• 🏀 Hearings: The Darryn Peterson situation continues

• 📝 Quick Links: National media chimes in after Peterson sits most of second half (again)

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Hearings: The Darryn Peterson Explanations 

There’s a lack of clarity around Darryn Peterson right now — and it just created a national media firestorm.

Stephen A. Smith this morning: “What the hell is going on with you?”

Jay Williams called Peterson an “extreme concern” for NBA GMs. Mark Titus suggested Peterson will have to explain all of this to front offices one way or another. Everyone has an opinion. Almost nobody has information.

I’m not even sure Bill Self has been equipped with the right information.

Catch up on how we got here: The Darryn Peterson Situation (Part 1)

I’ve Heard most of KU’s frustration has compounded from being genuinely surprised. I’m Hearing there have been multiple games where Self expected - and prepped - for Peterson to play when he didn’t. 

Look at Self’s words: 

Oct. 24 (Louisville postgame):

“Second half [Darryn] just couldn't move. Whenever he says he needs to come out, you know he needs to.”

Oct. 27 (Day before Fort Hays St):

"I don't think that we've quite remedied the situation yet. That's gonna be a big deal, if your best player can't finish games because of cramping or whatever it would be. So we've gotta figure that out."

Oct. 28 (Fort Hays St. pregame):

"Darryn will not start tonight because he didn't practice yesterday, just because he hasn't felt well. He's not really cramping, but he's like got a little bug or something."

Oct. 28 (Fort Hays St. postgame):

"He's dealing with the cramping stuff, but I think you know that, and not feeling well physically."

Oct. 31 (before Green Bay):

"He's fine. He practiced today at full speed. So I certainly don't anticipate holding him anymore from this point forward, you know, unless something else happens."

Nov. 3 (Green Bay postgame - cramps return):

"Once again, we couldn't really play him much second half at all. He said he felt it coming on."

Nov. 5 (Before UNC):

"It's concerning. We're not going to be nearly as effective with him playing 16 minutes a game. But it's something that we don't anticipate being anything that lasts... feel like we're in better shape than we were, obviously, a week ago."

Nov. 11 (Day before TAMU-CC):

"Everybody's practiced the last two days, so I haven't been overly concerned with that. I don't see a major issue moving forward."

Nov. 12 (TAMU-CC postgame):

"His hamstring was tight this morning. I'm not going to risk that. Hopefully, it's precautionary... We didn't anticipate this."

November 24 (Syracuse postgame):

“I’m hopeful soon.”

Dec 2 (UConn postgame):

“He is very close.”

Dec 22 (Davidson postgame):

“He will be [ready].”

Jan 24 (Kansas State postgame):

“I don’t see any reason that he couldn’t play (vs BYU).”

Jan 31 (BYU postgame):

“He’ll get that back quickly.”

Feb 12 (day before Iowa State):

“He’s got a string of bad luck.”

Feb. 18 (Oklahoma State postgame):

“We thought we were past it.”

When Self says “we thought we were past it” or “I didn’t anticipate that tonight at all,” it’s not just coach-speak. That’s where the frustration lives. And Self has struggled to completely hide it while also trying to protect — and push —  maybe the best player he’ll ever coach. That balancing act between protection, demand, and surprise has contributed to the mixed messaging all season.

Help Spread the Word ‼️

You can help support my work by telling your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

The national media went off on Peterson after Wednesday’s drama

🏀 TNT Sports: “Why even be a part of [March Madness]?” if you’re going to load manage

🏀 ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt: “It makes people wonder, not about his talent, but about those intangibles…”

🏀 Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh debate: Should NBA evaluators be concerned with Darryn Peterson’s game?

🏀 CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone: Darryn Peterson's latest exit borders on indefensible

🎙️ Could be Wrong Pod available on Spotify and Apple.

👕 This 1990’s style KU jacket from Homefield is legit unreal.

• 🔒🏀 VIP: Tyran Stokes Update

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

VIP ONLY: KU HOOPS RECRUITING HEARING

Kansas is still the favorite for 2026 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes.

But over the last few days, I’ve started Hearing enough to say this:

It’s no longer a sure thing.

If you’re a VIP subscriber and need to update your account, hit the link here.

If you’re not VIP, this is one of those moments. Jump in.👇

• 🏀 Melvin Council’s possible path to one more year

• 📝 Quick Links: Paul Pierce returning for Gameday?

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

The Big Melvin Council Eligibility Question

You've been asking, so I went digging.

Could we get one more year of The Dawg in The Phog?

The answer isn’t straightforward, and we’ll know more soon, but yes, Melvin Council has a real shot at another year of eligibility. I just wouldn’t call it likely. At least not yet.

The quick answer: Council doesn't automatically have another year, but he does have a path. A February 10 court ruling could pressure the NCAA into issuing a waiver — or open the door for Council to challenge the rule himself.

This is what I’m Hearing after speaking with multiple eligibility and amateurism experts:

Why Council is eligible this season:

By the numbers, Council had already exhausted his four years of eligibility before his season at Kansas with two JUCO seasons and two D1 seasons.

He’s playing this year because the NCAA issued a one-time blanket waiver after Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, a former JUCO player, won a federal court ruling challenging whether JUCO years should count toward eligibility.

Essentially, the NCAA lost in court and avoided a flurry of copycat cases by going broad: granting a one-time extra year for seniors who played JUCO and exhausted their eligibility after the 2024-25 season.

Without that one-time waiver, we wouldn’t have 15,300 fans barking in Allen Fieldhouse.

This season was expected to be the last of Council’s college career. February 10 could change that.

📌 Circle this date: February 10

That’s when the same federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments involving a group of players who joined Pavia’s case in challenging the JUCO eligibility rule again.

With the same judge and same core argument, there’s a decent chance he rules the same way.

Here’s the thing KU fans should understand: Even if the judge extends relief, the ruling would only apply to the named plaintiffs. Council isn’t one of them.

So a favorable decision wouldn't automatically give every JUCO player an extra year. But it would put pressure back on the NCAA.

🌳 The real decision tree

There are three paths forward for Council after February 10.

1) NCAA goes blanket again
The players win their case and the NCAA decides it's easier to go broad with a blanket waiver again rather than fight the courts. It’s the cleanest route to Council getting another season, if he wants it.

2) Council challenges the NCAA
The players win their case, but the NCAA doesn’t offer a blanket waiver. Council would need to file his own challenge, or his college career ends here.

3) No extension granted, no new waivers
The players aren’t granted an extra year and the traditional eligibility rules are applied. This season stands alone as a one-off. Council could theoretically still file his own lawsuit, but he’d be starting from scratch with murky timelines and outcomes.

That's it. No secret fourth option, but there are other cases to keep an eye on. UNLV linebacker Tatuo Martinson, who played two years in JUCO, recently won an injunction in Nevada federal court. The NCAA has appealed, with a hearing scheduled for mid-March (we can deal with that one when it comes).

🤓 My best read

Council has a legitimate shot at getting another year, but nothing is decided and nothing is guaranteed. His best shot depends almost entirely on whether the NCAA decides avoiding chaos and copycat lawsuits is worth issuing a blanket waiver again.

That’s a heavier lift than last time. The first waiver was damage control. A second one starts to look like a policy direction, and the NCAA historically hates being forced into that.

I’m Hearing the NCAA has signaled internally that there’s no appetite for extending another blanket waiver. But that was the expectation last time, too — until the court’s ruling forced their hand.

Council got one more year because the NCAA blinked. Whether he gets another depends on if they blink again, or if The Dawg decides to fight for it himself.

Quick favors that help KUHearings

If this was useful, forward this email to one Jayhawk friend (that’s how this grows) or pass it along to your KU group texts by copy and pasting this link.

Got a Hearing? Send it to KUHearings@gmail.com or DM me.

Thanks the VIP community members who help make this site possible — and share information like this with each other on a regular basis.

🏀 Watch Paul Pierce hit the Rock Chalk chant with Kevin Garnett while talking about coming back to Lawrence for KU vs. BYU.

🏀 The line of students showing up at 6am to camp for BYU is insane. This is a good one to show your non-Jayhawk friends.

🏀 Melvin Council talks about his journey to KU and the origins of his “dawg” mentality in this 25 minutes podcast.

🏀 KU released details for College GameDay here.

🏈 Jalon Daniels throws an absolute dart on the run in Shrine Bowl practice. Daniels received some love for his showing.

🏀 Watch Darryn Peterson go OFF for 58 points and hit a game winner against AJ Dybansta last year. Skip to the game winner by clicking here.

• 🏀 Quick Self & Peterson Update

• 📸 New Phase 2 renderings for The Booth

• 🏈 Jayhawks football schedule released

• 📝 Quick Links: Self’s presser, Jacque’s postgame joke

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Before getting into the renderings, a quick Bill Self and Darryn Peterson update after Self’s press conference on Thursday.

🏀 Bill Self said there’s no “impact at all moving forward” after AFib (an irregular heartbeat) kept him from joining the team in Boulder.

🏀 Self also said Peterson has a ‘pretty severe ankle sprain’ and they don’t know yet if he can play vs. Kansas State on Saturday.

There’s a link at the bottom of this email where you can watch his entire press conference.

Hearings: Breaking Down Phase 2 Renderings

The new Phase 2 renderings are out, and for the first time, fans are reacting to KU’s clear plan for finishing the stadium rebuild.

These are the most detailed images we’ve seen so far, and judging by early fan reaction, they’re also the most polarizing (the bar was set pretty damn high from Phase 1).

I’ve got a few Hearings to help us go beyond the images to better understand KU’s plan for Phase 2.

The original 2023 rendering with a closed end zone

And yes, the south end zone is a significant change from the original plan. But the rest may not be as different as you think.

Here’s what stands out on first glance:

• Bench and premium seating dominate the east side
  Season ticket holders get benches with backs. Students remain on standard benches. Chairbacks stay concentrated on the west side, with the East Premium section as the exception.

• The south end zone remains open
  The bowl does not fully close, as expected. KU students and the band will fill in the bleacher-seating structure on the south end zone.

• Priority seating allocation is now clear
  This helps explain why it played such a central role in the design.

  • First priority: $100K+ pledge by Jan. 31

  • Second: Donors who gave $1M+ for Phase 1

  • Next: Annual Williams Fund giving, then lifetime giving

Hearings that aren’t obvious from the renderings:

• That opening at midfield isn’t premium seating
  The carved-out space behind the visitor bench is part of the new field-level concourse and bar. It’s open to anyone in attendance, which isn’t obvious from the images alone.

• The south end zone will probably get closed off (at some point)
  I keep Hearing that a full closure is still the long-term vision, but KU wants to prove sustained demand first. It should eventually happen.

• Bench seating built to change
  I’m also Hearing the lower bowl was designed so benches can be replaced with chairbacks later if KU decides the demand is there. For now, benches allow for increased stadium capacity, which sits just over 41,000.

• On moving the band and some students south

  The thinking is it should actually increase stadium noise. Sound will reflect from the north bowl back onto the field instead of escaping out the open end.
  Also, more programs (and conferences) are moving students away from the visitor benches.

• The east side isn’t shorter than planned
  Some fans have asked whether Phase 2 came in shorter than expected. I’m Hearing there’s no change to the overall height of the east side structure. The main difference comes from the wheat lights scaling down to be proportional with the west.

• You can see KU's updated description of the project here.

• And the full set of new renderings here.

Help Spread the Word:

Share the renderings with your friends by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

2026 Football Schedule Released

KU dropped its full 2026 schedule yesterday. Here's what you need to know:

• The hard part: This schedule does KU no favors. One bye week, then nine straight games from October 3 through November 28. The opening stretch is brutal — Mizzou Week 2, then Arizona State in London.

• The big home game: Missouri comes to Lawrence for the first time since 2005. The Tigers have won four straight in this rivalry. Week 2 is circled.

• The big road stretch opens with road games at Utah and Kansas State. Both programs have new coaches, but those are still tough environments to play before Halloween.

• The home finale: BYU visits on November 21 — The Athletic has them at No. 9 in their early rankings. Could be a big one.

The full slate:

Share the schedule by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🏀 Watch Jacque Vaughn’s great line about Peterson’s bank shot in Vaughn’s postgame presser. (Instagram link to watch.. and give the KUHearings page a follow!)

🏀 See Vaughn’s full post-game presser after the Colorado win

🏀 Check out this 30 second clip of KU commit Tay Kinney scoring 33 points

🏀 And watch Self’s full press conference here, discussing his health and KU’s play

Bill Self Hospitalized, Feeling Better

Bill Self is “feeling better” after being taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital earlier Monday, according to a statement released by Kansas Athletics.

Kansas said Self was feeling under the weather and received IV fluids.

Local Fire and Medical dispatch records include a call to Allen Fieldhouse at approximately 3:55 p.m. CT that was categorized by dispatch as “chest pain.” (As with any dispatch traffic, the initial description reflects what responders are sent for and can differ from the final medical assessment.)

Self did not travel with the team for Tuesday’s game vs. Colorado.

“Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self felt under the weather earlier today and, out of an abundance of caution, was taken to LMH Health where he received IV fluids,” per the statement. “He is feeling better but did not accompany the team to Boulder.”

Full statement from KUAthletics is here.

Self has had multiple publicized medical episodes in recent years.

In March 2023, Self was hospitalized with chest tightness and balance concerns the night before the Big 12 Tournament. He had two stents placed for blocked arteries and missed the conference tournament before returning for the NCAA Tournament.

In July 2025, Self was again transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital after experiencing concerning symptoms. Two additional stents were inserted. He was released two days later.

• 🏈 Exclusive: First look at Phase 2

• 🏈 KU lands two major transfer portal commits

• 📝🏈 Quick Links: KU hoops players having fun again

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

First Look: A New Phase 2 Rendering

I’ve obtained a Phase 2 seating-bowl rendering for the rebuilt David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium that hasn’t been publicly released.

Until now, fans were seeing a less-granular “concept” version of Phase 2: basically two plain tiers, a clean south end zone, and not much detail.

I’m Hearing a bigger announcement with more polished, updated renderings is coming soon. But this still reflects what KU is actually building, and it’s the clearest picture yet of Phase 2.

You can really start to fill in the blanks now.

NOTE: If you know someone who cares about the stadium, feel free to forward this email or send this link their way!

First look at Phase 2

Comparing the original rendering with the obtained version

New capacity Hearings: 41,052

This is the first time I’ve Heard a specific number, and this lands firmly within the expected range. Memorial held 47,233 before the teardown. But KU is building for demand + revenue vs. a capacity number for optics.

I even wrote back in August that capacity was trending closer to ~40,000 (call it ~42,000, give or take). ✅

I’m Hearing any future expansion, if it the demand warrants it, would come via the south end zone.

The south end zone stays open (w/ some student seats + the band)

I reported in August that KU isn’t closing the bowl, like the initial concepts suggested. This new rendering backs that up.

KU isn’t wrapping The Booth into a full horseshoe. At least not yet.

And I’m Hearing a portion of KU student seats and the Kansas band will move into this section, away from their old spot right behind the visiting team’s bench.

And I do believe KU wants to close the bowl. It just needs to see things continue to go well here first.

Translation: KU chose to make the east side as impressive as the west now, rather than splitting Phase 2 money between the east build + full enclosure.

Trade-off: More premium seats today with flexibility later vs. full closure now.

The East Premium “mega suite” is real

Premium seats in yellow

The distinct section outlined in yellow on the east side around midfield is newer concept, and a big win for KU Athletics.

I’m hearing the plan here is for 700–750 premium seats in a larger, open “mega suite” club space — less like traditional boxed suites, more like an premium experience and social section.

Fewer walls, more movement, and more space is all where stadium design is currently trending. And KU leaned right in.

Why this matters

Premium inventory is where the money lives now, and KU already got proof of concept in Phase 1.

• Sports Business Journal reported KU already generated $187M in capital commitments from premium ticket (vs. early $127M projections).

• The west side’s premium inventory (~3,000 seats) essentially sold out.

  • Before the project, the old stadium had ~650 premium seats total.

If Phase 2 adds another ~750, The Booth lands around ~3,750 premium seats all-in, good for nearly 6x what existed before demolition.

That’s one of the big stories of this renovation: capacity down, premium experiences up, and revenue way up.

The subtle design refinements you can actually see

These are the kind of tweaks you get when a project is actually being engineered, not just marketed.

• The wheat stalks are shorter on the east side. Earlier concepts had them towering to match the west side. This version balances both sides better with improved proportions off different deck hights.

• The corners are tighter. You can see more “filled-in” seating at the NE/SE corners than the original concept implied. It’s still not a wraparound, but it appears more connected.

What I’m watching for next

This rendering is still a high-level view of Phase Two.

I’d expect KU to see something closer to the Phase I rendering release, with more views and details on what the premium seating section will look like, along with the south end zone, maybe some concourse concepts, and a better feel from the corners.

I expect some of these details to look slightly tweaked from the rendering I shared above.

And at some point in the future we’ll get a better look at the rest of the Gateway Project: The Plaza, hotel, entertainment district, and parking structure underneath.

All of these pieces add up to the year-round, campus-facing “front door” for the University.

Big picture

While there are material changes, this first real look shows we’re not getting a dramatic swerve from what KU projected early on.

• Capacity: Hearing 41,052

• South end zone: open

• (Portion of) students and band: seats moving to the south end zone.

• Premium east midfield: a major new inventory play

This is the stadium KU football is going to live in for the foreseeable future.

And Phase 2 is the moment where the “New Booth” becomes fully real.

Quick favors that help KUHearings

If this was useful, forward this email to one Jayhawk friend (that’s how this grows) or pass it along to your KU group texts by copy and pasting this link.

Got a Hearing? Send it to KUHearings@gmail.com or DM me.

Two Major Portal Commits

The Jayhawks picked up two big ones for its offense on Sunday.

Both players will compete for significant playing time and bring explosiveness to an efficient offense that struggled to create game-breaking plays.

1) RB Dylan Edwards, from Kansas State (!), 2 years remaining

• Former 4-star recruit out of Derby, KS — the No. 2 player in the state

  • Ranked as the No. 19 RB in On3's industry rankings

• 2024 at K-State: 546 rushing yds at 7.4 yds per carry, 7 total TDs

• 2025: Injured in Week 0, played only 4 games, redshirted

  • Rushed for 166 yds vs. UCF in KSU's 3rd game

  • The injury + transfer is controversial among KSU fans

• Watch this 75-yard TD run 👇

Twitter tweet

2) QB Chase Jenkins, from Rice, 2 years remaining

• QB starter for every game in 2025 after converting to WR in 2024

• 2025 stats: 69.2% completion rate, 1,025 passing yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs

  • Also a runner: 151 carries, 531 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs

• Became just the fifth QB in Rice history to throw for 1,000+ and rush for 500+ in the same season

• Enters a QB competition with Cole Ballard and Zeke Marshall

  • This pickup has Andy Kotelnicki written all over it.

Twitter tweet

Once again… Got a Hearing? Send it to KUHearings@gmail.com or DM me.

🏀 This is a great quick vid of Flory Bidguna and Darryn Peterson giving each other love and dapping up in KU’s postgame presser after Baylor

🏀 Check out KU 5-star commits Tay Kinney and Javon Bardwell connecting for the long-range alley-oop👇

🏀 Watch this 15 minute breakdown of Peterson versatile scoring show vs. Baylor 👇

❤️💙 If you’re able, please consider helping Robin Ward after the passing of her husband, longtime KU athletic advisor Scooter Ward.

You can read more and donate here.

Twitter tweet

• 🏀 Quickie on Darryn Peterson

• 🏈 Hearings: New Stadium Details for Phase II.

• 📝 Quick Links: Self speaks and Booth torn down

• 🔒 Hearings: No VIP today. Working on Peterson & football staff

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Quickie on Darryn Peterson

I know everyone's asking for info on Peterson… I mean, same here. Sharing a quick update for now.

I'm Hearing (and I think it’s becoming clear): Bill Self has been frustrated with Peterson's camp — and the camp is making the decisions.

But Self’s not upset with Peterson himself, who has still been practicing and working with the team.

Self addressed it (kind of) after last night's game:

“We're in agreement with the family that he should not play until he feels good,” Self said. “I'm not inside his head or his body… But he wants to be out there. He's just not quite ready.”

Injury Hearings are tough to nail, and this one's been a moving target. I want you to know I’m working on it.

It’s still only December. But Big 12 play is up next.

Hearing: Major Plans Emerging for Phase II

Shared via Travis Goff’s X account

The remaining old side of The Booth has been knocked down, and I'm Hearing new Phase II renderings should be shared soon. Before your group text turns into an architecture forum, here's what I'm Hearing.

The big stuff:

• Additional sections in the corners: Tightening the bowl without a full wraparound, as I’ve shared before here.

• Gateway Plaza got more ambitious: And $15 million more expensive.

• No upper concourse: Just lower-level and a middle concourse. This one's going to generate some takes and some getting used to.

• A hotel partner has landed: With a club area likely connecting directly to the stadium.

• More bathrooms: Your feedback was heard.

The overall renderings shouldn’t be dramatically different from the original ones. But where KU chose to spend tells you a lot about the future of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Gateway Plaza Is a Major Investment

I'm Hearing this is shaping up as one of the most significant — and expensive — parts of the entire Gateway Stadium project.

The Gateway Plaza, a large outdoor space just outside the east side of the stadium with a parking podium beneath it, now carries an estimated cost of about $70 million, according to plans KU shared with the Kansas Board of Regents. That's roughly $15 million higher than what KU shared with the City of Lawrence back in August.

You can see the location in these preliminary concept plans below (note the video boards). Again, these are older renderings for conceptualizing the location more than anything.

Location of the Plaza area

I’m Hearing the current plan extends from the stadium out into the plaza, preserving a path to the hill, and creates a game-day entrance and in-game gathering area anchored by a video board.

Outside of games, that same space flips into an open event venue that can host concerts and other programming throughout the year.

Building all of this on top of a parking structure adds real cost — structure, circulation, gates, utilities, and event-ready infrastructure — but it also explains why KU leaned in instead of trimming it back.

This is the part of Phase II designed to work year-round, and it's where the project clearly became more ambitious than originally planned.

The Mega Suite & Bar

Red arrow = Approximate Mega Suite location

Instead of multiple individual suites, KU is going with one large “mega suite” premium patio space and bar.

Fewer walls. More flexibility. More social energy.

This aligns with modern stadium design trends — less private-box culture, more communal premium experiences.

No Upper Concourse — Just Lower + Middle

This will feel odd at first.

There will be a lower concourse and a middle concourse with no dedicated upper concourse.

Expect some early congestion on that middle concourse — but I’d assume people will adapt over time.

A Club Area Tied Directly to the Hotel

There will be a club/donor area directly connected to the hotel. Think of how the Debruce Center works on gamedays for hoops.

That matters for game-day access, year-round events, and premium hospitality.

This is another part of the project that goes beyond seating and ties the stadium into the broader Gateway vision.

South End Zone = Room to Build (One Day)

The south end zone will not fully connect the bowl, a choice KU made in order to make the East side as nice as possible.

I’m Hearing this is where KU could eventually expand capacity (should it have reason to expand).

Phase II is being built with future growth in mind, not boxing itself in.

Restrooms: KU Heard the Feedback

After this season’s feedback — I’m Hearing bathroom size and capacity are being actively addressed in Phase II.

KU is doing what it can to improve the experience, and even looking into how it can improve the Phase I concourses.

Sadly, no troughs will be included.

Corner Seating & Lower Wheat Lights

Compared to earlier plans, additional seating sections are being added in the corners in lieu of the connected south end zone.

It's not a full wraparound, but it tightens the bowl visually and improves continuity without ballooning scope or cost.

And one other detail people would have noticed had it not changed:

The east-side wheat lights will be shorter, so they won't look much taller than the west side the way earlier concepts suggested (with different heights for each side).

The Big Picture

Phase II is about closing the gap between east and west — and building into the rest of campus.

This is more complex than Phase I. It involves more partners. A developer. And different cost trade offs.

But it appears KU is leaning toward long-term flexibility, premium revenue, and a campus-facing front door that works year-round.

It may take a while, but when people experience the Gateway Plaza, I think (and hope) it'll all click.

Help Spread the Word ‼️

You can help support my work by by sharing today’s Hearings with your friends or upgrading to VIP. And thank you for your continued support. We’re building this thing together.

🏀 Watch Bill Self’s and KU’s press conference after Davidson. This is the first time he acknowledged Peterson’s family calling the shots.

🚜 These two videos of The Booth coming down are a must watch. It’s wild to see.

Twitter tweet

Instagram post

🏀 Watch KU commits Tay Kinney and Javon Bardwell connect for an alley oop.

• 🏀 Hearings: KU football will play through major construction

• 📝 Quick Links: Bill Self previews NC State & Darryn Peterson

• 🔒 Hearings: KU football & Andy Kotelnicki

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

🏈 Hearing: KU Football Will Play Through Heavy Construction in 2026

It’ll be another new-look season for Kansas football next year, but not in the sleek-renderings-come-to-life way fans experienced this season. Next season is looking a bit messier at The Booth.

I’m Hearing The Booth’s capacity will be around 30,000 next year (maybe a tick higher) as the Jayhawks will play through major construction in 2026.  

This is what I’m Hearing:

The Big Picture

Phase 2 is all about the east and south sides for KU football, along with KU’s Gateway area — a key point in understanding the broader scope of this second round of construction that won’t be finished when KU kicks off.

• East side lower bowl: fully completed. Fans will have real seats, not temporary bleachers.

• East side upper bowl: still under construction. I don’t anticipate KU fans in the upper deck on the east side.

• Concessions + restrooms: temporary. Portable units, pop-up stands, the whole deal. Functional, but that’s it.

• Parking on the east side: a headache. The lot and surrounding area will be torn up most of the season. I think it’s gonna be gnarly over there.

• And stadium capacity is expected to be around ~30,000 for 2026. That’s the rough number with the East upper bowl offline and temporary infrastructure in place.

• One wrinkle I’m Hearing: students are getting moved — to the Northeast corner and part of the South End Zone.

  • The trade-off:

    • New location + end zone seating for students…

    • Stronger atmosphere down low. Students closer to the field is a win every time.

    • I’m not certain this is the long-term layout, but I think it’s more likely than not if it goes well.

The Bottom Line

KU Athletics has planned to play through construction for a while. I don’t think it’s a surprise internally. And Travis Goff has said it publicly before.

But I’m not sure fans understood the scope of the construction that’ll take place during next season.

This obviously isn’t ideal, but it isn’t unusual, either. Northwestern spent multiple seasons in a 20,000-seat temporary facility. KU could’ve played with a one-sided stadium this fall.

Instead, they’re choosing a mostly intact game-day environment — even if it comes with dust, dirt, and some temporary bathrooms.

From what I’m Hearing, KU is getting close to releasing public Phase 2 details. I’m also working on more specifics to share with you soon.

Help Spread the Word ‼️

You can help support my work by by sharing today’s Hearings with your friends or upgrading to VIP. And thank you for your continued support. We’re building this thing together.

🏀 Watch Bill Self’s press conference previewing NC State and discussing Darryn Peterson’s practices.

🎙️ The best KU fan podcast on the planet “Could be Wrong Pod” was live after the Mizzou game breaking down how the Jayhawks are starting to look DANGEROUS. Audio is also available on Spotify and Apple.

🏀 Watch this 30 minute deep dive breaking down the film from Peterson’s return for the Jayhawks.

🎁 Last day for 10% off these laser-cut KU LED signs and handcrafted puzzles: KUHearings sponsor Mass Scott’s is offering KUhearings subscribers can get 10% off through Dec. 12. You’ll also get a free KU basketball puzzle ($60 value) with purchases over $250+.
Use Promo Code: MIKEV for 10% off and the gift.

A quick Hearing on where things stand with KU football staffing decisions and former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki .

There’s a lot to work through — but conversations are happening.

• 🎟️ UConn ticket giveaway!

• 🎁 Jayhawk holiday gift guide

• 🔒 VIP: Darryn Peterson Hearing

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

🔒 VIP Today: KU-UConn Ticket Giveaway & Darryn Peterson Hearings

The latest Darryn Peterson intel is at the bottom of today's email. If you're a VIP subscriber and can't see it, you may need to update your payment info here.

🎟️ VIP Giveaway: KU-UConn Tickets I'm giving away 10 tickets to the UConn game as a holiday thank you — five VIP subscribers will each win a pair.

• If you're a VIP subscriber who can make the game, enter below!

• If you’re not a VIP subscriber, join 1,800+ KU fans and upgrade here.

🎁 One more thing... I bought KU Hoops season tickets this year, and I'm giving away a pair to a VIP subscriber to most home games this season! (reserving the right to attend a couple myself).

🎁 Jayhawk Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve never done one of these before, but I tried to think about easy ways to bring value to Kansas fans over the holidays — so here we go.

My first Jayhawks holiday gift guide.

There’s no theme or fancy curation strategy. This is just KU stuff I’ve genuinely enjoyed, or products that you sent my way earlier this week.

I don’t get paid per sale if you buy anything from the list below. For transparency: Homefield is an exclusive, multi-year sponsor and partner of KUhearings, but I don’t benefit directly on a per sale basis.

This is just me sharing things I’d recommend to another Jayhawk, which is what this newsletter has always been about.

Did I miss something great? Comment below or reply to this email.

1. KU gear from Homefield Apparel is 30% off this week. Their biggest sale of the year ends Monday: My favorite KU clothing brand and an exclusive, paid sponsor for the KUHearings newsletter. They just made the pre-game party in NYC possible, where we absolutely packed a bar ahead of KU-Duke (and we can’t wait for the next one).

Homefield Hearings KU party in NYC!

2. Authentic autographed Jayhawks memorabilia: I’m sharing a little KUHearings newsletter secret here: Most of the autographed giveaways from this newsletter have come from the great people at Jayhawk Autographs. Their autographed memorabilia has come in perfect condition every single time I’ve ordered from them.

3. Laser-cut KU LED signs and handcrafted puzzles: MassScotts has sponsored the newsletter before, and I’ve gotten great feedback from KU fans who purchased LED signs from them. KUhearings subscribers can get 10% off through Dec. 12 and a free KU basketball puzzle ($60 value) with all $250+ purchases.
   Use Promo Code: MIKEV for 10% off and the gift.

4. Bottle Opener made from James Naismith Court: Suggested by @Okie_Jayhawk on X.

5. Jayhawks drink sweaters/koozies: I love my KU drink sweaters. They’re a unique spin on the koozie — and I’ve gotten a lot of love when using them before. These are a fun and easy gift!

6. KU license plates from the KU Book Store website: Because we all want a “Rock Chalk” when driving around town.

7. Jayhawks cornhole game $100 off for Black Friday: Suggested by @FLRCJH on X. I thought it was a good add for the list, especially with the sale (though I haven’t used this specific one myself).

8. Beautiful prints from Drone Lawrence: KUHearings has partnered with Drone Lawrence before. The local business offers a great product at a reasonable price.

9. KU logo golf balls: For the Jayhawk golfer in your life. These were recommended from a trusted friend in the golf world.

10. The best KU fan gag gift for your coffee table.. or the Kansas State fan in your life: Luckily, my Amazon bestseller remains relevant. Kansas State still has 0 National Championships.

11. You can now gift another KU fan a VIP subscription to KUHearings: Select the gift option on the page. Send it to Jayhawk fans who will enjoy exclusive scoops texted right to their phone, early and often!

Help Spread the Word:

You can help support my work by telling your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🔒 VIP: Darryn Peterson Hearings

The latest on Darryn Peterson’s status ahead of the UConn game.

This is an early Hearing that is subject to change, so I’m keeping it as VIP only for now.

(If you're a VIP subscriber and can't see the Hearing, you may need to update your payment info here.)

🗽 Hearings x Homefield NYC Pregame Party

We’re throwing a FREE pregame party with a premium open bar and buffet — exclusively for Hearings subscribers.

📍 The Storehouse NYC (steps from Madison Square Garden)
🕓 Tuesday, November 18. 4–8pm ET
🎟 Free for all Hearings subscribers — RSVP required (link)

What’s Included:
🍸 Premium open bar
🍴 Full buffet
💬 Jayhawk fans who know why we’re winning this game
🎙️ The entire Could Be Wrong podcast crew

All thanks to our sponsor Homefield Apparel.

Make sure to RSVP now before we hit capacity!

• 🏀 Hearings: The Darryn Peterson situation

• 📝 Quick Links: Bill talks, Kohl is unsure, and Wiggins’ shines

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Hearings: The Darryn Peterson Situation 

The good news: I'm not Hearing any alarm inside Kansas about Darryn Peterson’s injury status. The confusing part: three different explanations in less than three weeks.

I haven’t caught any sense of Kansas bracing for a prolonged stretch without him, at least not tied to the current moment.

Still, any questions or confusion from fans are fair. Peterson has played one full game out of KU's first five outings, and Bill Self’s explanations haven’t exactly eased that confusion.

The latest surprise hit Tuesday night, when Peterson didn't play in KU's 77–46 win over Texas A&M–Corpus Christi. The broadcast ominously called it "a situation Bill Self will address postgame."

Twitter tweet

To be clear: There was no need to play Peterson last night. The most likely scenario is everyone forgetting about this in a week.

The twists kept coming in needless ways. During Tuesday’s game, Jeff Goodman reported Peterson was out with a hamstring injury — an entirely new reason. Goodman added that the issue first flared up against Louisville on October 24.

Let’s be honest: Self hasn’t made this easy to follow. His updates have been so up-and-down you’d think they’d have come from Brannen Greene.

In 19 days, Self discussed Peterson’s health eight different times — and never once mentioned a hamstring.

19 Days of Self Quotes

Self’s public comments show how wildly this has swung: concern after Louisville, a bug before Fort Hays State, confidence before Green Bay, back to concern before UNC, and a surprise again before Texas A&M–Corpus Christi.

Oct. 24 (Louisville postgame):

“Second half [Darryn] just couldn't move. Whenever he says he needs to come out, you know he needs to.”

Oct. 27 (Day before Fort Hays St)

"I don't think that we've quite remedied the situation yet. That's gonna be a big deal, if your best player can't finish games because of cramping or whatever it would be. So we've gotta figure that out."

Oct. 28 (Fort Hays St. pregame):

"Darryn will not start tonight because he didn't practice yesterday, just because he hasn't felt well. He's not really cramping, but he's like got a little bug or something."

Oct. 28 (Fort Hays St. postgame)

"He's dealing with the cramping stuff, but I think you know that, and not feeling well physically."

Oct. 31 (before Green Bay):

"He's fine. He practiced today at full speed. So I certainly don't anticipate holding him anymore from this point forward, you know, unless something else happens."

Nov. 3 (Green Bay postgame - cramps return)

"Once again, we couldn't really play him much second half at all. He said he felt it coming on."

Nov. 5 (Before UNC)

"It's concerning. We're not going to be nearly as effective with him playing 16 minutes a game. But it's something that we don't anticipate being anything that lasts... feel like we're in better shape than we were, obviously, a week ago."

Nov. 11 (Day before TAMU-CC)

"Everybody's practiced the last two days, so I haven't been overly concerned with that. I don't see a major issue moving forward."

Nov. 12 (TAMU-CC postgame)

"His hamstring was tight this morning. I'm not going to risk that. Hopefully, it's precautionary... We didn't anticipate this."

Bottom Line:

If there's any feel around KU right now, it's frustration, not alarm.’

Self did push Peterson hard when it mattered. Against North Carolina, the freshman played 28 minutes and the Jayhawks needed every one of them.

The push continued after the loss. I’ve Heard Self ran a particularly hard week of practice. Peterson missed enough defensive rotations against the Tar Heels to hear about it these last few days.

By Tuesday, the priority shifted from toughness back to caution. Against an opponent like Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, there was no reason to push it.

Sit him, get the win, and move on to Princeton and Duke.

Help Spread the Word ‼️

You can help support my work by telling your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🏀 Watch highlights from KU’s win last night in just three minutes.

🎙️ Could be Wrong Pod will be live on YouTube breaking this down tonight at 9pm CT. Audio will be available Thursday morning on Spotify and Apple.

🏀 Here’s Bill Self’s postgame press conference from the game.

🏀 And laugh at this quick clip of Kohl Rosario having no idea how to respond about Peterson’s absence with Bill Self speaking next.

🏀 Andrew Wiggins had one of the coolest game winners I’ve seen in a minute.

⚽️ Get tickets to see KU Womens’ soccer hosting their NCAA Tournament game in Lawrence. The Jayhawks are ranked No. 16.

👕 And this new, 1990’s style KU jacket from Homefield is legit unreal.

• 🏀 3 KU Quickies

• 🔒 KU Hoops Stock Report!

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

🔒 VIP EXCLUSIVE TODAY

It’s here. The annual KU Hoops Offseason Stock Report: Which Jayhawks are trending up and down from the workouts this summer. It’s a big one.

Upgrade to VIP to get the full story and exclusive updates sent directly to your phone and inbox.

3 KU Quickies

1. Today (Friday): KU Hoops plays Louisville in an exhibition game at 6:30pm CT on ACC Network. I’m Hearing Louisville isn’t expected a sell out. Check out more details on this year’s team below.
   

2. Tomorrow (Saturday): Kansas-Kansas State’s betting market (sharp money) appears to be favoring the Jayhawks. Kansas is up to a -3 to -3.5 point favorite depending on where you look, up from -2.5 where it opened.

   1. The game is tomorrow at 11am on TNT.
      

3. And ✅ 4-star SG Luke Barnett officially committed to KU hoops today. Watch his his commitment right here and highlights below:

Twitter tweet

Help Spread the Word:

You can help support my work by telling your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🔒 VIP: Practice scoops? We talkin’ about practice scoops? 

I'm Hearing a lot on how this team is shaping up. The good news? Elite young talent with great chemistry. The concern? Consistency, depth, (especially with big men), and scoring beyond the stars.

This is what I’m Hearing as we approach hoops season:

TEAM SNAPSHOT: THE BIG PICTURE

Current Vibe: Mixed signals, at best. Practices have been ugly lately, especially this week. But this is fairly on schedule for a Bill Self basketball team.

Bill's going to be hard on them early. If they're a good defensive team, it's probably going to look ugly in practice. And after last year, I think KU is fair to temper expectations before things get going.

There are some concerns floating around right now. And it may look ugly early on, but there also appears to be real potential down the line if players keep improving.

Ultimately: I’m Hearing the team has looked OK. Kind of a good, but not great situation.

Quick Takeaways:

✅ Chemistry is significantly better than last year - they really like each other and play hard.

✅ NBA talent is here - Peterson, Rosario, Flory, and maybe a few other underclassmen all have pro potential, but they're young with limitations.

✅ Length and athleticism - This is going to be a team with some big dunks between White, Mbiya, Council all bring length long; Tiller, Rosario are athletic; this team will throw down some dunks

⚠️ Bench depth is the biggest concern - especially frontcourt, relying on Tiller and Mbiya who haven't played college games. (More on them below).

⚠️ Scoring beyond the stars - Who else can step up so defenses don’t key on Peterson and Bidunga?

PLAYER STOCK REPORT

Hear exclusives on:

• Kohl Rosario’s first practice and how he’s never looked back

• If Darryn Peterson is living up to the hype

• KU’s plans for Peterson and Flory Bidunga

• And more on the players trending up and down before the season starts

All in VIP today!

• 🏀 Hoops recruiting prediction

• 📝 Quick Links: Bill Self takes the mic

• 🔒 Massive KU football recruiting weekend

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

🔒 VIP EXCLUSIVE TODAY

At the bottom of today's email…

• Hearings on a massive football recruiting weekend.

• There is a WILD number of football recruits visiting Lawrence on Saturday. See the top prospects visiting the Jayhawks.

🔒 In VIP Tomorrow

• KU Hoops Offseason Stock Report: Which Jayhawks are trending up and down from the workouts this summer. It’s a big one.

Upgrade to VIP to get the full story and exclusive updates sent directly to your phone and inbox.

Sharp-shooting guard announcing tomorrow

I'm Hearing: Kansas has emerged as the favorite for 2026 4-star SG Luke Barnett. The No. 144 player (top 25 SG) from the greater Los Angeles area will announce his decision tomorrow at 1:15pm on YouTube.

This is the rundown:

The finalists

Barnett is choosing between Kansas, Miami, and UNLV.

• He visited UNLV on September 5

• Miami hosted him on October 9

• Kansas got the final visit on October 17. He was the only official visitor at Late Night in the Phog.

On Barnett’s game

Barnett is listed* as a 6'4", 180-pound SG from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California—ranked No. 144 nationally in the 2026 class by 247Sports.

* I’m a bit skeptical of the listed height, but KU has seen him in person, so it’s no huge deal.

Elite shooter with range:

• His shooting skill is clear when you watch his film.

• Set the Mater Dei scoring record with a 55-point performance (hit 12 threes) against Hoover in December

• Averaged 21.0 ppg as a junior, along with 3.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, and 1.4 spg (per MaxPreps)

• Shot over 36%+ from three on 6.7 attempts per game in Nike EYBL Circuit (per On3's Jamie Shaw).

KU’s loaded recruiting class

KU’s 2026 class is already loaded, so the staff can be picky with who they can take from here. Barnett would possibly join the current No. 2 overall class:

• 5-star Tay Kinney

• 4-star C Davion Adkins

• 4-star SG Trent Perry

• 5-star SF Javon Bardwell (reclass candidate for 2026)

In general, the Jayhawks are filling their roster with freshmen they want in Lawrence so they don’t have to dig deep into the portal. It allows the staff can focus on the big hitters.

It’s worth noting the Jayhawks continuing to target players from the Los Angeles area where new assistants Jacque Vaughn and Tony Bland have deep ties.

🔮 PREDICTION: He's a Jayhawk

Again, you can watch the announcement at 1:15pm CT right here.

Help Spread the Word:

You can help support my work by telling your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🏀 Watch Bill Self’s Big 12 Media Day press conference from Wednesday. And check out this pic of Self speaking to the KU football team from this week.

🏈 The Booth is officially sold out for KU-KState.

🏀 Check out highlights from 2027 hoops commit Javon Bardwell in his season opening double double for OTE.

• 🏀 KU Hoops Hearings and questions

• 📝 Quick Links: Pocketknife, preseason rankings, and Bill Self

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

A Quick Note from Mike

It's been a few weeks since my last newsletter, which is longer than I like.

I wanted to quickly address that gap. (Everything is OK on my end!)

Life has been busier than expected these last couple of weeks, and I don't like to send newsletters unless I feel good about the Hearings I'm sharing with you. That takes time, and it's the standard I'm holding myself to.

There was also a natural lull before both football and basketball season got going at the same time. I should’ve done a better job of keeping you in the loop along the way.

While I’ve been able to send VIP subscribers Hearings and news quickly via text, I wanted to be upfront about why it’s been quieter than usual here. We’re normally not quiet at all. 😏

Speaking of, I've been working on some deeper dives that I'll share soon. But now we're at Late Night, hoops practice is rolling, KU football remains dramatic, and the Hearings are flowing again.

Let's get to it.

What I'm Hearing Before Late Night (No Stream Edition)

For the first time in seven years, Late Night in the Phog won't be streaming online for KU fans around the country.

KU hasn't said why tonight’s event won’t be streamed this year. My guess is this is a combination of bringing some incentive to fill Allen Fieldhouse*, the cost of streaming it, and fans generally not being thrilled with the broadcast quality (music rights always make it feel weird).

*Note: Attendance does… not look ideal as Late Night begins. The Jayhawks will at least be on ACC Network next Friday playing an exhibition at Louisville.

For now, I’ve compiled offseason Hearings and turned them into the emerging questions for this season.

This roster is young, talented, and loaded with question marks. I’ve Heard generally that the team looks solid overall… but not great, either.

These are the storylines brewing behind the scenes:

Can the good vibes continue?

I’m Hearing: Chemistry with this year's team has been really strong; much better than the past two years.

They actually like each other. They've been getting after it in practice.* There’s a renewed sense of energy around KU hoops right now.

*Note, I think there’s been some October boredom lately. This is standard when you practice against the same guys every day. We’re right on schedule.

But it's easy to have good chemistry before the season starts.

The real test: What happens when sh*t hits the fan? When they lose a couple of games in a tighter timespan, do they band together? Or do they silo off and play the blame game like last season?

The best-built Self teams hold each other accountable but stay tight. Right now, things are good. Can they keep it going when things get tough?

Will this team know how to close out games?

I’m Hearing: The staff doesn't yet know which, if any, upperclassmen will be a veteran leader late in games.

KU’s got top tier talent: Darryn Peterson is otherworldly, Kohl Rosario has impressed, and Flory Bidunga is looking good. But you're leaning heavily on two freshmen and a sophomore center who's never consistently played extended minutes.

The older transfers (Melvin Council, Tre White, Jayden Dawson), have the experience and makings of guys who can step on throats when needed.

They’ve all had good moments this offseason. Council has been a vocal leader. White has been really solid at the 4. Dawson can shoot it.

But it's unclear which veteran will be the guy KU trusts to help close games out.

Will KU play differently with the coaching changes?

I’m Hearing: Jacque Vaughn likes to play faster, more up-tempo basketball.

But Bill Self runs the show. The question is whether we'll see any real shift in KU's approach during games.

Self isn't exactly known for delegating, especially to newer staffers. It usually takes assistants a while before they have a major voice in the room.

But Vaughn's different. He's an NBA head coach with 15+ years of pro experience. That's a pedigree no other Self assistant has ever brought to Lawrence.

Add in Jeremy Case's promotion to associate head coach (the first under Self), and you've got a real step change in coaching staff dynamics.

How Will This Team Space the Floor?

I'm Hearing: This isn't an elite three-point shooting roster.

Peterson can shoot. Dawson can shoot. Beyond that? You got a lot of average-to-decent shooters. It’s not the worst thing, but it’s also not the best thing.

When you've got a ball-dominant point guard and a rim-running center, you need shooters to space the floor and make defenses pay. Right now, that's a question mark, largely because of how unproven the roster is.

Tre White shot 32.9% last year, which can work for your four-man. Melvin Council shot 29.9% last year, which will need to improve. And Kohl Rosario has emerged as a real scoring threat for the Jayhawks. 

KU shot it 35.4% from three last year, the 88th best clip in the country per KenPom. An improvement by White and Council can make the Jayhawks extremely difficult to guard.

They're betting on player development, elite playmaking, and confidence to drive these improvements through. But spacing issues have tanked the last two KU offenses and they can't afford to whiff on shooting again.

Coming soon to VIP!

A preseason roster deep dive. You can get the VIP scoops and live updates here.

How to Support KU Hearings!

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🏈 Here’s ESPN’s story recapping the alleged pocketknife incident at the Texas Tech game.

🏀 Watch Darryn Peterson answer questions at KU Hoops media day earlier this week!

🏀 The first Kenpom rankings for this season are out. The Jayhawks are a lot lower than we’re used to. Check ‘em out.

🏀 Bill Self held a 30-minute press conference earlier this week to preview his team. He looks good! Watch the full vid below.

Bill Self Hospitalized, Feeling Better

Bill Self is “feeling better” after being taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital out of an abundance of caution, according to a statement released by Kansas Athletics.

Kansas said Self was feeling under the weather and received IV fluids.

Emergency responders were called to Allen Fieldhouse for a medical situation involving “chest pain,” around 3:55pm CT on Monday, according to Lawrence–Douglas County Fire and Medical dispatch traffic.

Self did not travel with the team for Tuesday’s game vs. Colorado.

“Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self felt under the weather earlier today and, out of an abundance of caution, was taken to LMH Health where he received IV fluids,” per the statement. “He is feeling better but did not accompany the team to Boulder.”

You can see the entire statement here.

Self has had multiple health-related medical episodes in recent years.

In March 2023, Self was hospitalized with chest tightness and balance concerns the night before the Big 12 Tournament. He had two stents placed for blocked arteries and missed the conference tournament before returning for the NCAA Tournament.

In July 2025, Self was again transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital after experiencing concerning symptoms. Two additional stents were inserted. He was released two days later.

• 🏀 KU’s Big 12 Hoops schedule released

• 📝 Quick Links: Rest of season projections for KU football

• 🔒 PFF Grades from KU-WVU

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

KU Hoops Schedule and Quick Thoughts

The Jayhawks’ path to a Big 12 title has become clear with the conference releasing its basketball schedule on Tuesday afternoon.

I laid out each team’s preseason ranking from analytics site BartTorvik.com next to the team name. For example, Kansas is projected as the No. 17 team right now — so I’d write it as Kansas (No. 17).

This isn’t a definitive ranking, but I just included it to give you some sense of where the teams stand.

1/3 (Saturday) @ UCF (No. 83)
1/6 (Tuesday) vs TCU (No. 56)
1/10 (Saturday) @ WVU (No. 57)
1/13 (Tuesday) vs. Iowa St (No. 15)
1/16 (Friday) vs. Baylor (No. 34)
1/20 (Tuesday) @ Colorado (No. 100)
1/24 (Saturday) @ KState (No. 61)
1/31 (Saturday) vs BYU (No. 6)
2/2 (Monday) @ TTU (No. 27)
2/7 (Saturday) vs Utah (No. 62)
2/9 (Monday) vs Arizona (No. 12)
2/14 (Saturday) @ Iowa St (No. 15)
2/18 (Wednesday) @ OK St (No. 49)
2/21 (Saturday) vs Cincinnati (No. 32)
2/23 (Monday) vs Houston (No. 1)
2/28 (Saturday) @ Arizona (No. 12)
3/3 (Tuesday) @ Arizona St (No. 72)
3/7 (Saturday) vs Kansas State (No. 61)

Quick Thoughts:

• KU plays three Saturday-Monday turnaround games:

  • vs BYU —> @ Texas Tech

  • vs Utah —> vs Arizona

  • vs Cincinnati —> vs Houston

    • KU had three similar turnarounds last year as well. The BYU to Texas Tech turn will be tricky, along with two difficult opponents on the backend of the home-game swings (Arizona and Houston)

• Playing Houston and at Arizona back-to-back in late Feb should fall around when the conference is decided.

• I like the Jayhawks opening with a decent stretch of teams projected outside the top 50 nationally, though two are Big 12 road games. KU follows it with home games vs. Iowa State and Baylor, which you’d think sets them up decently well to start conference play.

• Lastly… Kansas State on Senior Night is gonna be a big one.

You can view KU’s complete schedule by clicking here.

Enjoyed this Hearing?

The writing and editing took 2ish hours (including what’s below).

And you can help me in 3ish seconds.

Please help spread the word by telling your friends about KUHearings or signing up for VIP. Sharing the link and suggesting they subscribe goes a long way! Thank you in advance.

🏈 You can watch Lance Leipold’s full pre-game press conference ahead of this week’s game vs. Cincinnati here.

🏈 KU filmed a really cool pregame perspective from inside a player’s helmet inside the New Booth ahead of the WVU game.

🏈 Check out Kelly Ford’s rest of season projections for KU football. It has the Jayhawks with a 62% chance of winning 8 games or more this year.

VIP🔒 Grades for the Jayhawks

A PFF subscription costs $119.99.

An old PFF screenshot

Should we throw a KUHearings party in NYC? 🍻

We’re cooking up a KUHearings x Homefield Apparel pre-game party in New York City before Kansas takes on Duke on Nov 18. Think: free drink, food, and a packed room of KU fans.

But we need your help! Let us know if you’re planning to go to the game and would likely come hang at the KUHearings party.

Your responses tell us if this is the right time and place to celebrate as a KU fan community. If the interest is there, we’ll try and make it happen.

• 🔮 Hearing: KU trending up for ‘26 5-star

• 📝 Quick Links: Preseason hoops rankings

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

🔮 Hearing: KU Trending Up 2026 No. 1 PG Tay Kinney

The No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class has set his announcement for September 28 — and I'm Hearing Kansas is trending ahead as the frontrunner.

Taylen "Tay" Kinney, a Kentucky native, will choose between Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana, and Oregon.

Landing the 6’2” PG would be a huge statement in Louisville and Kentucky’s backyard. He’d be a fitting handoff for a Kansas program that’ll be replacing Darryn Peterson next year.

This is what I’m Hearing:

Kinney’s Game

• Kinney is a skilled guard with a 6’7” wingspan that makes him a dangerous and effective finisher. His length and quickness make him the kind of all-around player that Bill Self looks for in guards.

• 247Sports’ scouting report (Adam Finkelstein): “Scoring and playmaking lead guard who is smooth and versatile with his attack. He’s a multi-level scoring threat with a creative and crisp handle to get to his advanced pull-up game or pressure the rim.”

• His three-point shooting has shown meaningful signs of improvement this summer (47.6% at NBPA Top-100), but has been hit-and-miss in the past. This will be a key growth area for his game.

Where KU Stands

• The Pitch: Kinney told 247Sports that “‘Coach Self tossed me his keys, and he was basically like, ‘This is yours next year.’”

• Top Schools: Louisville is the in-state option and most realistic threat to KU. Kentucky, Arkansas, Oregon, and Indiana have all been heavily involved at various points of the recruitment.

• What I’m Hearing: KU took the lead in Kinney’s recruitment when he visited in late August. Everything I’m Hearing suggests the Jayhawks are the solid favorite right now, but…

  • Plenty of experts have started to make this prediction, but I still expect schools like Louisville to keep making a run at Kinney…

• KU is in as good a spot as you can be for a 5-star decision ~two weeks out from an announcement.

  • In other words: It looks good (genuinely), but you know how this goes. There’s never a sure thing in recruiting.

    • As of today, I like where KU stands.

    • I’ll keep you posted if that changes.

Timeline

Here’s how KU took the lead. These are summaries of VIP texts sent out to upgraded subscribers about Kinney:

• 9/3: Hearing: KU established itself as the favorite for Kinney following his visit to Lawrence

• 9/9: Hearing: KU is in a 'very good' spot for Kinney, but I want to work through conflicting info. I'd Heard Kinney wanted to decide privately this week. 👀

• 9/10: The smoke around KU leading for Kinney has increased. I'm Hearing the staff will travel to see him tomorrow…

• 9/11: Kinney sets a commitment date

• 9/28: Kinney’s planned commitment date

It lines up well for the Jayhawks…

Bottom Line

Kansas leads. Louisville’s in-state pull and a planned Arkansas visit are real threats, but Self has the clear advantage right now.

Landing Kinney would be huge. KU would bring in another PG with pro potential following up Darryn Peterson, continuing the program's elite point guard pipeline.

With 5-stars, nothing’s guaranteed until they’ve signed. But right now, KU is set up as well as possible.

As always, I’ll keep you posted.

How you can support KU Hearings!

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by signing up for VIP or copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

It’s that easy.

🏀 The Field of 68 released their first preseason rankings for college basketball. See where the Jayhawks landed.

🏈 Watch Lance Leipold’s press conference ahead of the West Virginia game.

 🏈 KU’s social media is suggesting KU will be rocking its black, Warhawk uniforms. Blackout at The Booth?!

👕 And check out the two brand new drops from Homefield Apparel, including their first-ever KU hat and tri-stripe crewneck. Check them out here!

Shop KU x Homefield

P.S. Reminder to respond at the top of this email and let us know if you think you’d make it to NYC for KU-Duke!

• 🏈 Did Mizzou avoid Kansas in 2022?

• 📝 Quick Links: Expert picks and GameDay’s segment

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

Did Mizzou Avoid Playing Kansas in 2022?

A KUHearings deep dive

Despite the outright denials, tweets, and press conference jabs, the receipts from the 2022 postseason debate point to one thing: Missouri avoided playing Kansas.

I went back through the reporting, tracked down the TV receipts, and talked directly with Brett McMurphy, the reporter who broke the story. Here’s what I came away with:

QUICK CONTEXT

• Brett McMurphy, one of college football’s top reporters, wrote that Kansas and Missouri had an opportunity to renew their rivalry in the Liberty Bowl. The problem, per McMurphy: Missouri didn’t want to play Kansas.

• Missouri directly denied the report from its official Twitter.

• Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz went even further, tweeting a picture of the Liberty Bowl Stadium saying, “Ain’t scared to play here- there- or anywhere.”

For three years, Kansas fans have tried to say Missouri was scared of playing the Jayhawks. And Missouri fans have said it never happened.

The evidence points to saying neither side is exactly right, but it does suggest Missouri didn’t want to play the Jayhawks.

“I know with 1 billion percent certainty they didn’t want to play Kansas,” McMurphy told me. “This is not a one source story.”

MISUNDERSTOOD:

Here’s how bowl selections work: teams provide their bowl preferences to their conference. The following is a key, and often misunderstood, aspect to this story.

McMurphy told me the preferences weren’t about the Liberty Bowl. It was about the teams it would and wouldn’t play:

“Missouri provided the teams they would play if they were going to a Big 12 game and Kansas was not included in those teams.”

“The thing that everybody was trying to call bullshit on this thing. They honed in on the Liberty Bowl. It was not the Liberty Bowl, it was about playing Kansas.

“I talked to multiple bowl officials at that time and they all told me the same thing. I’m not gonna create something out of thin air.”

RECEIPTS

The evidence has trickled out in smaller pieces the last three years, but hasn’t been pulled together in one place.

Despite Drinkwitz’s apparent denial, his story reportedly changed two weeks later.

I spoke to ESPN’s Tom Hart, who said the above quotes and conversation was fair and accurate, as far as he could recall.

And then there’s Liberty Bowl executive director Steve Ehrhart. McMurphy again:

“I talked to him 100 times about it,” McMurphy said. “He was like ‘yea, what you reported is accurate.’ Nobody in a bowl is going to come out and say Missouri asked not to play Kansas. They’re partners with the SEC.”

And then there’s Lance Leipold, who stayed out of the whole thing until appearing on a Wisconsin radio show a year later.

“Well it was supposed to be the Liberty Bowl last year, but that’s another conversation,” Leipold said.

Twitter tweet

THE BOTTOM LINE

McMurphy added some reasoning that helps explain why Missouri didn’t want to play Kansas, and it adds up.

But first, he didn’t hedge on his report.

“I know with 10000 billion percent certainty they didn’t want to play Kansas,” McMurphy said. “Look at my track record, I don’t speculate. I report facts.”

Scoopmeister’s note: His track record is as good as it gets.

The logic behind it all checks out.

“I want to emphasize this: I never said Missouri is scared of playing Kansas, and I don’t think Missouri was scared of playing Kansas,” McMurphy said. “Missouri had nothing to gain by playing Kansas.”

McMurphy nailed it.

“Missouri didn’t have anything to gain, that’s how it was,” he said. “It’s totally different now.

How to Support KU Hearings!

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by signing up for VIP or copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

🏈 College GameDay did a segment this morning on the KU-Mizzou rivalry. Watch it here.

🏈 KU football posted a hype video narrated by Aqib Talib.

 🏈 Mark Mangino hinted at the next KU player who could get his name in the Ring of Honor.

👕 KUHearings’ sponsor Homefield Apparel just dropped two new KU items that I absolutely LOVE. Their first ever KU hat, along with a tri-stripe crewneck. Check them out here!

• 🏈 3 Quick Things: 1 stat, 1 quote, 1 play

• 🏟️ New Booth fan reviews

• 🔒🏈 Grading KU’s performance

• 📝 Quick Links: My favorite videos from Saturday

Support The Hearings by sending this to KU friends and fam. Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

3 Quick Things: 1 Stat, 1 Play, 1 Quote

🔥 1 STAT: 28% shows promising defensive change

I’d been Hearing all offseason that KU football’s defensive front was going to be different this year. But it was still hard to believe, especially after last year’s unit struggled cause much stress at all on opposing offenses.

We may want to start believing it. KU’s front 7 popped in its 31-7 win over Fresno State.

KU’s defense generated “havoc” on 28% of plays, meaning they either had a tackle for loss, forced a fumble, or defensed a pass (intercepted/broke up) on 28% of the time. The number jumps to 45% when you remove garbage time plays, according to collegefootballdata.com.

In last year’s opener against mediocre FCS team Lindenwood, KU’s Havoc Rate came in right at its season average of 9.7% (95th in the country). The front 7 were a concern from game one.

It’s just one game, but generating havoc on nearly half of Fresno State’s plays is as good a start as KU could reasonably ask for from its front 7.

And right now its a reason for optimism.

🔮 1 PLAY: KU’s offensive trickery is BACK

Twitter tweet

One of the staples of Andy Kotelnicki’s offense at Kansas was the sheer amount of movement and stress it put on opposing defenses.

It seems that’s back with KU’s old duo of Matt Lubick and Jim Zebrowski as co-offensive coordinators. And college football Twitter/X noticed, raving about this one play in particular.

It looks like triple option, with two different moves to start that froze Fresno State’s defense. And then it hit the RB who snuck behind on the wheel route.

We’re gonna get to enjoy creative offense once again this year.

🏟️ 1 QUOTE: Lance Leipold wants The Booth packed

I don’t think this is new to KU fans. But check out all that Leipold had to say about the first crowd at the New Booth and KU’s fan support going forward. From various parts of his post-game press conference:

“It was so impressive, probably the earliest I’ve seen the student section fill out. We came down the tunnel and stuff. It kind of felt like a real Power Four football team. To see the crowd and see how full it was… Even during warm-ups I thought there was a lot if people who were in seats maybe earlier than in the past.”

“It’s important that we play well at home. It’s important that give our fans something to be excited about and come back again.”

“I really can’t thank [the students] enough for their energy and the time for them to come as early as they did. The stripes and everything in the stands was great for us to do.

Our student body and our fan base is what’s going to be the key to make this stadium special. It’s a top of the line stadium, it’s really nice, but if nobody’s in it, it really doesn’t matter. We need them and hopefully they’ll keep showing up.”

How to Support KU Hearings!

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by signing up for VIP or copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

Reviews from The Booth

I asked Jayhawk fans to share their day-one experience at the renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. This was generational and it showed.

The three main takeaways from your feedback:

1. The fun factor was evident: It looked electric on TV and social media, but fans confirmed it felt even better in person. This energy hasn't been the norm for decades of KU football. Saturday felt different.

2. Literal Growing Pains: Most complaints centered on cramped men's restrooms, especially in the North End Zone. And I’m not surprised. I think a lot of fans from the East Side migrated over there with a great view looking down the new stands toward the hill. My hunch is that added congestion from game 1 will settle over time. (Or bring back the troughs 😂).

3. That Pride Hit Different: The amount of genuine pride from seeing the rebuilt stadium surprised me on a personal level. I'm guessing many of you felt it too. Credit to everyone who showed up, because you all absolutely brought the energy.

The question: Can KU keep the football atmosphere going? Here’s what fans in attendance told me about the experience:

How to Support KU Hearings!

Tell your friends about today’s Hearing by signing up for VIP or copy and pasting this link into your group texts or on social media.

VIP🔒 Grades for the Jayhawks

🏈 I think this is my favorite video from Saturday. Check out this first-person view of KU running out of the tunnel for the first-time ever.

 🏈 KU did a great job with its pre-game video, featuring the new Jayhawk Jet.

🏈 Post-game fireworks and waving the wheat. KU working a light show with Carry on My Wayward Son playing.

🏈 Tony Sands stands above his name in the new Ring of Honor.

🏀🏈 Melvin Council cheering from the stands at the game will crack you up. You may want to turn your volume down a bit before hitting play.

🏈 If you didn’t catch it last week, get the KU Football Transfer Portal Guide made by the KUHearings community for Jayhawks fans.

You can access the Google Doc version here. Please feel free to pass this along to other KU fans. You can share this link directly to the article.

🏀🏈 This is your last chance to get 10% off premium LED signs from Mass Scott’s. KUHearings subscribers can use promo code:MIKEV through August 31.

• The new LED Warhawk head is also perfect for football season.

• The local business has crafted slate of new products, including this replica 40-inch Campanile floor lamp.

  • Check these out!