Wildcats after dark: K-State’s 2025 schedule is built for primetime drama

Kansas State will play all three of its non-conference games at night in 2025, following a Big 12 season opener overseas.

The Wildcats kick off the year against Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on Saturday, Aug. 23, in Dublin, Ireland. The game is set for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.

K-State returns to Manhattan the following week for its home opener against North Dakota on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. It will mark the first meeting between the two programs.

Late night non-con 📺 pic.twitter.com/RLbxvhGTyy
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) May 29, 2025

The Wildcats stay home for their second non-conference matchup, hosting Army on Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. It’s the first time the teams have played since 1987.

K-State wraps up non-conference play with a road trip to Arizona on Friday, Sept. 12.

The Wildcats and Wildcats kick off at 8 p.m. CT on FOX. The game is the second in a home-and-home series scheduled before Arizona joined the Big 12. K-State won the first meeting 31–7 in Manhattan last year.

Expectations are high entering the season. Kansas State opens 2025 ranked No. 12 in USA Today’s preseason poll and No. 16 in Joel Klatt’s post-spring Top 25.

The Wildcats went 9–4 last year, finishing 5–4 in Big 12 play and closing the season with a 44–41 win over Rutgers in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 26.