Kansas Football Announces Sellout Against Oklahoma. Finally.

The news is another sign for the program, but it's fair to ask why it took so long.

This morning, the Kansas Jayhawks announced that Saturday's Homecoming matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners is a sellout.

*ahem* attention please…

🚨 The Booth is SOLD OUT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/fNufO0sjbK

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) October 26, 2023

It is the second time the stadium has sold out this season, with Kansas fans enjoying a victory over the BYU Cougars for the last one. Selling out this game, with FOX's Big Noon Kickoff and Big Noon Saturday coming to town, is crucial for continuing to build the program.

But safety Kenny Logan was vocal on Monday morning, asking why the sellout hadn't already happened. 

Why isn’t the Booth sold out yet ‼️

— Kenny Logan 1️⃣🎋 (@Kennylogan23) October 23, 2023

The initial reaction (ignoring snide comments from Kansas State fans) from many on Twitter was to talk about the history of the program, how people were waiting to see some consistency, worries about getting blown out or waiting to see if Jalon Daniels was playing. As much as I've been on the side of the fans who have had to suffer through a decade-plus of abysmal football, it's time for this to change.

Through all my time covering this team, the mantra has been the same: "Give the fans a reason to come out, and they will." I criticized both Sheahon Zenger and Jeff Long when they told fans they needed to "do their part" and show up so that the team could be successful. It was wrong to expect fans to spend their disposable income on a program that didn't have the kind of financial commitment from the athletic department that was necessary for success. But things are different now.

Travis Goff has made financially supporting the program a priority, bringing in Lance Leipold and his staff and then increasing their pay when it became clear it was needed. The announcement of football stadium renovations and the Gateway District project are clear signs of the financial investment the department has made into the program.

And the results on the field are phenomenal as well. Year 2 of the Leipold era can only be described as a massive success, with a team that was way ahead of schedule for getting back to respectability. A backloaded schedule resulted in a final record lower than the 5-0 start might have indicated, but it was still a clear sign of the quick improvement.

This season only backed up that assertion. The team is 5-2, despite dealing with another injury to star quarterback Jalon Daniels. The defense is significantly improved from last season, with a bigger roster of players that can bring pressure and play at a high level. Sure, the Oklahoma State game was disappointing. But multiple defensive lineman were dealing with injuries, and it took an extended string of mistakes for Oklahoma State to pull off the victory.

The Jayhawks have clearly performed better at home than on the road, so the attendance of fans IS critically important to the success of this team. If you were one of those people saying that you would come back when the team gave you a reason to then now is the time. They have given you plenty of reasons to support them and come back to the stadium. It's time to do your part.