Leipold on fan support this season, importance of NIL

One of the most noticeable parts of covering the Kansas football program this season was the fan support. It started with their second win of the season knocking off West Virginia and then moving to 3-0 after beating Houston.

The Jayhawks would push that to 5-0 and sell out three straight games in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The attendance was up close to 17,000 per game over last year.

On Monday Lance Leipold recognized the support they got from the fans.

“The game day environment here is night and day different than it was a year ago, and we appreciate that,” Leipold said. “We hope that is reflective and hopefully their belief in this program and our players moving forward. Hopefully, we'll see the uptick in season tickets and all the other things that we would like this place to be full and the booth to be full every game day possible.”

The crowd for the Texas game was just shy of 40,000 and fans came out in good support with 35-degree temperatures at kickoff.

“We didn't give them a lot to cheer about Saturday, and it wasn't the warmest of conditions, and so for that much and how we played, I didn't blame the ones that left,” he said. “We've got to give them reasons to stick around, but I hope they know the difference they've made this in our players and really the appreciation, how that can help in recruiting, what it does in atmosphere and really in campus energy, and all those things.”

The Jayhawks will wrap up their final regular season game this Saturday and a bowl game in December. But it is not too early to look how the program can improve on and off the field.

Leipold was asked about what he would like to see improved.

“I want everything to improve around our program, including our program,” he said. “And I don't mean that sarcastically because I can be that way. Everything that happens, it's daily improvement. Whatever that may be that touches our program from our communication staff to our marketing people to whatever that we can do to make this better. Working hard on getting things going on facility wise.”

NIL can help attract and keep players in the program. Name, Image, and Likeness is moving to the forefront of college athletics. Donors can contribute to NIL Collectives like Mass Strategies for Kansas. Players can be paid by doing events, commercials, and several avenues using NIL.

“NIL is good and it’s good for our players,” Leipold said. “Yes, there may be some uncertainty of where it completely lands, but it's going to be part of it. We hope that people that can make a difference in that and supporting our players, no matter how big or small are embracing it as well. The new landscape of college football. And we're going to need that to continue to build a program.”

For the past 13 seasons Kansas coaches have turned their attention to recruiting because there is no more football. This year the Jayhawks will be playing next month and that brings a different routine.

Leipold said he does not have everything set in stone, but they are working on finalizing a schedule. They will have to mix in recruiting with bowl practice.

“We'll get an opportunity to wrap up from this week's game,” he said. “We have some things sketched out and I'll give you a better idea next week. I don't want to not answer that, but there'll be some downtime, obviously.”

A lot of the planning will come out after the bowl selection process.

“Biggest thing's going to be is not where but when we play,” Leipold said. “That won't be until really two weeks from yesterday. We're 13 days away from finding that out. Then you kind of work backwards from there.”