The start of the Collin Klein era at Kansas State Wildcats is officially coming into focus, as the Big 12 Conference and its broadcast partners have unveiled kickoff times and television assignments for the first three games of the 2026 football season setting the tone for a highly anticipated new chapter in Manhattan.
K-State will open the campaign under the lights on September 5 against Nicholls in a 6 p.m. kickoff, with the season opener streaming on ESPN+. The primetime slot marks an early spotlight opportunity for Klein’s debut season as head coach, as fans get their first look at the direction of the program under new leadership.
The following week, the Wildcats will step into a national television spotlight when they host Washington State on September 12 at 11 a.m., in a matchup airing on TNT/HBO Max. That game carries added intrigue as it marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs and a rare showdown with a current member of the reshaped Pac-12 landscape.
K-State will continue its early-season stretch of morning kickoffs on September 19, when it welcomes Tulane for another 11 a.m. clash broadcast on ESPN2. The matchup adds another layer to a growing series between the programs, as the Wildcats and Green Wave meet for the third time in five seasons. After falling 17–10 in Manhattan in 2022, Kansas State responded with a hard-fought 34–27 win in New Orleans in 2024, setting up another competitive chapter in the rivalry.
Beyond the opening three weeks, ESPN has also confirmed that Kansas State’s October 24 road game at Arizona State will air on one of its networks, with the exact kickoff time and channel still to be announced. That matchup is expected to be another key measuring point in the Wildcats’ Big 12 campaign.
The announcement also brings clarity for fans planning their fall schedules, as ticket information for the 2026 season is now set to roll out in phases. Members of the Ahearn Fund will receive an exclusive week-long presale starting June 16 at 5 p.m., before single-game tickets open to the general public on June 23.
With kickoff times now locked in and national broadcasts confirmed, anticipation is building quickly in Manhattan as Kansas State prepares to begin a new era under Klein — one defined early by national exposure, early morning tests, and a season-opening spotlight that will immediately reveal how the Wildcats measure up in 2026.
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