Fresh off wrapping up its spring slate at Minnesota on Sunday, the Kansas soccer team turned its focus to the fall and released its 2024 schedule Wednesday morning.
It will be the Jayhawks’ first season under new head coach Nate Lie, who came to KU from Xavier in the offseason. Mark Francis retired in October after 25 seasons at the helm.
It will also serve as KU’s introduction to the latest iteration of the Big 12 Conference, which will lose Texas and Oklahoma but add Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. The Jayhawks will face those newcomers as part of an 11-match conference schedule, up from 10 games played last year.
“I am excited for my first season coaching in this great conference,” Lie said in a press release. “We play all four of the newest teams to the conference and will face many different styles of play, climates and regions of the country. We look forward to the challenge!”
The schedule begins with an exhibition on the road at Arkansas and a pair of road matches to open the nonconference slate before the Jayhawks make their home debut against Tulsa on Aug. 22.
“Our upcoming fall 2024 schedule will be a true test for our group,” Lie said in the release. “From the beginning, starting with our exhibition at Arkansas, we will face experienced, mature teams – three of which competed in the NCAA Tournament last fall. Those experiences will prepare us well for Big 12 play.”
The conference opener, versus Iowa State on Sept. 12, is also at home.
Other notable dates on the schedule include a home game against Wichita-based Friends University, an NAIA school, on Sept. 15, followed by a trip back to Cincinnati for Lie on Sept. 19. Lie spent a decade in the city, first at UC and then with Xavier.
The Jayhawks will play the two Arizona schools back to back on Oct. 17 and Oct. 20 before wrapping up their conference slate with the Sunflower Showdown in Manhattan on Oct. 25. Last year, Kansas State was the only team KU beat during league play.
The Big 12 tournament is taking place at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, this season.
Full schedule
Aug. 5: at Arkansas (exh.), 7 p.m.
Aug. 15: at South Dakota State, 7 p.m.
Aug. 18: at Drake, 1 p.m.
Aug. 22: vs. Tulsa, 7 p.m.
Aug. 26: at Brown, 12 p.m.
Aug. 29: vs. South Florida, 7 p.m.
Sept. 1: vs. Gonzaga, 1 p.m.
Sept. 5: at Vanderbilt, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12: vs. Iowa State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 15: vs. Friends, 1 p.m.
Sept. 19: at Cincinnati, 6 p.m.
Sept. 22: at West Virginia, 12 p.m.
Sept. 26: vs. UCF, 6 p.m.
Sept. 29: at Colorado, 2 p.m.
Oct. 5: vs. Oklahoma State, 6 p.m.
Oct. 10: vs. BYU, 6 p.m.
Oct. 13: vs. Utah, 12 p.m.
Oct. 17: at Arizona, TBA
Oct. 20: at Arizona State, 3 p.m.
Oct. 25: at Kansas State, 7 p.m.
Courtesy of Kansas Athletics
