An evening season opener and a pair of morning kickoffs begin the Collin Klein era of Kansas State football, as the Big 12 Conference and its television partners have made selections for the first three weeks of the 2026 season.
The first game of the 2026 campaign against Nicholls on September 5 will kick at 6 p.m. and be shown on ESPN+, followed by a pair of 11 a.m., contests against Washington State (September 12) and Tulane (September 19). The game against the Cougars will air on TNT/HBO Max, while the contest against the Green Wave will be shown on ESPN2.
The Colonels are visiting Manhattan for a second time as the Wildcats earned a 49-14 victory in 2019. The Wildcats and Cougars are meeting for the first time ever on the gridiron, while Kansas State is facing a current member of the new-look Pac-12 for the first time since it played at Fresno State in 2007. This year marks the third time in the last five seasons that K-State takes on the Green Wave. After dropping a 17-10 decision in Manhattan in 2022, the Wildcats earned a 34-27 victory in New Orleans in 2024.
In addition to the game time and television designations for the first three games, ESPN also announced that it will air K-State's October 24 game at Arizona State on one of its family of networks. A kick time and exact television designation will be announced at a later date.
Time/TV for Select 2026 K-State Football Games (All Times Central)
| Date | Opponent | Time | TV |
| Sept. 5 | Nicholls | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Sept. 12 | Washington State | 11 a.m. | TNT/HBO Max |
| Sept. 19 | Tulane | 11 a.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oct. 24 | at Arizona State | TBA | ESPN Network* |
* Time and exact TV designation will be announced at a later date
