Lance Leipold, Kansas football agree to contract extension that runs through 2029

Kansas has reached an agreement with second-year football coach Lance Leipold that includes a contract extension through the 2029 season.

A source close to the situation confirmed to The Star that a new agreement has been reached. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the news of the extension through 2029 in a Twitter post Tuesday night.

Another source told The Star that AD Travis Goff has been holding talks in recent weeks with Leipold’s representatives about a new deal.

“The new deal is structured to keep Leipold at Kansas for the long-term,” Thamel reported on Twitter.

This report comes out as Nebraska is believed to be in its final stages of its search for a replacement for Scott Frost, who was fired early in the 2022 season. Leipold’s name also had been rumored as a potential option at Wisconsin.

KU officials had no comment on Thamel’s Twitter post on Tuesday night. Athletic director Travis Goff reportedly is in the Bahamas at this time to attend Wednesday’s men’s basketball Battle 4 Atlantis opener against North Carolina State.

Leipold, 58, has led KU to a 6-5 record. The Jayhawks are bowl eligible for the first time since the 2008 season.

This is Leipold’s second extension this season. Goff announced an extension through the 2027 season for Leipold back in September.

Leipold was averaging $2.75 million annually on his initial six-year deal when hired in 2021. In October, KU announced a massive construction project that includes renovations to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

Kansas will meet Kansas State at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Manhattan.