As the Kansas football team recharges during its off week, there has been plenty of discussion surrounding its start to the season.
Unfortunately for Kansas, it’s not for the right reasons.
A team that started the season with Big 12 championship hopes is now on the verge of being eliminated from bowl contention.
The Jayhawks (1-5, 0-3 Big 12) have lost five straight games. It’s the longest losing streak since 2021 — coach Lance Leipold’s first season with the Jayhawks.
The Star sat down with Kansas athletic director Travis Goff on Friday, before Saturday’s loss at Arizona State , to discuss the state of Kansas football.
Goff spoke candidly about a season he said he’s “disappointed” in.
“Nobody’s expectations were to be in the position we are in,” Goff said. “I’m disappointed like anybody would be in that regard — just like Lance is, like every young man in our locker room is and all of our support staff coaches are. So there’s no ability for me to say, ‘No, no, no, there’s not a change in expectations.’ Absolutely disappointed in the current dynamic of 1-4 (now 1-5).
“Does that mean it’s changed anything about our belief in the program and obviously the coaching staff and Lance at the forefront or any of the men in the program? I love those guys more this week than I did when we were 0-0, and some were talking about us winning a Big 12 Championship. I love these guys more because I see how they go back to work, stay locked in, committed, and haven’t changed their approach.”
Goff told The Star he regularly meets with Leipold to discuss the team. He tries to stay consistent in his approach in bringing a positive viewpoint; Goff described himself as optimistic by nature.
That said, he noted he’s seen some negativity and frustration on social media, including some directed toward the players, coaching staff and even himself.
“I thank them for being frustrated and being emotional and being disappointed because that means they really care and that means they believe in this football program,” Goff said. “They’ve bought in. They’ve been part of the support in investment in the really positive things that have occurred in the last couple of years.”
As for the idea that KU fans might start to shift their focus to basketball season, with Late Night in the Phog around the corner?
“I don’t feel like people are turning the page,” Goff said. “I feel like they are still emotionally invested. … I think plenty of them are still optimistic and believe in this program.”
Staff changes? Stadium progress?
Leipold said at a news conference last week that he wasn’t planning on making any major changes amid the difficult start.
KU fans shouldn’t expect any from Goff within the program either, at least at this time.
“I wouldn’t speculate,” Goff said. “I’m aware of some of the levers of what could be around that, but certainly not an athletic director’s role. I mean, these are highly experienced, highly trusted, highly compensated professionals. They’re in those positions to make the right decisions to win football games. I’ve got complete and utter faith, trust and belief in any of the decisions that come out of that building.”
Goff also pushed back against the notion that the Jayhawks’ season will affect the re-opening of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium , as phase one of the renovations will finish in August.
“We’re opening what I think is going to be the best home field experience for fans and the best home field experience for our student-athletes on August 23, 2025,” Goff said. “Regardless of what happens tomorrow. Regardless of what happens the rest of the fall. It won’t change a single thing. It won’t change the broader university-wide vision for phase two of the project. That’s not overly reliant on wins.”
In the meantime, there’s also the question of ticket sales, as Kansas plays its remaining home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The listed attendance from KU’s home game vs. TCU was 47,928, a good number for home games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium but well short of the listed capacity of Arrowhead, which approaches 77,000.
Goff remains optimistic about attendance for upcoming home games against Houston on Oct. 19, Iowa State on Nov. 9 and Colorado on Nov. 23.
“We try to focus on people that are there,” he said. “When you look around a stadium — I don’t let myself think about the people that aren’t there. I look around and go, ‘Man, these people are awesome. Look at the fire, the passion, the sacrifice, allocating an entire Saturday, spending real money to support this thing.”
The future of Kansas football
Ultimately, Goff believes in the direction Kansas football is heading, no matter the outcome of this season.
“It’s impossible for us to fall back to where we’ve been because we’ve solidified a foundation and we’ve raised the floor in a huge way,” he said. “The cracks in this program that have been longstanding here have been addressed and tackled. Now, that doesn’t guarantee wins every weekend, but it guarantees we won’t fall back.”
The Jayhawks, before Leipold’s arrival, went 11 straight years without surpassing three wins in a season.
“That facility and that investment and those cranes over there are one of the most tangible ways you can demonstrate it,” Goff said. “The University of Kansas believes in football. Forget about an athletic director or athletic department — the University of Kansas believes in football and its value. ...
“If we are being honest, I don’t know — (saying this) as a KU alum — that the broader university has fully ever supported or understood the importance. … We’ve got to do that with consistency and continuity.”
For that, Goff said he understands the disappointment of the current season given the team’s 1-5 start.
“I expect our people to be disappointed (in that),” Goff said, “and if they are not, they’re not invested in it.”
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