Kansas football and its disastrous 2024 campaign went from bad to worse following a loss to Arizona State last weekend. Sitting at 1-5 on the year, bowl eligibility is out of reach, and Lance Leipold seemingly has no solution to resolve his team's issue. The Jayhawks have yet to take down an FBS opponent and are one of three schools without a win in conference play — something nobody could have anticipated before the season.
The Kansas City Star reporter Shreyas Laddha conducted an exclusive interview with Kansas Athletic Director Travis Goff earlier this week. He addressed several topics, including the current state of the football program and the discontent in Lawrence. While we'll leave it to you to read the full article (click here to read), there was a particular excerpt that Jayhawk fans might find interesting:
I asked Travis Goff about some of the frustration he’s seen from #kufball fans on social media. pic.twitter.com/AuliKssgbi
— Shreyas Laddha (@shre98) October 9, 2024
Travis Goff encourages Kansas football fans to keep believing in the Jayhawks
"“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. 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. ... I don’t feel like people are turning the page. I feel like they are still emotionally invested. … I think plenty of them are still optimistic and believe in this program.”"Travis Goff
Goff acknowledged the comments that disgruntled have been making on social media recently. Rather than discouraging the behavior, Kansas' AD believes that it is good that people are passionate enough to criticize how the squad is performing. Even Goff himself called the season 'disappointing.'
While frustration for the Jayhawk fanbase is mounting greater after each heartbreaking loss, KU's football program has been in far more adverse conditions before. It won 21 games from 2010-2020 under Turner Gill, Charlie Weis, David Beaty, and Les Miles and has nearly matched that number since Leipold took over at the helm in 2021 (18 wins since).
It certainly doesn't help that 30 seniors will graduate after 2024, including the offense's top three wide receivers, two All-Big 12 caliber cornerbacks, and the school's likely all-time leading rusher when it is all said and done. Things will only get more difficult from here on out, and how KU finishes the year will say a lot about the coaching staff and culture.
Leipold has undoubtedly lifted Kansas to new heights. But at times this season, it feels like his hard work is gradually slipping away. Can he steer the program back on its path to success, or will it fall back into the struggles of the 2010s? It remains to be seen. Goff believes fan support is crucial for the Jayhawks to stay afloat, so time will tell if that proves true.