Elite college football is returning to Kansas City this fall as the University of Kansas will host two games at Children’s Mercy Park and four games at Arrowhead Stadium. This marks the end of a nine-year hiatus since DI football was played in Kansas City.

Kansas is playing off-campus in 2024 due to a complete rebuild of David Boothe Memorial Stadium. Led by star quarterback Jalon Daniels, the Jayhawks have hopes that his injury issues are behind him and he can help KU contend for the Big 12 title for the first time since 2008.

The season starts with Kansas hosting Lindenwood and UNLV with both non-conference games being Children’s Mercy Park’s first-ever DI football games. The KU-UNLV game will be a rematch of last year’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, which KU won 49-36 for the program’s first bowl victory since 2008.

Stars from across the Big 12 Conference will visit GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to play the Kansas Jayhawks, who have been ranked No. 22 by AP’s Preseason Poll. All four conference games will be at Arrowhead Stadium with TCU, Houston, Iowa State and Colorado visiting. The home finale against Colorado will be a big draw as Lance Leipold’s resurrected Kansas team matches up against Deion Sanders’ stylish side for the first time since Colorado’s return to the conference.

History of DI Football at Arrowhead Stadium

While Arrowhead Stadium has been the home of the Kansas City Chiefs since opening in 1971, the venue has hosted some college football games in its storied past.

The Big 12 championship was played at Arrowhead five times between 2000 and 2008. Oklahoma was in that game all five years, winning it four times. Colorado was one of Oklahoma’s victims of Arrowhead, losing the Big 12 championship 42-3 in 2004. Kansas State’s 2003 success was the only time the Sooners lost after Oklahoma beat K-State in 2000. Missouri and Nebraska were also victims to Oklahoma’s dominance at Arrowhead.

Kansas does have some history at Arrowhead Stadium, although not many good memories. The famous Kansas-Missouri Border War rivalry was hosted at Arrowhead from 2007 to 2011. It was the return of the rivalry to Kansas City for the first time since the rivalry went to the college campuses after 1910.

In the first 10 rivalry games played in Kansas City, the Jayhawks recorded six wins, two losses and three ties. KU did not do well when the Border War went to Arrowhead, going just 1-4 in those matchups. The Jayhawks’ only Border War success at Arrowhead came in 2008 when they beat Mizzou 40-37 after the Jayhawks lost to the Tigers when both were ranked top-five in 2007.

KU Football in Kansas City

Kansas City has been a great home away from home for the University of Kansas for many years. The KU basketball program plays regular season and postseason games annually in downtown Kansas City.

That hasn’t been the case for KU football. While there has been dozens of games in Kansas City over the years, it has not been on a regular basis. Kansas football first played in Kansas City all the way back in 1890, when they lost 19-10 against Kansas City YMCA. The program played a total of 31 times in Kansas City until 1910, tallying 16 wins, 11 losses and four ties.

After nearly a century away from Kansas City, KU football finally made its return and inaugural visit to Arrowhead Stadium in 2005 as they suffered a 19-3 loss to Oklahoma. The only other times Kansas has played at Arrowhead were the Border War showdowns between 2007 and 2011.

In total, Kansas has a record of 17 wins, 21 losses and four ties while playing in Kansas City entering the 2024 season.

2024 Kansas Football Home Schedule

• Aug 29 (Thu) 7 p.m. CT vs Lindenwood – Kansas City, Kan. Children’s Mercy Park
• Sep 13 (Fri) 6 p.m. CT vs UNLV – Kansas City, Kan. Children’s Mercy Park
• Sep 28 (Sat) TBA vs TCU – Kansas City, Mo. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
• Oct 19 (Sat) TBA vs Houston – Kansas City, Mo. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
• Nov 9 (Sat) TBA vs Iowa State – Kansas City, Mo. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
• Nov 23 (Sat) TBA vs Colorado – Kansas City, Mo. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium