The 2026 college football season is on the horizon, and it couldn't come at a better time for Kansas State football. Soon enough, Bill Snyder Family Stadium will pack full of fans, and the joys of football season will commence.
The only caveat: trap games. If the Wildcats want any chance at success and a chance at a postseason berth, they'll have to avoid early slip-ups in these contests.
Landmines in Kansas State's schedule that even experts are overlooking
Conference matchups in the Big 12 aren't easy, and they don't get any easier for the Wildcats this season. What fans might be overlooking, however, is the nonconference schedule. The first spell of trouble lies against Tulane on Sep. 19.
Just because these two teams aren't in the same conference doesn't mean there isn't history here. The Green Wave came into The Bill back in 2022, escaping with a 17-10 victory, a rare loss for K-State that season. Both programs have only met three times since 1988 with the Wildcats winning their first 34-27 in 2024.
Tulane enters this season with its quarterback room held down by Houston transfer Zeon Chriss-Gremillion, a face no stranger to the levels of Big 12 competition. He only saw minimal snaps in 2025 playing behind Connor Weigman, and has a real chance of rewriting the narrative ahead of conference play.
Score prediction: Kansas State 21, Tulane 17
Buffaloes posing unique challenge
Playing Colorado on the road in Boulder is no easy task, and it certainly doesn't appear that way for Kansas State on Oct. 31. It’s a game the Wildcats have won back-to-back in the past two seasons, including once the road in 2024. That recent success can start to shape perception, but handling a matchup against Deion Sanders is no easy task.
And there's one important thing to remember here: this isn't the Colorado team with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Coach Prime is still around, and has his sights set on an entirely new group.
At receiver, Kansas State is tasked with guarding DeAndre Moore and Andre Williams, arguably one of the biggest deep-threat receiving duos to watch for throughout Spring ball. Give those guys an inch, and they're likely to take a mile and run all over the secondary.
Keep an eye out for this one, as it could likely mark the first or second loss on Kansas State's strenuous schedule next season.
Score prediction: Colorado 31, Kansas State 24
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