Kansas State Wildcats football
2025 Kansas State Wildcats football team
First season	1896; 129 years ago
Athletic director	Gene Taylor
Head coach	Chris Klieman 7th season, 53–33 (.616)
Stadium	Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium (capacity: 50,000)
Location	Manhattan, Kansas
NCAA division	Division I FBS
Conference	Big 12
All-time record	584–676–41 (.465)
Bowl record	12–14 (.462)
Conference titles
KIAA:1909,1910,1912 Big Eight:1934 Big 12:2003,2012,2022
Conference division titles
Big 12 North:1998,1999,2000,2003
Consensus All-Americans	15[1]
Rivalries	Colorado (rivalry) Iowa State (rivalry) Kansas (rivalry) Missouri (rivalry) Nebraska (rivalry) Oklahoma (rivalry)
Current uniform
Colors	Royal purple and white[2]
Fight song	"Wildcat Victory"
Mascot	Willie the Wildcat
Marching band	The Pride Of Wildcat Land
Outfitter	Nike
Website	kstatesports.com

TheKansas State Wildcats football program (variouslyK-State orKSU) is theintercollegiate football program of theKansas State UniversityWildcats. The program is classified in theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and the team competes in theBig 12 Conference.

Historically, the team has an all-time losing record, at 579-675–41 as of the conclusion of the2024 season. However, the program has had some stretches of winning in its history. Most recently, in2022, the team under head coachChris Klieman won the Big 12 Conference and appeared in its first Sugar Bowl. Under former coachBill Snyder, Kansas State won two conference titles, finished the 1998 regular season with an undefeated (11–0) record and No. 1 national ranking, and from 1995 to 2001 appeared in theAP Poll for 108 consecutive weeks—the 16th-longest streak in college football history.^[3]

Since 1968, the team has played inBill Snyder Family Football Stadium (formerly KSU Stadium) inManhattan, Kansas. TheKansas State University Marching Band, also known as the Pride of Wildcat Land, performs at all home games and bowl games.

According to most sources, Kansas State's football team began play onThanksgiving Day 1893.^[4][5][6] A team from Kansas State defeated St. Mary's College 18–10 on that date.^[7] Other sources name Kansas State's first game as a 24–0 victory over a team fromAbilene, Kansas, on November 3, 1894.^[8][9] However, the first official game recorded in the team's history is a 14–0 loss to Fort Riley on November 28, 1896.^[10]

In its earliest years, the program had a different coach every year—generally, a former college football player who had just graduated from college.^[11] Often, the coaches also played with the team during the games.^[9] Some of the coaches during this era includeFay Moulton (1900), who went on to win Olympic medals as a sprinter;^[12][13]Wade Moore (1901), who later was a successful minor league baseball manager;^[14] andCyrus E. Dietz (1902), who became a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.^[15][16] The pattern changed whenMike Ahearn became the first long-term coach in 1905.^[17][18] Ahearn coached for six seasons, leading the team to winning records each year, and concluding in the 1910 season with a 10–1 mark.^[19][18] Ahearn also won two conference championships in theKansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association, in 1909 and 1910.^[20] Ahearn was followed byGuy Lowman, who led Kansas State to another conference championship in 1912.^{[20][8][21][22]}

Kansas State accepted an invitation into the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1913.^[23][24] After a few years adjusting to the league's eligibility rules and a higher level of competition, the school experienced sustained success in the 1920s and 1930s.Elden Auker was part of a group of excellent athletes who attended Kansas State around the time of theGreat Depression, which also includedRalph Graham, Maurice Elder,Leland Shaffer,Cookie Tackwell,Dougal Russell, Henry Cronkite, George Maddox, andElmer Hackney. These athletes were coupled with a series ofHall of Fame coaches. The first of these coaches wasZora Clevenger, who arrived in 1916 when Kansas State essentially swapped head coaches withTennessee.^[25] Clevenger is in the College Football Hall of Fame for his playing abilities, but he was also recognized as a brilliant coach and administrator. Clevenger was followed as football coach in 1920 byCharlie Bachman, who stayed until 1927 and earned his way into the College Football Hall of Fame with his coaching prowess. Bachman was also responsible for permanently endowing Kansas State's sports teams with the nickname of "Wildcats." His successor,Alvin "Bo" McMillin, the coach from 1928 to 1933, is also in the College Football Hall of Fame as a player, but he too was a successful coach who, after leaving Kansas State, was recognized as national collegiate coach of the year and then served as head coach for two NFL teams. After McMillin left, Kansas State hiredLynn "Pappy" Waldorf, who was also later enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.

With this combination of coaches and players, Kansas State enjoyed what would be its last streak of sustained success on the football field for 60 years. In 1931, the football team was on track for a potential bid to the Rose Bowl, the sole bowl game in the country at the time, until Ralph Graham was injured. In1934, Kansas State won its first major conference football championship. That same year, theNew York Times referred to Kansas State as "an established Middle Western leader."^[26] But then Waldorf abruptly left forNorthwestern after the season, and the winning stopped. In the midst of the period, the MVIAA split up. In 1928, six of the seven state schools in the MVIAA, including Kansas State, banded together in a conference that retained the MVIAA name. This group would evolve into theBig Eight Conference. Over the next 60 years, Kansas State would experience very little success on the football field. According to longtime Wildcat radio announcer Dev Nelson, part of the problem was that Kansas State was one of the few major schools that didn't make a significant investment in its football program after World War II.^[27] Indeed, for many years the Wildcats spent far less on football—and athletics as a whole—than any Big Eight school. For example, in 1987–1988, the University of Oklahoma (the conference's second smallest school) spent $12.5 million on athletics while Kansas State spent $5.5 million.^[27] Reflective of the mid-century futility was a 28-game losing streak from 1945 to 1948, the second-longest in NCAA FBS history. Kansas State also had losing streaks of 18 and 17 games in the 1960s. In the middle of posting a 0–10 record in the1947 season, the Kansas State program slipped below the .500 all-time winning percentage, where it has remained since. However, there were a few shining moments during these decades. (the first televisedhomecoming game),^[28][29] losing to Nebraska 25–9.^[30]

In the mid-1950s, head coachBill Meek started to rebuild the program he took over in 1951.^[31] In1953, Kansas State posted a 5–3–1 record, the school's first winning season sinceWes Fry's 1936 team. Upon starting that season 5–1, K-State also made the school's first appearance in the top 20 polls for college football, at No. 18 in theCoaches Poll on October 28, 1953. The following year was even better, with Kansas State posting a 7–3 record and playing for anOrange Bowl berth in their final game. But Meek left Kansas State following the1954 season, when the school refused to give raises to his assistants.^[32]Bus Mertes got his first college head coach position as the 24th head football coach for theKansas State Wildcats inManhattan, Kansas, and he held that position for five seasons, from 1955 until 1959.^[33] His coaching record at Kansas State was 15 wins, 34 losses, and 1 ties. As of completion of the 2007 season, this ranks him tenth at Kansas State in terms of total wins and 19th at Kansas State in terms of winning percentage.^[34] In seven seasons at Kansas State, CoachDoug Weaver compiled an 8–60–1 record.^[35] His final two seasons went without a win. His 1961 and 1962 teams posted a losing streak of 18 games—tied for the 20th-longest streak in college football history.^{[citation needed]} Weaver's best season at K-State came in 1964, when his team went 3–7,^[36] with the three wins coming by a combined six points, but he retained his sense of humor. According to aSports Illustrated article, after he was hanged in effigy at K-State, he said: "I'm glad it happened in front of the library. I've always emphasized scholarship." He was fired following the 1966 season. His career record was 8–60–1 including a 4–43–1 record in conference play.

In the late 1960s, coachVince Gibson also briefly started to turn the program around.^[37] Behind sophomore quarterbackLynn Dickey, the1968 squad earned the school's first ranking in theAP Poll and shut out theUniversity of Nebraska in Lincoln for the school's first victory over NU in a decade. That same season, Kansas State also moved into newly built KSU Stadium, currently named The Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The1969 season was even better. The team started 2–0 before second-rankedPenn State University arrived to play inManhattan, Kansas. Penn State would ultimately finish the1969 season undefeated, but Kansas State provided them with one of their toughest tests in a 17–14 game. Following the loss to Penn State, Kansas State reeled off three straight victories, including a win over defending conference championKansas in the firstGovernor's Cup game, and a 59–21 blowout of 11th-rankedOklahoma, which was Kansas State's first win over OU since1934. (It was also the largest loss in Oklahoma's history.) After the Oklahoma game, Kansas State sported a 5–1 record and a No. 12 national ranking in the AP Poll. This was the high point of the season, as the team lost its last four games to finish 5–5. Nevertheless, in only his third season, Gibson had dramatically improved the program.

Prior to the1970 season, Gibson was named the pre-season national coach of the year byPlayboy Magazine. The season that followed was up-and-down but ultimately disappointing despite a winning record and a second-place finish in the Big Eight. Kansas State won at Oklahoma and defeated eighth-rankedColorado, but the season was soured by non-conference defeats and a blow-out loss to Nebraska in the final conference game of the year with the conference title on the line. The worst news of the season came on October 7, 1970, when the conference issued severe sanctions against Kansas State for recruiting violations. The Wildcats were placed on three years' probation, including a one-year ban from bowl games and live television. Gibson would never have another winning season, and left the school in 1974. He later said that the sanctions—the product of what he called an immature quarrel between himself and Jayhawks coachPepper Rodgers—destroyed everything he'd built over his first four years.^[38]

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Wisconsin assistant coachEllis Rainsberger returned to his alma mater to serve as head football coach from 1975 to 1977.^[39] He started his tenure there winning his first three games, but ultimately compiled a record of 6–27.^[40] Rainsberger left Kansas State with the program placed on probation for giving too many scholarships.

Before and after his tenure as head coach at Kansas State, Rainsberger served as an assistant coach and coach for numerous teams in the United States and Canada. Prior to joining Kansas State, he worked at the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin. After leaving Kansas State, he served as the offensive coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) and became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL) midway through the 1984 season.^[41]

While at Kansas State, it was found that he had awarded scholarships to 43 players, exceeding the limits set by the NCAA, which resulted in the program being penalized. In addition, in 1977, the university received a second NCAA sanction for fielding two varsity players under different names in a junior varsity (JV) game; both incidents were widely covered in the press at the time.^[42]

By the end of his tenure at Kansas State, the team had gone three consecutive years without a win in the Big Eight Conference. Rainsberger left his position with an overall record of 6–27 and no conference victories. His time at the helm is considered one of the most challenging periods in the program’s history.^[42]

In addition to football, Rainsberger also competed on the wrestling team at Kansas State. Over the course of his career, he not only developed athletes but also worked as a professional scout in the NFL for teams such as the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins.^[43]

The NCAA violation and scholarship overage during Rainsberger’s tenure were regarded as among the harshest penalties in American college football at the time. Kansas State’s prolonged lack of success in the years that followed underscores how critical that period was for the program.^[42]

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The Wildcats wouldn't have another winning season until 1982, whenJim Dickey led a redshirt-laden roster to the1982 Independence Bowl—the first bowl appearance in school history.^[44] However, Dickey was unable to sustain the momentum, and suffered back-to-back three-win seasons in 1983 and 1984.^[45][46] After the team opened the 1985 season with two consecutive losses to I-AA teams,^[47] Dickey was forced to resign,^[48] leaving Kansas State with a record of 24–52–2.^[49]

When Dickey took over Kansas State in 1978, he led the team through a major rebuilding process. In the 1981 season, he redshirted 18 players—eight of them seniors—with the aim of building a stronger roster for the following year (1982). This move was extraordinarily bold and risky for its time, serving as a testament to Dickey’s innovative approach to game strategy. He also drew attention by attempting, for the first time in K-State history, an offensive scheme similar to the spread offense—a system that would become widespread in college football in the years to come.^[50]

One of Dickey’s greatest strengths was the close and genuine relationships he built with his players. Both players and assistant coaches often emphasized his success in personal interactions and his ability to empathize. His ease in communication and sense of humor helped keep the motivation of both players and staff high. In addition to hard work, he enriched the team’s atmosphere through social activities.^[50]

In the 1982 season, by defeating Colorado 33–10, the team earned the school’s first-ever bowl invitation (the Independence Bowl), proving just how wise Dickey’s risky redshirting decision had been. This achievement became a source of motivation for the coaches who followed in later years. Subsequent head coaches, including Bill Snyder, cited the path paved by Dickey’s 1982 roster as a reference point.^[50]

Many assistant coaches and players who worked under Dickey went on to continue their careers as head coaches in later years. Figures such as Dennis Franchione and Gary Darnell rose through the coaching ranks thanks to Dickey’s mentorship. As a strong leader, Dickey had a management style that inspired trust in his staff and allowed them the freedom to make their own decisions.^[50]

At the end of Dickey’s eight-year tenure at Kansas State, he was dismissed in 1985 following back-to-back losses to lower-division teams. Even after his departure, he never cut ties with the school or his former players; in the spring of 2017, he returned to the Kansas State campus one last time as an honored guest, remembered for his words: “K-State was the brightest period of my life.”^[50]

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In 1986,Marshall head coachStan Parrish was hired as K-State's head coach.^[51] Parrish was unable to sustain any sort of success, posting yearly records of 2–9, 0–10–1,^[52] and 0–11.^[53] The Wildcats bottomed out by going on a 27-game winless streak (0–26–1) that began in October 1986. Following back-to-back winless campaigns, Parrish resigned under pressure after the 1988 season.^[54] By then, Kansas State had become the first program in Division I-A (FBS) to lose 500 games and had the worst overall record in the nation. In 93 years of play, the Wildcats had gone 299–509–41 (.370).^[27]

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Things changed in 1989, when the athletic department hiredIowa's offensive coordinator,Bill Snyder, to replace Parrish as head coach. Snyder took over a program that had the worst record in NCAA Division I-A (FBS) history at the time and had gone 27 consecutive games without a win (0–26–1) dating to October 1986.^[27] From 1935 to 1988, the last year before Snyder's arrival, Kansas State had won 137 games in total. Since the 1982 Independence Bowl season, the Wildcats had won a total of seven games. Snyder then presided over one of the most successful rebuilding projects in the history of college athletics, ultimately earning enshrinement in theCollege Football Hall of Fame for his work at Kansas State.

Considering the dreadful state of the program he'd inherited, Snyder made the Wildcats respectable fairly quickly. In his third year,1991, Snyder's Wildcats finished 7–4 and narrowly missed receiving the school's second bowl bid ever. The team also finished with a winning record in conference play for only the third time since winning the conference title in1934.

In Snyder's fifth season in1993, Kansas State played in the1993 Copper Bowl, only its second bowl bid ever. They then poundedWyoming 52–17 to tally the first bowl win in school history, breaking one of the longest such droughts in Division I-A at the time. Success and high rankings continued over the next decade, including six top-ten finishes in theAP Poll and four consecutive 11-win seasons from 1997 to 2000. The latter included a perfect (11–0) regular season in1998 (before stumbling in theBig 12 Championship Game againstTexas A&M). The game ended on a controversial play in double-overtime, with Sirr Parker being credited a touchdown despite video replay clearly indicating his knee down at the one yard line.

As the team improved, recruiting also improved, in large part because Snyder began tapping the rich talent base in Kansas' junior college system. Snyder was able to bring in athletes such as quarterbackMichael Bishop, the runner-up for theHeisman Trophy in1998, and running backDarren Sproles, who led the nation in rushing in2003 and holds the Big 12 record for all-purpose yards in a career. The run of success culminated in aBig 12 Conference championship in 2003 with a 35–7 victory over the No. 1 rankedOklahoma. (The 69 years since the last conference title in 1934 was the longest span between football titles in Division I history.) In his first 17-year stint as head coach at K-State, Snyder won 136 games—as many as his predecessors had won from 1935 to 1988—and led Kansas State to 11 consecutive bowl games (1993–2003), including six wins. Snyder's legacy at K-State during his first term also included winning or sharing four Big 12 North titles (1998,1999,2000,2003) and six 11-win seasons.

In 1998, Snyder was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by theAssociated Press and theWalter Camp Football Foundation, and was awarded theBear Bryant Award and theBobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.^[55][56] Snyder was also selectedBig Eight Conference coach of the Year by the Associated Press three times (1990, 1991 and 1993), joiningBob Devaney as the only two men inBig Eight history to be named Coach of the Year three times in a four-year period. Snyder was namedBig 12 Conference coach of the Year twice during his first term, in 1998 (Associated Press, coaches) and 2002 (coaches). The winning attitude under Snyder was represented by a stylized wildcat, called the "Powercat" (shown in the infobox), that was added to the football team's uniforms in 1989.^[57] The emblem became so popular that by the late 1990s it had essentially replaced "Willie the Wildcat", a character designed by art department students in the late 1950s.

On December 5, 2005,Ron Prince was hired as the 33rd head football coach of the Kansas State Wildcats.^[58] Prince was formerly the offensive coordinator atVirginia. In2006, Prince's first year at the helm of the Wildcats, he led Kansas State to a 7–6 record and the team's first winning season since2003. The signature win of the regular season was a 45–42 upset overNo. 4-ranked University of Texas on November 11, 2006. Kansas State finished the season with a 37–10 loss to theScarlet Knights ofRutgers University in the inauguralTexas Bowl on December 28,2006.

In Prince'ssecond season, the team featured standout quarterbackJosh Freeman and receiverJordy Nelson, but still slipped to a 5–7 record. Coach Prince got the2007 team off to a quick start, with a 3–1 record and a No. 24 ranking in theAP Poll after four weeks—the first ranking for Kansas State since the 2004 season. This start included another victory against atop 10-ranked Texas team, this time by 20 points.^[30] However, in the next four games, the team alternated wins and losses and fell from the Top 25. Four straight losses followed to close out the season. The2008 season was Ron Prince's third at Kansas State. Coach Prince led the2008 team to another 5–7 record. With three games remaining in the season, on November 5, 2008, the school announced that Ron Prince would not return as Kansas State head coach in 2009. Ron Prince finished his career at Kansas State 0–9 against Kansas State's biggest rivals (Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri)^[59]

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On November 23, 2008, in a surprising move, Kansas State University announced thatBill Snyder was coming out of retirement and was hired to replace Ron Prince as head coach.^[60] Snyder initially received a 5-year, $1.8 million contract.

In2009, Snyder led the team to a 6–6 record, going 4–4 in Big 12 play,^[61] and falling one game short of winning the Big 12 North. The team failed to make a bowl game for the third consecutive season. Following a loss toNebraska Cornhuskers football atMemorial Stadium on November 21, 2009, Kansas State became the fourth FBS teams to lose 600 games, joiningNorthwestern,Indiana, andWake Forest.^[62] Snyder led the2010 team to an improved 7–6 record, with a 3–5 record in conference play,^[63] good for third in the North division. The season ended with a loss toSyracuse in the2010 Pinstripe Bowl—K-State's first bowl appearance sinceRon Prince led the school to the2006 Texas Bowl.

In2011, Coach Snyder led the team to a 10–3 record, a second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference, and a No. 15 ranking in the final AP Poll.^[64] The team finished the season with a loss to the No. 7Arkansas Razorbacks in theCotton Bowl. It was the first 10-win season and first top-20 ranking for Kansas State since the2003 season. After the season Snyder was named theWoody Hayes Coach of the Year and theSporting News National Coach of the Year, as well as the Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year. In 2012, Snyder's Wildcats won the school's sixth conference football championship, and first since 2003. Kansas State also earned the school's first No. 1 ranking in theBCS standings after starting the season 10–0, before falling toBaylor in its 11th game of the season.^[65][66] The Wildcats earned the conference's automatic berth in the2013 Fiesta Bowl, where the team lost to the No. 5Oregon Ducks, 35–17. After the season, Coach Snyder was named the conference coach of the year for the seventh time in his career.^[67] He also was awarded theBobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award for the second time.^[68] He andJoe Paterno are the only two-time winners of the award.

In 2013, after completing the regular season with a 7–5 record, the Kansas State Wildcats returned for a bowl game for the fourth straight year, were selected to play in the 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl and played the Michigan Wolverines.^[69] Winning this game, Kansas State snapped a five-game bowl losing streak, beatingMichigan in theBuffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 31–14.^[70] On January 31, 2013, it was announced that Snyder's contract was extended through the 2017 season.^[71] In2014, the Wildcats were led to a 9–3 record by Snyder with losses toAuburn of theSEC,Baylor andTCU, finishing third in the Big 12. The Wildcats had been ranked inall polls with the highest ranking in the newCollege Football Playoff rankings atnumber 7. Kansas State became bowl eligible after winning its sixth game againstTexas on October 25. The No. 11 Wildcats were invited to the Alamo Bowl where they fell to No. 14UCLA inSan Antonio, Texas, 40–35.

On December 2, 2018, Bill Snyder announced his second retirement from coaching college football.^[72] The turnaround of the Kansas State football program between Snyder's initial arrival in 1989 and second retirement in 2018 is widely regarded as one of the most remarkable in college football history.^[73][74] He retired as the twentieth-winningest head coach in college football history.^[75] Snyder finished his career with Kansas State with 215 victories and two Big 12 championships.^[76] He has accounted for over 40 percent of Kansas State's all-time wins as of the completion of the 2018 season.^[77]

On December 10, 2018, following Bill Snyder's decision to retire again,North Dakota State head coachChris Klieman was announced as the new Kansas State head football coach.^[78] Both schools agreed that Klieman would remain at NDSU while the Bison were participating in the FCS playoffs, then take over as Wildcats head coach once the Bisons' season ended.^[79][80] When he was hired by K-State, Klieman signed a six-year contract worth over $2 million annually excluding incentives.^[81][82][83]

The Wildcats exceeded expectations in Klieman's first season, finishing with an 8–5 record which included a CFP rank as high as No. 20, a win over No. 5 Oklahoma,^[84] and aLiberty Bowl berth, where they lost toNavy.^[85] During the 2020 season, Chris Klieman led Kansas State to a 4–6 season and 4–5 in the Big 12, which is good for 7th in the Big 12 standings. The 2020 season was shortened by Covid. On October 5, 2020, K-State and Chris Klieman agreed to a new contract worth $23.5 million over the course of the deal excluding incentives.^[86] In the 2021 Season, Chris Klieman and the Wildcats had a bounce back season and ended the season 8–5 overall and another 4–5 in the Big 12. Kansas State beatLSU in theTexas Bowl. In the 2022 season, Kansas State went 10–4 overall and 7–2 in the Big 12. The Wildcats beat then-undefeatedTCU to win the2022 Big 12 Championship. The team was selected for the New Year Six Bowl; theSugar Bowl, however, lost to a 10-2Alabama Crimson Tide team. Chris Klieman has 39–24 (62%) overall record and 26–19 (57%) in the Big 12. On May 15, 2023, Kansas State University and Chris Klieman agreed to a new eight-year contract worth $5.5 million annually excluding incentives.^[87]

Klieman led the Wildcats to a 9–4 record in 2023.^[88] They began the season on September 2 with a 45–0 shutout victory over FCS opponentSoutheast Missouri State.^[89][90] After a 42–13 victory overTroy the following week,^[91] K-State suffered their first loss of the season in a 30–27 contest against Missouri on a 61-yard field goal as time expired.^[92] After a 44–31 win overUCF the next week,^[93] Klieman's team lost 29–21 to Oklahoma State.^[94][95] The Wildcats then reeled off three straight wins; 38–21 over Texas Tech,^[96] 41–3 over TCU^[97] and a 41–0 shutout over Houston.^[98] On November 3, Kansas State dropped a 33–30 heartbreaker to Texas in overtime.^[99][100] After a 59–25 win over Baylor^[101] and a 31–27 victory over archrival Kansas,^[102] the Wildcats closed the regular season with a 42–35 loss to rival Iowa State.^[103] Kansas State accepted a berth in the2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl, where they defeatedNC State by a score of 28–19.^[104]

• Independent (1893–1898)
• Kansas College Athletic Conference/Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1899–1912)
• Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1913–1927)
• Big 6/7/8 Conference (1928–1995)
• Big 12 Conference (1996–present)

Kansas State has won seven conference championships, six outright and one shared.

† Co-champions

Kansas State has won four division championships, all within the Big 12 North.

† Co-champions

Kansas State has appeared in 26bowl games, posting an overall record of 12–14. The team's most recent appearance in a bowl game was a 44-41 win againstRutgers University at the2024 Rate Bowl inPhoenix, Arizona

The team's first bowl game was the1982 Independence Bowl, under coachJim Dickey. The Wildcats lost to theWisconsin Badgers 14–3 in that contest. The team's next bowl game came in1993 when Kansas State began a streak of 11 straight bowl appearances under coachBill Snyder that lasted through the2003 season. This is the 21st-longest bowl streak in college football history.^[105]

Kansas State has been invited seven times to one of the "New Year's Six" major bowl games (theRose,Sugar,Fiesta,Orange,Cotton, andPeach Bowls), including appearances inBCS andBowl Alliance games.

Not included in this tally of bowl games is Kansas State's first "post-season" game, played in 1931 againstWichita State as a fundraiser during theGreat Depression.^[8] Kansas State won that game 20–6. Also not included is the 1992 "Coca-Cola Bowl" played in Tokyo, Japan, againstNebraska, which was a regular season game.^[10]

† The Cactus Bowl includes in its history Kansas State appearances in the Copper Bowl (1993), the Insight.com Bowl (2001), the Buffalo WildWings Bowl (2013), the Cactus Bowl (2017), and the Rate Bowl (2024).

Kansas State University has finished in the final rankings of theAP Poll orCoaches Poll on 15 occasions throughout its history, including six top-10 finishes. TheAP Poll first appeared in 1934, and has been published continuously since 1936. TheCoaches Poll began in the1950–51 season.

In addition to the major polls, theBCS produced rankings from 1998 to 2013, to help select teams for BCS Bowls. The final BCS standings were issued before bowl games. Beginning in 2014, theCollege Football Playoff committee began issuing rankings to determine which teams were selected for the playoffs.

Kansas State spent four weeks ranked No. 1 in mid-season Coaches Polls during the1998 season, and one week ranked No. 1 in the mid-season BCS standings during the2012 season, but has not finished with a No. 1 ranking in a final poll.^{[106][page needed]}

Kansas State's first official playing field was an open public square in Manhattan located at Bluemont Avenue and 8th Street, which it began using in 1897.^[4][9] The square hosted Kansas State baseball games and track meets in addition to football contests.^[9] The first improvements built at this site were a wooden fence around the square and a wooden covered grandstand, erected in 1901.^[9] A new grandstand was built in 1906, along with a small locker room.^[9] Seats for football games in the new grandstand were reserved with a charge of $1.00 for the season, plus the admission fee for each game.^[9] Construction of Bluemont Elementary School on that plot of land forced Kansas State to move its athletics on campus beginning in 1911.^[4][9]

The on-campus football field was located at the southwest corner of the campus and was namedAhearn Field in honor of former coachMike Ahearn, who had led the football team to a 10–1 record in its last season at the prior field. The covered wooden grandstand and locker room from the old field were moved and used at Ahearn Field.^[9]

In 1922, Kansas State opened the first section ofMemorial Stadium on the location of Ahearn Field, at a cost of $500,000USD. The stadium's name was a tribute to Kansas State students who died in World War I. It had a seating capacity of 17,500 when completed, although attendance sometimes exceeded 20,000. By 1967, the school's allegiance outgrew the old stadium, and the team moved toKSU Stadium in 1968.

KSU Stadium opened its doors September 21, 1968, with a 21–0 victory overColorado State. It was renamed Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium after former head coachBill Snyder originally retired at the end of the2005 season.

The original stadium had a seating capacity of 35,000. In the summer of 1970, an expansion added 4,000 permanent bleachers on the east side and 3,000 temporary bleachers on the west side. Following the 1998 season, the addition of an upper deck and sky suites on the east side increased the stadium’s capacity to over 50,000.

In2013, Kansas State opened an entirely new West Side Stadium Center, including a new press box, additional luxury seats, and areas for student-athlete uses (including a dining area). The exterior of the West Side Stadium Center is faced withlimestone and features two towers with decorativebattlements. In August2015, Kansas State finished a $69 million renovation to the north end zone (Vanier Football Complex). It includes a new student study area, an 1,800 square foot locker room, and a 10,000 square foot weight room as well as new coaches offices, seating, and a new team entrance area. It also features a limestone facade on its exterior similar to the rest of the K-State campus

Kansas State's final stage of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium master plan was completed prior to the2021 football season with the addition of the Shamrock Zone on the south end of the stadium. This addition connects the stadium's south endzone luxury seating to Bramlage Coliseum; known as the Legends Club.

Kansas State’s longest home winning streak at the stadium was a 26-game run between 1996 and 2000. On November 11, 2000, a crowd of 53,811 spectators witnessed Kansas State’s 29–28 victory over Nebraska. This remains both the largest attendance in the stadium’s history and the highest recorded crowd for any collegiate sporting event in the state of Kansas.

Colorado leads the series 45–21–1. Both former Big 8 and Big 12 rivals Kansas State played annually against each other in all sports from 1948 to 2010.^[107]

In 2016,Colorado football announced a renewed rivalry series between Kansas State in a home-and-home series in 2027 and 2028.^[108] Following Colorado's announcement that it would rejoin the Big 12 starting in 2024, the two will likely play as regular conference opponents, earlier than the series that was previously scheduled.^[109] On November 1, 2023, the Big 12 announced the opponents for the 2024 through 2027 seasons, with Colorado and Kansas State scheduled to meet in 2024, 2025, and 2026.^[110]

Kansas State has playedIowa State every year since their first match-up in 1917, making it theeighth-longest active series in NCAA college football (102 straight years), and the longest never-interrupted series in college football history. The series record is the closest for Kansas State against any of its oldBig Eight Conference rivals, with Iowa State holding a 53–50–4 lead following the2023 game.

In 2009 and 2010, the two schools played neutral-site games atArrowhead Stadium inKansas City, Missouri, and fans and media adopted the name "Farmageddon" for the series. The name alludes to the two schools' agriculture programs. Kansas State University won the first "Farmageddon" game in Kansas City 24–23 in 2009, and won again the following year, 27–20. After 2010 the schools returned to playing on their campuses. Following the 2022 contest, K-State has won 26 of the last 33 games between the two schools.

Kansas State andKansas first played in 1902 and have faced each other every season since 1911, making this thesixth-longest continuous series in NCAA college football history (108 straight years).^[111][112] The two rivals compete annually for theGovernor's Cup trophy.

Neither school has had sustained excellence at the same time. The only time for a while that both schools met as ranked teams was in 1995, when the University of Kansas came into the game 7–0 and ranked No. 6 in theAP Poll, while Kansas State University was 5–1 and ranked No. 14. Kansas State beat KU 41–7 in that game. They had another ranked showdown in 2023, with #25 Kansas hosting #21 Kansas State in Lawrence. Kansas State won the back-and-forth game 31-27. KU leads the all-time series 64–54–5 after the2024 season. The University of Kansas disputes the series record because it does not acknowledge its forfeit of a 1980 victory.^[113]

Separated by 245 miles, these bordering state rivals have played 99 times dating back to their first meeting in 1909.^{[114][115][116][117]} The schools were members of the oldBig Eight Conference from 1928 to 1995 and the modernBig 12 Conference from 1996 to 2011.^[118] After Missouri left the Big 12 to join theSoutheastern Conference in 2012,^[119][120] the annual rivalry went on hiatus. However, on November 16, 2017, the teams agreed to a home-and home series in 2022 and 2023.^[121] As of January 2025, there are no future plans for the teams to meet again.

Kansas State andNebraska were conference rivals for almost a century, from 1913 to 2010. With only 135 miles separating the two schools, they were the closest cross-border rivals in the Big 8 and Big 12 conferences. The two schools played for the first time in 1911, and then played every year from 1922, making it one of the longest uninterrupted series in college football, until Nebraska moved to the Big Ten Conference in 2011.

All-time, Nebraska leads the series 78–15–2. Kansas State endured a 29-game losing streak against Nebraska from 1969 until November 14, 1998, when No. 1 Kansas State defeated No. 11 Nebraska 40–30. Following that victory, the series became more competitive, with Kansas State posting a 4–8 record over the final 12 years that Nebraska competed in the Big 12.

The1939 contest between the two teams was televised in Manhattan, becoming only the secondtelevised college football game. The 1992 contest was played in Tokyo, Japan, as theCoca-Cola Classic.

Kansas State also has a rivalry withOklahoma.^[122] The series between the border rivals was first contested in 1908 and has been played 103 times.^[123][124] Oklahoma has dominated K-State for most of the history of the rivalry, including winning 32 in a row over the Wildcats from 1937 to 1968.^[125] Oklahoma went 54–2 against Kansas State from 1937 to 1992.^[126] However, the series has been much more competitive since the early 1990s.^[126] The Wildcats won five in a row from 1993 to 1997 and have won 11 games over the Sooners since 1993 compared to Oklahoma's 14 wins over the same time span.^[127][128] The teams were members of the oldBig Eight Conference together from 1928 to 1995 and theBig 12 Conference from 1996 to 2023.^[129] However, the Sooners will be leaving the Big 12 for theSoutheastern Conference in 2024,^[130][131] and there are currently no future meetings scheduled. The all-time series record currently stands at 77–22–4 in favor of Oklahoma.^[132]

Theofficial color of the university is Royal Purple, which is highlighted in the officialfight song, "Wildcat Victory." Kansas State is one of a handful of colleges and universities to have just one official school color. The athletic department commonly uses white or silver as a complementary color.

The dominant color in Kansas State's football uniforms is Royal Purple. The team's home jersey is purple with white lettering, two white stripes around the sleeves, TV numbers on the shoulders, and a whitePowercatlogo under the collar. K-State's away jersey is white with purple lettering, two purple stripes around the sleeves, TV numbers on the shoulders and a purple Powercat under the collar. Both home and away pants are silver with a white stripe and purple trim down the sides, with a purple Powercat on the front left side of the pants. Theteam has worn these uniforms from 1989 to 2007, and from 2010 to present.

The uniforms underwent minor changes in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, the Wildcats introduced purple pants for road games, debuting them in the season’s first away game at Louisville. The team wore purple pants in every road game that year until the final road contest at Missouri, when they switched to gray pants. On November 15, 2008, Kansas State wore an all-purple uniform—purple pants with purple jerseys—at home against Nebraska, marking the first time the team had worn all-purple since 1988. For the Nebraska game, the Wildcats warmed up in their traditional purple jerseys with gray pants but emerged onto the field wearing the new purple pants.

Kansas State has had the same design on itsfootball helmets since 1989: silver with a dark purple Powercat logo on both sides, and a white stripe and purple trim from the front to the rear of the helmet. On each side of the helmet's stripe is the individual player's number. The word "Wildcats" is also written on the back of the helmet at the very bottom. But on Fort Riley Day 2013 there was purple digital camouflage on the helmets.

The official mascot for the Kansas State Wildcats isWillie the Wildcat. Willie appears at every football game, home and away, as well as every home men's and women's basketball games, volleyball games, and select baseball games. Willie does one push-up for each point the football team scores, which is followed by a "K!-S!-U! Wildcats!" cheer.

Since 1915, Kansas State has hosted an annualHomecoming event for its alumni in conjunction with a home football game. More recently, other events have also developed into traditions.

Once per year the school hosts "Fort Riley Day", when U.S. Army soldiers from nearbyFort Riley are given tickets to the game. During the game, the soldiers receive special recognition. Since 2008, the school's mascot, Willie the Wildcat, has donned digital US Armyfatigues in place of his usual football uniform for this game. The Fort Riley game often has high attendance numbers.

During KSU's annual "Harley Day", Willie wears a leather vest or jacket with leather chaps on top of his usual football uniform and rides into Bill Snyder Family Stadium on aHarley-Davidson motorcycle, followed by around 50 other K-State fans on motorcycles.

Kansas State also hosts an annual "Band Day" for area high school marching bands.

A number of slogans and nicknames are associated with Kansas State, including:

• "EMAW" is anacronym for "EveryMan a Wildcat." The full phrase dates back several decades to a time when it adorned the press box atAhearn Fieldhouse. The acronym has been in use since the 1990s, and it is said to symbolize that one is a part of the "Wildcat nation."^[133]
• CoachBill Snyder has established "16 Goals For Success" as a guide for the KSU football team.
• "Family" is the most recent slogan associated with the KSU football team. The slogan was popularized by Bill Snyder, and has appeared on the team's football helmet and on parts of the team's uniform.
• The "Lynch Mob" is a nickname for the Kansas State defensive team, dating back to the 1990s.^[134][135] The term has historical resonance becauseManhattan was well known for lynchinghorse thieves as a means offrontier justice during the town's briefWild West era in the 1860s.^[6]

In 1992, K-State installed a new press box and, with the support of two Ahearn Fund donors, Randy Shoemaker and John Badke, began a tradition that would become a hallmark of Wildcat games. After the public address announcer would announce the number of yards gained on a play, Shoemaker and Badke would yell and gesture, “Good for a Wildcat first down!” The announcer soon adopted the call, helping establish it as a K-State tradition. Now, following a Wildcat first down, the announcer says, “Good for a Wildcat first down,” and with the addition of the accompanying arm motions for first downs and touchdowns, the fans often complete the phrase themselves, making it a fully interactive tradition.

Former KSU quarterbacksLynn Dickey andSteve Grogan had their jersey number 11retired by the university to jointly honor both players. It is the only number retired by the football program.

In 2002, the athletic department inducted the first class into its Ring of Honor. The honored players' names and jersey numbers are on the facade of the east side of the stadium. The first class consisted of Dickey, Grogan,Sean Snyder,Jaime Mendez,Gary Spani, andVeryl Switzer.^[136]

In 2008, a second class was inducted into the Ring of Honor, consisting ofTerence Newman,Martín Gramática,David Allen, andMark Simoneau.^[137]

In 2015, a third class was inducted, consisting ofMichael Bishop,Jordy Nelson,Clarence Scott, andDarren Sproles.

In 2022, a fourth class was inducted, consisting ofLarry Brown,Ell Roberson,Darren Howard,Tyler Lockett,Arthur Brown, andCollin Klein.

Kansas State's football team has played in some pioneeringtelevised games, including:

• On October 28, 1939, Kansas State's Homecominggame against Nebraska was the second televised college football game ever.
• On December 11, 1982, theIndependence Bowl, featuring Kansas State against Wisconsin, was the first college football game televised live onESPN.
• On August 30, 2013, Kansas State's home game against North Dakota State was the second college football game televised live onFox Sports 1.

The following Kansas State players and coaches are in theCollege Football Hall of Fame (with induction year):

• Darren Sproles (2021)
• Charlie Bachman (1978)
• Mark Simoneau (2012)
• Bill Snyder (2015)
• Gary Spani (2002)
• Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf (1966)
• Michael Bishop (2023)

Kansas State players and coaches have won the following national awards:

Since 1936, theHeisman Trophy has been awarded to the most outstanding player in college football in the United States. Four Kansas State players have finished in the top 10 of the balloting.^{[citation needed]}

TheBig Eight Conference established a Conference Player of the Year award in 1967 and began giving separate offensive and defensive awards in 1971. The Conference Coach of the Year award was established in 1948. These awards continued into theBig 12 Conference era. The Big 12 also began awarding a Special Teams Player of the Year in 2005.

• Big 12 Athlete of the Year (all sports)

Collin Klein, QB – 2013

Tyler Lockett, WR – 2015

Since 1922, Kansas State has produced 35 players who have collected a total of 41 first-teamAll-American awards, including multiple-year winners.^[138]

Year	Player	Position	Consensus	Unanimous
1922	Ray D. Hahn	G
1931	Henry Cronkite	End
1934	George Maddox	T
1953	Veryl Switzer	Back
1970	Clarence Scott	CB
1976	Gary Spani	LB
1977	Gary Spani	LB	Y
1992	Sean Snyder	P	Y
1993	Jaime Mendez	S	Y
	Thomas Randolph	CB
1994	Chad May	QB
1995	Chris Canty	CB	Y
	Tim Colston	DT
1996	Chris Canty	CB	Y	Y
1997	Martin Gramatica	K	Y
1998	David Allen	RS	Y
	Michael Bishop	QB	Y
	Martín Gramática	K
	Jeff Kelly	LB
1999	Mark Simoneau	LB	Y
	David Allen	RS
2000	Mario Fatafehi	DT
	Quincy Morgan	WR
	Jamie Rheem	K
2002	Terence Newman	CB	Y	Y
	Nick Leckey	OL
2003	Darren Sproles	RB
	Nick Leckey	OL
	Josh Buhl	LB
2007	Jordy Nelson	WR	Y
2010	Corey Adams	LS
	William Powell	RS
2011	Tyler Lockett	RS
2012	Arthur Brown	LB
2014	Tyler Lockett	RS	Y
2015	Morgan Burns	RS
2021	Deuce Vaughn	RB	Y
2022	Deuce Vaughn	RB	Y
	Felix Anudike-Uzomah	DE
	Cooper Beebe	OL
2023	Cooper Beebe	OL	Y	Y

A number of other Kansas State players have received other All-American recognition or notable awards, including the following (second- and third-team All-Americans initalics):
Felix Anudike-Uzomah,Brandon Banks,Jonathan Beasley,Monty Beisel,Barrett Brooks,Cooper Beebe,Larry Brown,Jerametrius Butler,Rock Cartwright,Lamar Chapman,Andre Coleman,Jarrod Cooper,Lynn Dickey,Zac Diles,Maurice Elder,Josh Freeman,Yamon Figurs,Percell Gaskins,Steve Grogan,Mack Herron,Darren Howard,Collin Klein,Ben Leber,Ryan Lilja,Aaron Lockett,Kevin Lockett,Matthew McCrane,Jon McGraw,Damion McIntosh,Shad Meier,Ryan Mueller,Frank Murphy,Terry Pierce,Ell Roberson,Josh Scobey,Daniel Thomas,Todd Weiner,Rashad Washington,Jordan Willis,Ryan Young,Ty Zimmerman

Kansas State retired the 11 jersey, which honors bothLynn Dickey andSteve Grogan.^[139]

As of September 8, 2025, there are 15 former Kansas State players on NFL rosters.^[140]

• All-time records, regardless of conference; through 1/13/2025^[141]

• All-time records, regardless of conference; as of 9/29/2024^[141]

Announced non-conference schedules as of June 30, 2025.^[142]

• While Arizona and Kansas State are both members of the Big 12, their games was a previously scheduled non-conference game that will not count in the Big 12 standings

Wikimedia Commons has media related toKansas State Wildcats football.

• Official website

• Kansas State Wildcats football
• American football teams established in 1896
• 1896 establishments in Kansas

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