Kansas head men's basketball coach Bill Self spoke up to refute rumors that he considered leaving the Jayhawks for his alma mater Oklahoma State this past offseason. The initial report from Tulsa World's Berry Tramel noted that Oklahoma State tried to hire Self with a "competitive salary and budget to pay players in this new professional age of college basketball.

As Oklahoma State and Kansas prepare for their first and only meeting of the season in men’s basketball, differing reports have surfaced regarding Kansas coach Bill Self’s level of interest in the Cowboy coaching job last year.

Last year, the head coach position at Oklahoma State opened up after Mike Boynton was after seven seasons with the program. Before Steve Lutz eventually accepted the position in April 2024, Kansas head coach Bill Self was rumored to be a possible candidate for the position.