Breaking down Kansas State’s 2023 Big 12 football schedule: Analysis and reaction
At long last, the Big 12 has announced its 2023 football schedule.
With four new teams joining the conference next season there are plenty of changes to go over, at least compared to the traditional round-robin scheduling format that the league has used for the past decade. Everyone is no longer playing everyone else in the Big 12.
How did the additions of BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF affect Kansas State’s schedule moving forward?
Let’s take a look. Here is a full breakdown of the games that the Wildcats will play next season, with analysis on them.
The Wildcats will start Big 12 play at home
K-State fans will have to find something else to complain about when it comes to next season’s conference schedule.
That’s right, the Wildcats are starting league play off with a home game for the first time since 2017.
The Wildcats will play host to Big 12 newcomer Central Florida on Sept. 23. That game will be a rematch of the last time the Golden Knights visited Bill Snyder Family Stadium in 2010 and K-State won 17-13.
For once, K-State will have an opportunity to get off to a strong start in league play with an early home game.
No new Big 12 road assignments
The Wildcats will have to wait to experience what a road game is like at BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. The Big 12 isn’t sending K-State away from home for a game with any of those new teams.
Instead, Chris Klieman’s squad will host UCF on Sept. 23 and later play Houston in Manhattan on October 28.
That should give K-State an advantage in those games. New environments can be difficult to prepare for. The Wildcats won’t hit the road for a new conference experience until at least 2024, when they would presumably make return trips to UCF and Houston.
Early bye week
Rest and injuries could be a concern for K-State as the season moves along. Why? The Wildcats will get their bye week early on in 2023.
K-State will play four games, get a week off and then finish off the season with eight straight games. Its bye week also won’t last quite as long as most. That’s because the Wildcats will play a Friday game at Oklahoma State on Oct. 6.
Two challenging road games
Much can change between now and when the games are played, but it appears as though one of the toughest matchups on K-State’s upcoming schedule is a road game against Texas Tech on Oct. 14.
The Red Raiders finished last season playing at a high level and return most of their team under coach Joey McGuire.
Playing them on the road will be a tough assignment for the Wildcats. The same could be said for a road game against Texas before the Longhorns leave the conference.
On the flip side, K-State will avoid a game against Oklahoma. Other Big 12 teams that won’t appear on the schedule: BYU, Cincinnati and West Virginia.
Ending the year with rivalries
K-State will finish the 2023 season with consecutive rivalry weeks.
The Wildcats will play at Kansas in their penultimate game of the season and then turn around and play host to Iowa State on senior day. Those two games coming on back-to-back Saturdays could add some flavor the schedule.
Kansas State’s 2023 Football Schedule
Sept. 2 - Southeast Missouri
Sept. 9 - Troy
Sept. 16 - at Missouri
Sept. 23 - UCF
Oct. 6 - at Oklahoma State (Friday)
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
This story was originally published January 31, 2023 at 1:38 PM.