The 1983 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Eight Conference during the 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Mike Gottfried, the Jayhawks compiled a 4–6–1 record (2–5 against conference opponents), finished in seventh place in the conference, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 320 to 296. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks upset 10th ranked USC in Los Angeles 26–20 in what remains their only game against USC in school history.