LAWRENCE — Kansas and Hawaii will meet on the gridiron for the first time since 1985 when the Warriors travel to Lawrence in 2016 as the first part of a home-and-home series, it was announced Wednesday afternoon.

The 2016 home game for the Jayhawks is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24, in Memorial Stadium. KU will travel to Honolulu for a return game at Aloha Stadium on Sept. 2, 2017.

"We are very excited to announce this home-and-home series with Hawaii," said Kansas head coach Charlie Weis. "We recognize Hawaii and the Islands as a fertile recruiting territory. Both our current players and prospects are excited that these two games are official.”

Kansas leads the all-time series with Hawaii, 1-0. KU defeated the Warriors, 33-27, on Aug. 31, 1985 in Honolulu. It will mark the Jayhawks' first trip to the Islands since defeating UCLA, 51-30, in the 1995 Aloha Bowl.  

KU will open the 2013 season on Saturday, Sept. 7 with a home game versus South Dakota. The Jayhawks and Coyotes will kick off at 6 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 800-34-HAWKS or by visiting the KU tickets office at KUAthletics.com.

KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.