Sept. 4, Tulsa at home on Sept. 25, and a road trip to NC State on Oct. 2.
FOOTBALL SCHEDULES