Kansas State football to face Big 12 newcomers UCF and Houston at home in 2023
Kansas State football fans will get an up-close look at two new Big 12 Conference opponents next season, but won't have any new travel destinations in 2023.
The Big 12 announced its league schedule Tuesday afternoon, and the Wildcats will face newcomers UCF and Houston at home. But the rest of the schedule, including four road games, are all against current conference members.
For those nostalgic for the original Big 12, K-State does travel to Columbia to take on Missouri in its final nonconference game on Sept. 16. The Tigers visited Manhattan last fall, with the Wildcats dominating, 40-12.
For the first time since opening the 2016 season at Stanford on a Friday, the Wildcats will play a regular-season weekday game when they take on Oklahoma State on Friday, Oct. 6 in Stillwater, following a bye week. Their last conference weekday game was on a Thursday when they played host to Baylor in 2015.
Absent from the 2023 schedule are current Big 12 members Oklahoma — which eventually will depart for the SEC along with Texas — and West Virginia, as well as newcomers Cincinnati and BYU. K-State opens the season with nonconference home games against Southeast Missouri on Sept. 2 and Troy on Sept. 9, before heading to Missouri.
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In a rare move by the league, K-State actually opens Big 12 play at home this fall, playing host to UCF on Sept. 23. The Wildcats won the only previous meeting between the teams, 17-10, in Manhattan in 2010.
The first conference road game is the Friday matchup at Oklahoma State, followed by a road trip to Lubbock, Texas, to face Texas Tech on Oct. 14. The Wildcats then have back-to-back home games on Oct. 21 against TCU, and Oct. 28 against newcomer Houston.
K-State goes on the road to Texas for a final time on Nov. 4, plays host to Baylor on Nov. 11 and travels to Lawrence for the Sunflower Showdown with Kansas on Nov. 18 before closing the regular season at home against Iowa State on Nov. 25.
The Wildcats are coming off a 10-4 season in which they beat TCU, 31-28, in overtime in the Big 12 championship game before falling to Alabama, 45-20, in the Sugar Bowl.
Kansas State 2023 schedule
Sept. 2 — Southeast Missouri
Sept. 9 — Troy
Sept. 16 — at Missouri
Sept. 23 — UCF
Oct. 6 — at Oklahoma State
Oct. 14 — at Texas Tech
Oct. 21 — TCU
Oct. 28 — Houston
Nov. 4 — at Texas
Nov. 11 — Baylor
Nov. 18 — at Kansas
Nov. 25 — Iowa State
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football schedule completed with Big 12 announcement
