KCSN Weekly: A new season and an offseason begin + KU and MU hoops are on the rise
A weekly look at everything happening across Kansas City sports.
The NFL calendar has flipped to offseason mode, spring training has officially begun in Arizona, and the college basketball picture is starting to sharpen by the week. For some programs, that means momentum. For others, it means hard questions.
Here’s where everything stands across Kansas City sports.
Chiefs Check-In: Offseason officially underway
The offseason is here for the Kansas City Chiefs following the Seattle Seahawks’ domination of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Free agency is less than a month away. Mock drafts are flooding timelines daily. And another notable staff addition has already been made.
The Chiefs are reportedly hiring former Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray as their new running backs coach. Murray spent the past six seasons in the same role with the Oklahoma Sooners, bringing both NFL pedigree and Power Five development experience to the staff.
The Chiefs have now fully swapped virtually half of their offensive coaching staff up to this point. Kansas City has replaced offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, running back coach Todd Pinkston, and wide receiver coach Connor Embree with Eric Bieniemy, DeMarco Murray, and Chad O’Shea, respectively.
Beyond that, the waiting game continues, most notably around Travis Kelce. Confirmation of a return for a 14th season would go a long way in shaping the tone of this offseason. Until then, it feels like the calm before roster construction ramps up.
The Chiefs have a lot of work to do to get under the cap, let alone to re-sign Kelce or open up money to spend in free agency. I would expect a flurry of moves over the next month, given that.
College Hoops: Separation Season
KU extends its surge
Kansas is now riding an eight-game win streak, highlighted by a thrilling 82–78 victory over No. 1 Arizona last Monday.
Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga delivered a statement performance, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the upset.
The Jayhawks continue to look deeper, more confident, and more complete. The climb up the rankings reflects that, as KU is now No. 9 and will rise again this week after the win over the Wildcats.
K-State’s slide continues
For Kansas State, the story is far less encouraging.
A narrow 84–82 loss at TCU was followed by a 29-point home loss to the 13–12 Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Wildcats are now 1–10 in Big 12 play. The margin for error and patience is thinning across the fan base and the team itself.
Missouri wins away from home
Missouri may have had the most impressive week of the regional trio, at least from a showing-what-they-are-made-of standpoint.
Road wins over South Carolina Gamecocks and Texas A&M Aggies pushed Missouri to 17–7 overall and 7–4 in SEC play. They’re now riding a three-game win streak with seven games remaining before postseason play begins.
Winning on the road in February travels well in March.
Royals Report: Arms in Action
Spring has officially begun for the Kansas City Royals.
Pitchers and catchers reported this week in Surprise, Arizona, meaning the presumed starting five, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, and Noah Cameron, are officially gearing up for 2026.
The bullpen core of Carlos Estévez, Lucas Erceg, and Matt Strahm is back ramping up as well.
Kansas City also swung a minor deal for Mitch Spence, a right-hander with experience both in the rotation and out of the bullpen. Spence has spent all of his time with the Athletics organization after being a Rule 5 draft pick from the New York Yankees.
But the real story in Surprise centers on Ragans and Bubic. Both are fully healthy after injury-riddled 2025 seasons, and if either performs as a true staff ace, the ceiling of this team changes quickly. This is especially true for Ragans, who has proven to be a true number one when healthy.
What to Watch This Week
Kansas
At No. 5 Iowa State on Saturday
At Oklahoma State later in the week.
Reminder: KU beat Iowa State by 21 in January when the Cyclones were undefeated.
Kansas State
At No. 3 Houston Cougars.
Later in the week, against a similarly struggling Baylor Bears team.
Missouri
Hosts Texas (6–5 SEC).
Hosts No. 19 Vanderbilt (7–4 SEC).
Royals
First full-squad workout in Surprise on Feb. 16.
NFL
Franchise tag window opens Feb. 17.
The beauty of Kansas City sports is that when one offseason begins, the sports calendar does not slow down. Baseball is stretching, college basketball is separating contenders from pretenders, and the NFL machine is already revving toward March.
We’ll be back next week to see what shifted and what it means for the weeks ahead.