I couldn't be more proud of all 450 student-athletes plus all of our coaches and staff for the year that we have had - both on the playing field and in the classroom. Did you know that K-State is just the second Big 12 school and fourth major conference program since the BCS era began in 1998 to win league titles in football, men's basketball and baseball during the same academic year? Only Texas (2005-06), Stanford (1999-2000) and Louisville (2012-13) have accomplished the same feat. Click here for a Sports Extra story on the 2012-13 athletics season.
 
Fifty-six Wildcat student-athletes graduated this past weekend and we awarded many of them with their senior K-State rings during our annual spring graduation reception Friday evening. We then handed out five more rings to baseball seniors prior to Sunday's game and just completed a luncheon today for our rowing team graduates, who were away at competition this past weekend.

At today's luncheon several members of the K-State College of Architecture, Planning and Design were on hand to present the Henry Adams Medal to senior coxswain Samantha McCloud. This very special recognition is awarded to the highest ranking graduate of the College of Architecture, which happens to be K-State's highest nationally-ranked college! We congratulate Samantha and her teammates and also salute the faculty members for taking time to participate in the ceremony. It's another example of the supportive and caring environment provided by K-State's dedicated faculty. Click here for full coverage of graduation weekend!
 
Here are a few more updates from around the department:
 
Construction Update
The West Stadium Center construction continues to change rapidly on a daily basis as we close in on 100 days before the 2013 season opener! The project continues to run on schedule, and it is exciting to see the progress our construction managers Mortensen/GE Johnson make each day. Click here for the latest photo gallery of the project. Also, if you have driven past Bill Snyder Family Stadium this week, you will notice some work being done on the east side of the stadium. With the new lighting system put in place on the west side, we made the decision to replace the two light poles on the east side with new light standards that will be affixed to the top of the upper-deck structure. The addition of this lighting system will greatly enhance the stadium's appearance while tremendously improving the lighting levels, providing our fans, student-athletes and television viewers with a better viewing and playing experience!
 
Catbacker Tour Underway
Our annual 30-stop Catbacker Tour got underway last week with the "Western Swing" in Dodge City, Garden City, Scott City and Colby. When the tour is over in August, we will have traveled more than 8,500 miles visiting our terrific fans. The tour, a joint partnership between the athletics department and K-State Alumni Association, is one of the most unique and sustained programs of its kind in the country and we appreciate the grass-roots support of our entire fan base. Our passionate fans continue to buy tickets and sell out stadiums and arenas each year, and it is very important for us to go out and connect with them each summer. For information on each of the events or to follow the tour at each stop, visit Ahearn Fund.com
 
Last week was another extremely busy one - I enjoyed visiting with K-Staters in Houston and the DFW area Monday and Tuesday before making the trip to Scott City on Wednesday for the 50th K-State Fry! It was an honor to join alumni association CEO Amy Button Renz in presenting a special commemorative watch to long-time Scott City volunteer leader Dr. Jerry Doornbos.

Tuesday morning in Houston I enjoyed an early visit with 2010 graduate and former Wildcat hoopster Chris Merriewether whose career with Phillips 66 is off to a tremendous start - and that K-State work ethic is burning strong in Chris- the 6:30 a.m. breakfast time was his idea not mine!

Later that day I had the special opportunity to share dinner in Irving with our two current members of the PGA tour- Aaron Watkins and Robert Streb along with Robert's wife Maggie, herself a K-State grad. Aaron and Robert both played well later in the week in the Byron Nelson Classic, each missing the cut by just one stroke.

It was fascinating to hear more about the day-to-day grind of professional golf and their experiences. Aaron, Robert and Maggie (Aaron's wife Jessica was back in Phoenix with their 20 and 2 month old daughters!) are all passionate K-State fans and follow the 'Cats closely. If you are in the DFW area get out and follow them on the course later this week at the Colonial in Fort Worth.

Rowers Close Season Strong
The Wildcat rowing team closed their season on Saturday with a fifth-place team finish at the Conference USA Championships in Tennessee. The 1st Varsity 4 won its preliminary heat in the morning racing session to advance to the Grand Final where it the bronze medal, while the 1st Varsity 8 moved to the Grand Final by finishing third in its preliminary heat and sixth in the final. Individually, Allison Dorau earned all-conference honors following the weekend.
 
Track and Field/Tennis Eye Postseason Runs
Both our track and field and rowing programs have begun postseason competition as Coach Rovelto's squads head to Austin for NCAA Regional action before heading to Eugene, Oregon, for the NCAA Championships June 5-8. A strong contingent, including our four Big 12 Champions, will compete next week in Austin for a berth in the NCAA Championships. Meanwhile tennis duo Petra Niedermayerova and Karla Bonacic, following several weeks of preparation on our new outdoor tennis courts, will compete in the NCAA Championships this week in Illinois. Good luck to all of our student-athletes competing!
 
That will do it for today. Please continue to keep the victims of yesterday's storms in your thoughts and prayers. Have a safe week.

Go Cats!

John Currie

Also competing for the Big 12 title beginning this morning at 9:40 a.m. will be our rowing team in Kansas City. Good luck to all the K-State student-athletes in action this weekend!

It has been a busy and productive week, but I am definitely ready for my family to pick me up later this morning after American Eagle brings me into MHK on the 10:45 a.m. arrival. Here are a few highlights from my week on the road.

We started our Big 12 meetings on Tuesday in Phoenix, but I flew out of MHK through DFW into Tucson on Monday afternoon to see Arizona's nearly-completed football center and end zone expansion. My good friend and Arizona AD Greg Byrne gave me a comprehensive tour of their impressive facility, which is being built by Mortenson -- the same company that is teaming with GE Johnson to construct the West Stadium Center. Additionally, the UA building was designed by Heery, the co-designer of the WSC along with Kansas City's AECOM. It is always good to benchmark ourselves with our competition and get ideas for future phases of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium Master Plan.

Wednesday also included a branding discussion for all attendees and then the ADs and SWAs met with each separate coaches group. Discussion topics included a commissioner's report, NCAA regulations and reforms, scheduling windows, TV issues, post-season qualification, etc.

At the same Phoenix site, the Fiesta Bowl's annual college football meetings began and continued into Friday morning although I left early to head to Austin. In addition to connecting with other ADs, coaches, TV and bowl partners from around the country, a highlight was a Thursday morning session about concussions and player safety. There have been very significant advancements in the recognition and management of concussions in all sports, although football certainly is the most discussed activity. At K-State we believe that we have a highly advanced policy which we review and update twice yearly. Student-athlete safety and welfare is our No. 1 responsibility.

When the College Football Playoff selection formula is released later this year, expect a premium to be placed on road wins similar to that of the basketball RPI. We'll continue to need to plan future schedules carefully while we also strive to have seven home games every year we possibly can.

Of course with final exams upon us, the most important work is being done in Manhattan so here are some additional updates from around the department:

Big 12 Provosts to Visit Manhattan
K-State will play host this weekend to a special group of visitors as provosts from the league's 10 universities will visit campus to collaborate and build upon the academic unity of our conference. Provost April Mason will be a terrific host and help familiarize our league counterparts with K-State. One of the goals of President Schulz's K-State 2025 plan is integrated education, research and engagement, and among the activities planned for the weekend are tours of the Grain Science and Industry Complex, Biosecurity Research Institute and Beach Museum of Art. Click here for a full release.

National Publication Recognizes BTF
Every time I walk into the new Basketball Training Facility I can't help but smile. It is a world-class facility, and both of our basketball programs have reaped the benefits of this outstanding building. And others are noticing too - former Wildcat Mitch Richmond tweeted about the facility last month and now Signs of the Times magazine placed our facility second in the Exhibits/Murals/Banner category of the publication's national competition for its innovative design in the James and Laura Johnson Atrium and Berney Family Reception Center. Thanks to our partnership with world-renowned firms Populous and Dimensional Innovations, together we were able to bring the building to life with branded graphics packages, features and displays that help make this facility one of the nation's best. Click here for our full release.

Fan Experience Staff Finalist for National Award
Our 139 staff members pushing towards our vision of a model intercollegiate program are earning national recognition too. Following a year that saw record attendance at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and Bramlage Coliseum, as well as our 16 Goals promotional campaign that became an overnight internet sensation, our Fan Experience and Sales department has been named one of three finalists for the NACMA Marketing Team of the Year Award. Our terrific team is led by Associate Athletics Director Scott Garrett and Director of Fan Experience and Sales Joni Smoller, while Assistant Director of Fan Strategies Adam Prough, graduate assistants Bethany Cordell and Phil Lewicki, and an elite group of student interns comprise the staff. The winner will be announced at this summer's annual NACDA convention in Orlando.

Wildcat Equipment Manager Honored with Scholarship
More kudos are in order for one of our football equipment managers as Austin "Zach" Reinhardt was recently awarded one of five national scholarships from the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) for the upcoming school year. We appreciate the hard work of each of our student managers as well as the leadership provided by head athletic equipment manager Will Rodecap and football equipment manager Al Cerbe. It is important as a department we provide our student workers and graduate assistants with the training, tools and experiences necessary to have successful careers. Congrats again to Zach!

Tennis Duo Heading to NCAA's
For the first time since the 1995 season, our women's tennis program will be represented in both the NCAA Tennis Singles and Doubles Championships May 22-27, as junior Petra Niedermayerova earned her third straight appearance into the singles championships and will join her playing partner, senior Karla Bonacic, in the doubles championships. On another exciting topic regarding our tennis program, it was great to see our team practicing for the first time this week on their new playing courts near the Recreation Complex (click here for a photo). The new facility is going to be a tremendous addition to our program - stay tuned for more details!

Mark your Calendars for Tointon Action
Coach Hill's squad is currently just one game out of first place in the Big 12 race with three important series remaining. Support the 'Cats next weekend in Lawrence and then we look forward to a packed house at Tointon Family Stadium May 17-19 for our final home series of the season against league-leading Oklahoma.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and thank you for your continued support of K-State student-athletes!

Go Cats!


John Currie

Go Cats!


John Currie

Great Crowds Support Bat Cats in Sweep
We have a terrific baseball scene at Tointon Family Stadium, and this past weekend was a great example of how impactful our fans can be on the games themselves with the fourth-highest series attendance total in school history. A national FCS audience saw the Cats rally in the ninth inning Friday for a 6-5 win and our fans enjoyed a postgame fireworks show before two big wins on Saturday and Sunday. At 24-10 and 6-3 in Big 12 play, the Cats are receiving votes in the national polls this week heading into this weekend's series at Iowa. And speaking of our FCS telecasts, our progress with K-StateHD.TV, which has led to many of our in-house-produced events being aired live on the FOX platform, has brought terrific national exposure for our program and our university. Even former pro football star Troy Aikman has tuned in to watch some K-State baseball this spring thanks to our partnership with FOX!

Equestrian Picks Up All-America/Academic Honors Heading into Nationals
Our fifth-ranked equestrian team, coming off a runner-up finish at the Big 12 Championships, continues to see honors come its way as 17 student-athletes recently earned academic honors by the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA), while four others were named All-Americans. Congrats to Meredith Finch, Hannah Ribera, Rachel Webster and Kali Yates on all earning All-America status, giving the program 10 All-America selections over the past three years. Coach Lisabeth and the squad will next head to the NCEA National Championships in Waco, Texas, April 18-20.

Finally, both golf teams begin preparations for the Big 12 Championships later this month, while the rowing squad next heads to Tennessee for SIRA's. K-State will serve as the host institution at the men's golf championship at Hutchinson's Prairie Dunes Country Club April 22-24.

Best of luck to our teams in action this weekend which includes two tennis home matches Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. The location of the tennis matches will depend on the weather - you can follow k-statesports.com for updates. Baseball is scheduled for three games against Iowa, Friday and Saturday in Iowa City and Sunday at Principal Park in Des Moines, while our track and field teams will also send a strong contingent to Wichita on Saturday.

Thank you for your continued support of K-State student-athletes!

Go Cats!


John Currie

Football Season Tickets Remain on Sale
Early ticket sales for the football season have been terrific, with new season tickets orders for our eight-game home schedule well ahead of last year's pace. Be sure and take advantage now while they last and before Friday's Early Bird deadline and receive two free tickets to the April 27 spring game, a commemorative Big 12 Championship coin and $10 off the season ticket handling fee - click here for all of our ticket information.

Equestrian Garners Academic Honors/Big 12 Championships Up Next
Congratulations to 16 members of our No. 4 equestrian team for being named to the 2013 Academic All-Big 12 Team. Nine of those selections, seniors Sam Etsell, Meredith Finch, Katie Haukos, Larissa Laffey and Karen Riley, juniors Jordan Cox, Jesse Johnson and Rachel Webster and sophomore Madison Wayda, all earned first team honors. Coming off two big home wins over ranked opponents, the Cats head to Stillwater this weekend for the Big 12 Championships. Good luck to Coach Maxwell and her squad!

Baseball in Full Swing
We thoroughly enjoyed watching Coach Hill's baseball squad battle back from an early 5-2 deficit Tuesday night to take a big 10-8 win over traditional foe Nebraska. Now it's back to Big 12 play as the 17-8 Cats hit the road for the first time in 19 games for a series at Baylor beginning tonight at 6:30 p.m. The Cats will be looking to win their first two Big 12 series for the first time in league history this weekend after winning two-of-three from West Virginia two weeks ago. The series at Baylor continues Friday at 6:30 p.m. and concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. Catch audio of all three games by clicking here and Saturday's series finale can be seen on Fox College Sports. Come out to Tointon Family Stadium next week for another home game against the Cornhuskers on Tuesday, versus Nebraska-Omaha Wednesday, and then the weekend series against Texas Tech. Good luck to the Bat Cats!

Good Luck to Rowing and Tennis in Sunflower Showdown Match-up(s) Saturday!
The Sunflower Showdown is next for Coach Bietau and the No. 50 ranked tennis team as the Cats look for their fifth straight win in the series on Saturday in Lawrence. And after having a successful week in Texas on the water, the rowing team will look for its third straight win over KU at 10 a.m. Saturday in the annual Kansas Cup at Wyandotte County Lake Park in Kansas City. Good luck to both squads against the Jayhawks.

And, best of luck to both track teams this weekend as squads will be split between the Texas Relays and the ESU Spring Open in Emporia.

Thank you for your continued support. We'll see you in Bramlage tonight for our WNIT matchup with Ball State!

Go Cats!


John Currie

Go Cats!


John Currie

A full stadium for all our home contests is not only a tremendous advantage for our team. It is a huge difference maker which positively affects recruiting, and the national image of K-State, Manhattan and the state of Kansas. Thanks in advance for doing your part to help make Bill Snyder Family Stadium the true home of the "Best Fan Experience in the Big 12."

Speaking of BSFS, I toured the West Stadium Center yesterday along with former AD Max Urick and Mortenson/GE Johnson superintendent Justin Horsch (a graduate of K-State's nationally respected construction science and management program). I didn't have a video camera with me this time, but it is incredible to see the progress made over the last few weeks. More than 220 workers were on the job site yesterday! Construction is ON SCHEDULE and we'll be open on August 30.

And now on to a few more updates which includes a look back at an exciting four days of Wildcat action.

Memorable Senior Day for Chambers and White
Saturday's 68-62 women's basketball win over second-place Texas Tech provided a lasting memory for Brittany Chambers and Mariah White in their final home game as Wildcats as our senior duo led our injury-depleted seven-player K-State roster to the upset. And, did you see the 'Cats battle last night against No. 1 Baylor and Brittney Griner on FSN? Although the Bears were able to pull away in the last 10 minutes, we were proud of how Coach Patterson's squad executed and shot their way back into the game, trailing 63-60 with just 11 minutes left.

We especially encourage DFW K-Staters to head over to American Airlines Arena and join President Schulz and me for Friday night's Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball tournament opening-round game against the Texas Longhorns at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the arena or by clicking here.

Baseball Opens Home Slate with Sweep
Coach Hill and the Wildcat baseball team opened their home schedule this past weekend by sweeping three contests against Oakland to move to 6-3 on the year. Our operations and facilities crew did a terrific job getting the stadium prepared for play, and the crowds over the weekend were spirited both days despite chilly weather. You will have plenty of chances to see the Cats in action this month in a 19-game homestand that runs through March 26. Next action is today and tomorrow at 3 p.m. against Niagara. You can also listen and watch this week's games by clicking here.

Wait Sets K-State Pole Vault Record
Sophomore pole vaulter Kyle Wait traveled to Arkansas' Last Chance Meet last week with the hopes of qualifying for this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships. Not only did he accomplish that feat but he also returned to Manhattan with a new school record, clearing 5.45 meters! Kyle joins a group of five Wildcats heading back to Fayetteville this weekend for the NCAA Championships in Midwest Field Athlete of the Year Erik Kynard (high jump), Carlos Rodriguez (200m), Devin Dick (heptathlon) and Merryl Mbeng (pentathlon). Good luck to these student-athletes this weekend!

Women's Cross Country Team Earns National Academic Award
The women's cross country team followed up a strong season on the course with a team academic award earlier this month as they earned USTFCCCA 2012 Division I Cross Country Women's All Academic Team honors for the third straight year. More impressively, the team's 3.623 GPA was the highest among Big 12 cross country programs! Congrats to Coach Smith and each member of the Wildcat cross country team!

McGruder a Top 30 Candidate for Naismith Award
Senior Rodney McGruder continues to have honors roll in and he was recently named one of 30 candidates for the 2013 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Award. The team-leader in scoring, rebounding and field goals has been a terrific leader for Coach Weber this season and has meant so much to this program and university throughout his four-year career. And, it was great seeing our First Team Academic All-Big 12 member smartly knock in the game-winning three-point shot at Baylor which rolled repeatedly on SportsCenter all weekend long!

On a personal note, I want to thank our basketball seniors, Brittany, Mariah, Jordan, Martavious and Rodney. They were freshmen in the summer of 2009 as my family and I arrived on campus and it has been wonderful to see them grow as students, basketball players and leaders. And, they've helped K-State (and me) grow too! All five will graduate this spring, and I'm looking forward to following their post-collegiate careers.

Lastly, click here to see a short "last dance" video circulating campus. We'll see you tonight in Bramlage for the real thing!

Go Cats!


John Currie

Finally, Chad Weiberg and the Ahearn Fund staff tell me that annual gifts are once again on a record pace as we approach the March 1 priority deadline for football ticket and parking related contributions. Thanks so much to all the K-Staters who have remembered that "Membership Matters!" Feel free to forward this email to a friend who is not yet a member of the Ahearn Fund - they can click here to join for as little as $50 annually.

Time to cross a few more things off the list before heading down the hall to the game. Let's pack Bramlage tonight with Purple as we take on the Mountaineers!

Go Cats!


John Currie

National Signing Day is underway with faxes already rolling into the Vanier Complex as Coach Snyder welcomes the newest members of the Wildcat football program. Check k-statesports.com all morning for up-to-date signee bios and videos, and be sure to watch Coach Snyder's 2 p.m. Signing Day press conference live on K-StateHD.TV.

Last night Coach Weber's 13th-ranked squad captured another Big 12 road win at Texas Tech to improve to 18-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12, our best nine-game start in conference play since Michael Beasley wore a Wildcat uniform in 2007-08. And tonight our women's squad, coming off a tough double-overtime game against KU on Saturday, hosts Oklahoma in Bramlage at 7 p.m. The game can also be seen on Fox Sports Midwest and also world-wide on K-StateHD.TV!

Big News for a Key Department Leader
In case you missed it, here is a link to yesterday's national announcement that Reid Sigmon, our Senior Associate AD/COO, has been named the Chief Financial Officer for the new college football playoff and national championship organization. In his new role, which will begin in April 22, Reid will join Executive Director Bill Hancock in the group's new headquarters in Dallas. He will bring valuable on-campus perspective into what makes a post-season experience special for student-athletes, coaches and institutional fans as well as credibility and common-sense to the new era of post-season football including the championship game and the new semifinals and elite bowl placement system.

While Reid's daily presence will be missed dearly, I am very proud and excited for him to have this transformational opportunity. Reid was our first hire, arriving at K-State in July 2009 after directing the Tampa Super Bowl organizing committee. We simply cannot overestimate the impact he has had on the athletics program's re-organization and fiscal growth from a forecasted $2 million operating deficit four years ago to one now recognized nationally as a model of fiscal stability with a $59 million budget this year along with $100 million in ongoing athletic facility upgrades. Thanks to Reid we have a tremendous senior staff that will continue great leadership and support for our programs.

As I discussed in my letter last week, with success comes the fact that our people, both from an administrative and coaching standpoint, are noticed by others around the country for the great work they are doing in Manhattan, and, in turn, often are targeted by other organizations or programs. This is a compliment to K-State, our student-athletes, and fans, and further evidence of the progress being made towards our vision of being a Model Intercollegiate Athletics Program.

Go Cats!


John Currie

It's already been a busy week including two excellent days of Big 12 meetings and a big home basketball win over Texas, both of which we will review in a few moments, along with a few other topics from around the department.

However, I first want to share the very exciting news that later this morning we will be announcing that Coach Snyder has signed a new five-year contract that will solidify his services through the 2017 season. The new contract, which has an automatic rollover provision after the completion of each season mirroring the agreement signed in 2009, increases Coach's compensation to $2.75 million for the 2013 season, while annual increases of $100,000 will bring the five-year total to $14.75 million through the 2017 season. The new deal has been approved by the K-State Athletics, Inc., Board of Directors and President Kirk Schulz. Check k-statesports.com later this morning for our full announcement.

We are thrilled Coach Snyder has accepted this new contract and proud of the competitive improvement our team has made - both on the field and in the classroom - under his leadership. Coach Snyder's daily drive, focus and energy in continuing to build the K-State football program are truly remarkable and inspirational. While he is not one to focus attention on himself, President Schulz and I felt that it was important to recognize, in this very significant way, his tremendous leadership and commitment to continuing to lead the K-State football program.

Coach Snyder, our coaching staff and our student-athletes have done their part by representing the university in a first-class manner while also providing championship performances both on the field and in the classroom. Our fans have done their part by filling Bill Snyder Family Stadium every week, setting a national standard for post-season travel and investing in transformational projects such as the new West Stadium Center. Thanks to our K-State donors, over $100 million in facility improvements are currently ongoing to enhance our student-athlete and fan experience.

If you have driven by Bill Snyder Family Stadium lately you've seen the incredible progress being made. Even though the 2012 Big 12 Championship run seems like only a few weeks ago, the 2013 season will be right around the corner as we open the new West Stadium Center. Check back in the next several weeks for 2013 ticket information, and remember, we have eight home games this coming season!

Big 12 Moving Forward
As mentioned earlier, I was in the Dallas area Monday and Tuesday for excellent discussions with Commissioner Bowlsby and his staff and our athletic directors. It was a great dialogue about the pro's and con's of our current 10-member configuration and the national landscape, as well as discussion about the future of our post-season lineup. In the end, we are all very pleased with our membership, TV contracts and the incredible competition we have in the Big 12, but we are certainly paying very close attention to the national landscape. Click here to watch Commissioner Bowlsby's excellent summary comments.

President Schulz Elected to NCAA Executive Committee
After just 10 months of service and leadership on the NCAA Board of Directors, President Kirk Schulz was elected to the Executive Committee, which is the highest governance body in the NCAA and composed of institutional chief executive officers who work closely with NCAA president Mark Emmert on Association-wide issues. President Schulz has provided terrific leadership for Kansas State University and the Big 12 Conference, and strengthening the interconnectivity between intercollegiate athletics and campus communities through his roles with the NCAA is a key component to K-State to becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025. What a terrific and significant honor for our president and K-State! Click here to read the full press release.

Spirited Crowd Key in Win over Texas
Despite the snow and ice, an inspired crowd and rowdy student section played a pivotal role in last night's 83-57 win over Texas. Coach Weber saw multiple players step up and play big in the game, including Omari Lawrence and Thomas Gipson who came off the bench to score 12 and 17 points, respectively. At 16-4 and 5-2, the No. 18 Cats are now tied for second place in the Big 12 standings heading into Saturday's 5 p.m. ESPN2-televised game at 14-5, 5-2 Oklahoma. And, how about the standing ovation our Wildcat baseball team received during a first-half timeout as they prepare for the upcoming season, and then B.J. Finney, Ty Zimmerman and Tre Walker's inspirational comments as the 2012 Big 12 football champions were introduced at halftime!

Sunflower Showdown Saturday in Bramlage
The K-State women host KU on Saturday as Brittany Chambers continues her assault on the record books as one of the greatest producers in Wildcat history. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. and the game can be seen live on Cox 22 and Metro Sports. It's an especially great day to bring the kids or grandkids as Willie will be celebrating his birthday. Also, be sure and catch a special halftime presentation as Shalee Lehning will be honored by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) as a member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2013.

K-State teams on the road this weekend also include our #No. 6-ranked equestrian team on a season-opening trip to California, and our nationally-ranked track teams heading to a meet in Lincoln. Neb. Best of luck to all K-State student-athletes this weekend!

Again, thanks for all that you do in support of our student-athletes, and...

Go Cats!


John Currie

Today's holiday honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has special significance for K-State. As most K-Staters are aware, on January 19, 1968, Ahearn Field House was the site of Dr. King's last campus address prior to his assassination in Memphis.

Since arriving in Manhattan I've also learned that it was on the K-State football team that Harold Robinson in 1949 became the first African-American in the Big Seven Conference to receive an athletic scholarship, while Manhattan native Earl Woods, the late father of professional golfer Tiger Woods, later became the first African-American baseball player in the conference. Click here to read an excellent article from K-State's Division of Communication and Marketing about K-State's earliest African-American students.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and K-State is proud to have the most diverse student population in our history as well as the highest African-American student population of any four-year institution in the state of Kansas.

K-State's Office of Multicultural Programs and Diversity, led by Dr. Myra Gordon, provides terrific leadership in building an inclusive campus climate that fosters mutual understanding among diverse groups. Click here for more information on the university's multicultural programs.

K-State Students Welcomed Inside the BTF Today - How Big Will the Check Be?
Bruce and Megan Weber may be writing a big check for Coaches vs. Cancer later today as Coach has challenged all K-State students to several contests inside the brand-new Basketball Training Facility as part of the 75 years of March Madness Shooting Competition. From 4-7 p.m. K-State students will be able shoot a series of shots with Coach Weber donating $1 to Coaches vs. Cancer for every student who attends the event. Students will have one chance to make a free throw, a 3-point field goal and a half-court shot to benefit the charity and Coach Weber will donate $10 for each made free throw, $25 for each made 3-pointer and $100 for each made half-court shot. If a student makes all three shots (free throw, 3-pointer and half-court shot), Coach Weber will donate $1,000 to the charity!

Early Big 12 Lead on the Line Tuesday Night in Bramlage
We appreciate the boisterous Bramlage crowd and basketball lettermen that cheered on the Cats to a big win over Lon Kruger's tough Oklahoma squad Saturday. Tomorrow night, Coach Weber and the Cats welcome the Jayhawks to Bramlage for a 7 p.m. match-up of the Big 12's 4-0 co-leaders and highest nationally-ranked teams. We expect Bramlage to be rocking tomorrow night and encourage our fans, including our awesome student section, to ensure our environment is the best it can be. Students are reminded that wristband pickup begins at 8 a.m. inside Bramlage for the 1,000 whose attendance qualified for the priority lineup and early entrance in tiers 1, 2 and 3. That leaves tier 4 entry seating for an additional 3,000 student pass-holders and based on the last several years we do not anticipate turning any students away from tomorrow night's game! We appreciate the student government leaders who have worked together with our Fan Experience staff to improve the system and ensure that students can make their first-day classes AND be able to get to Bramlage to support the Cats! Students with questions regarding the student priority points system should contact Adam Prough in the Fan Experience Office at (785) 532-6650.

Tuesday Coaches vs. Cancer Lunch with Coach Patterson and Coach Weber
Coaches Weber and Patterson will host "A Coach's Crusade" luncheon to benefit Coaches vs. Cancer at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Kansas State Alumni Center. Luncheon attendees will hear testimonies from both coaches on how cancer has affected their lives and what motivates them to coach and give back to their communities. Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, or NABC, which empowers all sports coaches, their teams and their local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Once More Glance Back at the Fiesta Bowl Trip
Among the 40,000-plus members of the K-State Family who traveled to Arizona for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl were our awesome Pride of Wildcatland Band, Classy Cats and cheerleaders. I've received a number of wonderful notes from them over the last few weeks. Here is an excerpt from the note sent to me by Nathan Cottingham, a fifth-year senior band member:

"It sure means a lot to a simple trombone player from the Wichita area that the athletics department at a major university would be so willing to help get us to such a great game, so that we could have the honor and PRIDE of representing said university the best way that we know how. Thank you so much for your support."

We appreciate everyone that works to make K-State such a special and unique place! Thank you!

Kynard Recognized at Kansas Board of Regents Meeting
I had the privilege of accompanying Olympic silver medalist Erik Kynard to Topeka last week as he was introduced at January's Kansas Board of Regents meeting. We are so proud of what Erik has accomplished and how he has represented K-State and are even more proud that he has returned to school to finish his degree and continue his athletic career as a Wildcat. Click here for a full recap of our visit to Topeka. This past weekend Erik cleared 7-06.00 to set an NCAA standard and meet record - good luck to Erik and the rest of the track team this weekend as they travel to Ames, Iowa, for the Bill Bergen Invitational.

Lehning to Receive HOF Honor
Former Wildcat women's basketball superstar and current assistant coach Shalee Lehning will be recognized prior to our February 2 game against KU as a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association's (KSHSAA) 2013 Hall of Fame Class. Congrats to Shalee - click here for the full release.

Upcoming Events
Wednesday night Coach Patterson's women's basketball team returns to Bramlage for a Big 12 tilt vs. Oklahoma State tipping off at 7 p.m. Later this week Coach Rovelto and our nationally-ranked track squads will take a strong contingent to Ames, Iowa, while Coach Bietau and the tennis team will travel to Boston this weekend and battle William and Mary and Harvard. Good luck to all of our teams in action this weekend!

Let's pack Bramlage tomorrow night with purple as we take on the Jayhawks!

Go Cats!


John Currie

It was awesome to have ABC television star and K-State grad Eric Stonestreet in attendance at our pep rally, and I enjoyed hearing President Schulz's remarks on the progress towards K-State 2025. President Schulz also debuted an awesome video on upcoming campus improvements. Click here to see the video and learn more about these exciting steps forward as K-State heads towards the ranks of the top 50 public universities.

Pack the House on Saturday
Coach Patterson and the 10-5 Wildcats return to Bramlage Saturday for a 3 p.m. Big 12 tussle with West Virginia. The game is the annual "Pack the House" matchup as we look to fill Bramlage for the third consecutive year. K-State has won the conference's "Pack the House" challenge in each of the last two seasons, so come out and help make it three in a row! All tickets to the contest are $1 and selected concession items will also be available for just $1 each. Click here for more information and for a link to purchase tickets.

K-State puts 220 on Fall Big 12 Academic Honor Roll
While we root for our student-athletes and teams to perform at a championship level on the playing field, we are even more proud of their accomplishments in the classroom and community. Yesterday, 220 of our student-athletes were recognized as members of the Big 12 Fall Commissioner's Honor for earning a 3.0 or higher GPA during the season. Of those 220 student-athletes, 31 registered a perfect 4.0 this fall! We also had a total of 20 student-athletes from our football, volleyball and cross country teams earn Academic All-Big 12 honors this fall. We are proud of all these student-athletes and the commitment they have made to both academic and athletic excellence. Click here to read yesterday's press release - note the names of the 4.0 student-athletes!

Streaking Cats Get Ready for Road Trips to West Virginia and TCU
With the big home victory over then No. 22 Oklahoma State, the 'Cats have moved up to No. 18 in this week's AP poll. This Saturday presents a tough road test at West Virginia in a 12:30 p.m. Big 12 matchup against former Wildcat head coach Bob Huggins' Mountaineers. The game can be seen live across the Big 12 Network, and nationally on ESPN "Gameplan" while you can also listen to Wyatt and Stan on the K-State Sports Network and online at k-statesports.com. Congratulations are in order to Rodney McGruder on his third Big 12 Player of the Week accolade over the last five weeks after his performances against South Dakota and Oklahoma State. Rodney's incredible performance Saturday also earned him national accolades as ESPN's national player of the week.

For both our men and women's teams Big 12 road trips present a special opportunity for our national alumni base to support the 'Cats in person. Although we do not have the ability to sell road basketball tickets out of our ticket office, we encourage you to contact the host school for ticket information. Remember, the Big 12 races are wide open - and road victories are precious and even just a few hundred Purple clad fans can help bolster our teams. Here is information for our first two Big 12 trips to West Virginia and next Wednesday's game at TCU - I hope to see you there!

Department Staffers Promoted
I am proud of the staff we have here at K-State and pleased to announce the promotions of two department staffers, both of whom are key members of our leadership team and well-respected by all of our staff members. Scott Garrett, who has done a terrific job leading our ticket and fan experience offices, has been named Associate Athletics Director for Ticketing and Fan Strategies, while Missy Heidrick is now Senior Director of Development. Missy has been a key member of our Ahearn Fund staff and has been instrumental in the growth and development of the Ahearn Fund and National Leadership Circle. With 139 full-time staff members we have the smallest head-count in the Big 12 Conference but, just like our institutional heritage, I believe they work as hard and with as much maximum purpose and efficiency as any staff in the country.

Last night I had the fortunate opportunity to attend our annual track and field banquet. We simply have terrific student-athletes, from all over the country and world, in Coach Rovelto's program. Thanks to the recently opened Basketball Training Facility, we have been able to dramatically upgrade the office space for track and field and cross country by moving the staff into the former men's basketball offices in Bramlage. Previously our eight-person staff shared three offices and a reception area in Ahearn Field House. Now cross country coach Mike Smith and our assistant coaches all have their own offices! It is great seeing the staff and student-athletes more on a day-to-day basis. Currently there are 82 student-athletes in our track and field and cross-country programs - 46 of whom made the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll this fall - so these programs are a major percentage of our 458 overall K-State student-athletes. With the men ranked 22nd and women 35th in this week's national rankings we wish the good luck as they continue indoor season action Thursday in Lawrence at the Jayhawk Challenge.

The 2012 year was packed with accomplishments and excitement but we've turned the page and are ready to raise the bar in 2013. Thanks for what you do to help K-State Athletics continue to make tremendous across-the-board progress towards our vision of a model intercollegiate athletics program.

Let's plan to "Pack the House" Saturday at Bramlage!

Go Cats!


John Currie

It was good to be seated on the team plane yesterday among some of the 17 seniors (out of 27 total) who have already completed their K-State degree! Several Fiesta Bowl board members commented to me how well our university was represented as our team emerged from the plane in their grey slacks, ties and blazers. I am grateful to Coach Snyder, his staff and our captains for the leadership they provide.

Men's Basketball Back in Bramlage... Today!
The 'Cats are now 9-2 and ranked No. 25 in the national polls, but we need a great crowd this evening in Bramlage for the 6 p.m. tipoff vs. UMKC followed by Monday's 1 p.m. New Year's Eve matchup with South Dakota. Tickets for both games are still available for as low as $20 each, while fans can purchase four or more general admission tickets for $15 each with a group rate of $10 each for 12 or more tickets. Tickets can be purchased at (800) 221.CATS or online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets. You can see both games on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox College Sports and also on K-StateHD.TV for those outside the Fox Sports Midwest footprint.

In just a little while I'll be listening via our free radio internet broadcast at www.kstatesports.com to our women's basketball game at UC-Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. (CT). After a big win over UNLV last week Coach Patterson's charges stand at 8-3 and will then roll into Big 12 play with an opening game at KU January 2. Brittany Chambers has toughed through her recent injury and continues her assault on the K-State record books as a number of exciting young players such as second-leading scorer Haley Texada are emerging for the 'Cats.

K-State, Big 12 Bowl Week Gets Started!
It's exciting to get bowl week underway and we're glad to have the Big 12 off to a terrific start as Baylor handled No. 17 UCLA in the Holiday Bowl Thursday and Texas Tech beat Minnesota last night to move the league to 2-0. Here in Arizona we have a full week of activities on tap.

The three Big 12 games today include TCU's game tonight in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl right down the road in Tempe which we are excited to attend - it is not too often that I get to attend a game as a fan!

We already see evidence of the Purple Pride invasion and we are estimating that between 30,000 and 40,000 K-Staters will be here for the game. Congratulations and thanks are due, again, to our incredible fans as the 22,500-plus Fiesta Bowl tickets distributed through the K-State ticket office were tops in the Big 12 and third only to Stanford (Rose Bowl) and Ole Miss (Compass Bowl) for tickets sold through participating schools.

If you are traveling to Arizona be sure and attend the traditional K-State bowl pep rally, set for Wednesday, January 2 at Chase Field, home of the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks. Gates to the stadium will open at 1 p.m. MST with the pep rally set to begin at approximately 2 p.m. After last year's unbelievable turnout at Rangers Ballpark, I can't wait to see the stadium packed with purple once again! The pep rally is produced through a joint effort of K-State's award-winning Alumni Association, the KSU Foundation and the President's Office, along with K-State Athletics.

You can keep up with the 'Cats in Arizona at k-statesports.com as daily stories, photo galleries and videos will recap each day's events and activities.

Finally, 2012 has been an incredible year for K-State. On the field and in the classroom we are making tremendous progress towards our vision of a model intercollegiate athletics program, while Kansas State University accelerates towards the ranks of the top American public universities under President Schulz's visionary K-State 2025 plan.

Thanks to the generosity of Ahearn Fund members we are tracking towards another record-breaking fundraising year. Remember that you can contact the Ahearn staff via AhearnFund.com or toll free at 888-232-9074 if you need any assistance to complete a calendar year end gift and receive a 2012 gift receipt for tax purposes. The office, in Bramlage, will be open through the basketball game on December 31.

That's it for today! Enjoy your weekend, cheer for the 'Cats and the Big 12 and we'll plan to see you in Arizona very soon!

Go Cats!


John Currie

View Wedneday's photo gallery | Watch video recap from Wednesday

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Around 10:30 tonight at University of Phoenix Stadium, an era comes to an end.

It's about that time that No. 7 ... Collin Klein ... will take his final snap as a Kansas State Wildcat.

The hope is that it will come in an unprecedented 12th victory for a single K-State season, and a win that will make Klein the all-time winningest starting Wildcat quarterback with 23 victories.

That would be one more than Michael Bishop and Ell Roberson, who each lost in their final Wildcat game at the 1998 Alamo Bowl and the 2003 (season) Fiesta Bowl, respectively.

"He's been such a great leader for us and one that has created so many plays," said pass game coordinator Del Miller. "You really don't like to put such a load on one person, and we didn't necessarily try to, but so much of our offense came from keeping the ball in his hands."

Sponsored by the K-State Alumni Association, President's Office, KSU Foundation and athletic department, a crowd estimated at 20,000 cheered every K-State word and "wabashed" with the Wildcat cheer squads to the tunes of the K-State Marching Band.

Of the overall campus mood created by the football team, K-State President Kirk Schulz said, "This team has provided so much positive for us. It's hard to find someone associated with K-State, plus prospective incoming students, who doesn't know that we are playing in a major bowl game and will be watching us on television.

"Exposure like this is worth millions and millions of dollars," added Schulz. "People will watch us on TV, feel good about us, and then will get on their laptop or IPAD and search K-State to learn a little bit more about our university. This type of exposure is just incredible."

On hand to support his former school was K-State graduate and award winning actor Eric Stonestreet of "Modern Family."

Of the fan support for the Wildcats, Stonestreet said, "Other schools claim to have the best fans, but we have the facts to prove it. It's not a surprise to see this many people here, and I know they'll show up tomorrow night for our victory. There's no reason Oregon should get a snap count off without being bothered by our fans."

While it's football that brings Stonestreet to such events as bowl games, he said, "I am a fan of this football team. It's an area of interest for me, but I love the basketball team, I love the engineering department, I love the theater department ... I love all aspects of the university. It's where I figured out what I want to do in life and I've been fairly successful. I love telling everyone I can find how great of an institution it is."

Alumni Association President Amy Button Renz said K-State sold an estimated 1,700 travel packages that left Manhattan, Wichita and Kansas City, plus it is believed that game tickets were purchased by Wildcat fans living in over 40 different states.

After the pep rally, an estimated 2,400 fans took part in the "Bowl Bash."

LINE OF THE DAY: The funniest line of the pep rally was delivered by captain Ty Zimmerman, who poked a bit of fun at the colorful collection of uniforms worn by the Oregon Ducks.

"We're going to unveil our new uniforms tomorrow," quipped Zimmerman. "They're going to have a 'Tostitos' patch on the shoulder."

HUBERT ... AN UNSUNG WILDCAT: John Hubert just keeps plugging away for the Wildcats.

Last year the 5-7, 190-pounder pounded out 970 yards on 200 carries with an average of 4.8 yards per carry and a total of three touchdowns.

This year the Waco, Texas, product has 892 yards on 172 carries with a 5.2-yard per carry average and 15 touchdowns.

"We may not have used John quite as much this year because Angelo (Pease) stepped in and shouldered some of the load, but John had another great year for us," said run game coordinator Dana Dimel

With 1,890 all-time yards, Hubert ranks 10th in K-State history. That's just ahead of Corny Davis (1,873) and just in back of Eric Gallon (1,960)

ARIZONA-BASED BOWL GAMES have seen the Wildcats go 2-2. The wins came in the 1993 Copper Bowl over Wyoming and the 1997 Fiesta Bowl over Syracuse. The losses came in the 2001 Insight.com Bowl to Syracuse and the 2004 Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State.

ESPN will handle the telecast with the broadcast team of Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe.

WHAT'S GAME DAY LIKE FOR THE 'CATS?: In preparation for the 7:30 p.m. (central time) kickoff against the Oregon Ducks, K-State's players will have a 10:10 wake-up, followed by a breakfast and team meetings, prior to a team walk.

A 3:20 chapel service will be followed by a 3:40 team meal and a team quiz on the game plan at 4:05 prior to leaving for the stadium at 4:40, which is a 40-minute drive.

Players start stretching on the field at 6:02 - no, not 6:01 or 6:03, but 6:02 - before the team breakdown at 6:40.

Players will be seated and ready for coach Snyder to address the team at 7:16, lights out for meditation at 7:18, the 'Purple Get Ready To Roll' chant at 7:19, and the team hits the field at 7:21.

TODAY'S MESSSAGE: 'BEAT THE OREGON DUCKS!!!!!'

View Tuesday's photo gallery | Watch video recap from Tuesday

PHOENIX, Ariz. - September 15, 2009: Louisiana 17, Kansas State 15.

It was on that day, and against that team, and by that score, that Braden Wilson was introduced to losing.

"Honestly, it didn't hit me that hard," said the Wildcat fullback. "It was just on to the next game."

In Wilson's prep career at Smith Center (Kan.) High School that he was a part of 54 victories and 0 losses.

Yes, that's zero ... as in 0 ... losses.

"We lost a game when I was in seventh grade," said Wilson, who was on the Redmen team that once scored 72 points in the first quarter of a game for a national record, and was the stud running back who accounted for 1,807 yards on just 112 rushing attempts, plus scored 29 touchdowns, and, was part of the defense that didn't allow a point through the first 11 games of the season and allowed just 20 (840-20) in a 14-game season. "The next loss came on Sept. 15, 2008. It really didn't sink in for a while that I had been on a team that lost a game."

Wilson is now heading into the final game as a Wildcat with a K-State record of 34-16. In the last two seasons that mark is 21-4, with a Big 12 Championship and a conference record of 15-3.

While not compiling huge numbers himself - 21 all-time rushes for 44 yards and two touchdowns, plus 18 receptions for 144 yards - it's been Wilson's blocking from his fullback position that allowed Collin Klein to finish third in the Heisman Trophy balloting, and for John Hubert to have rushed for nearly 1,900 yards in the last two years.

"My top goal is to win the game. It's not in accumulating statistics," said Wilson. "I've just never been big on numbers other than wins and losses. When we're winning, all is good."

And, coach Bill Snyder marvels of his four-year starting fullback, "I just love the way he practices and works. He knows just one speed."

When Wilson lines up against Oregon Thursday in the 7:30 p.m. (central time) kickoff, it will mark his 51st and final Wildcat game.

"That hasn't hit me yet," said Wilson.

But what has hit him is that he knows he's lived a four-year dream.

"I grew up such a K-State fan and had the hometown hero as my favorite player," Wilson said of Mark Simoneau, another graduate of the stellar Smith Center Redmen program. "This really is living a dream. I started as a freshman when this wasn't that much of a fun place to be (6-6 and 7-6 his first two years, to experiencing this high of the last two years (10-3 and 11-1)."

At 6-3 ½ , 255 pounds and with 4.81 40-speed, Wilson, who has also shown the ability to play defensive end for the Wildcats in 2010 and 2011, says, "I hear that I might get a chance at the next level. I sure hope so."

Co-Offensive Coordinator Dana Dimel says of Wilson's NFL chances, "I think he can be the first fullback taken in the NFL Draft. Now, how high will a fullback be taken? I don't know about that. But I do know that he can block, he can run and he catches it well. Everyone is using two backs in the NFL, so there's a big place for him."

SNYDER NO. 1 COACH: For the fifth time in his career, Kansas State's Bill Snyder has been named national coach of the year as the legendary head coach has earned the prestigious 2012 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

The annual Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year presented by the Chick-fil-A Bowl winner is determined by a vote from all previous winners of the award, plus a vote from a blue-ribbon panel made up from the "who's who" in college football.

"The entire K-State family congratulates Coach Snyder on being named the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year," said Athletics Director John Currie. "What makes this award even more special is its focus on character and academic excellence, in addition to a team's success on the field, and Coach Snyder is the epitome of those values."

PSYCHOLOGY 101: No one is better than coaches in the use of psychology to motivate a player.

Run game coordinator Dana Dimel told the story of getting to tight end Travis Tannahill during the Oklahoma State game.

"Travis is a super intellectual, as well as being a great player," Dimel said. "He was struggling a bit in the Oklahoma State game, so I just said, 'The problem is that the defensive end is just smarter than you are.' I knew that was the way to get right at him. (Laughing) That hurt him worse than anything else I could tell him."

A BLIZZARD ... IN ARIZONA? Don't tell K-State's Pat Bosco that it can't happen. Several car loads of K-Staters went to the Grand Canyon in the northern part of the state over the weekend with Bosco and his wife being stranded in Flagstaff for the night due to the Interstate being closed because of a blizzard.

ARIZONA-BASED BOWL GAMES have seen the Wildcats go 2-2. The wins came in the 1993 Copper Bowl over Wyoming and the 1997 Fiesta Bowl over Syracuse.  The losses came in the 2001 Insight.com Bowl to Syracuse, and the 2004 Fiesta Bowl to Ohio State.

FIESTA BOWL TROPHY: Designing the trophy was Molina Fine Jeweler. There is a compass on the base and then figures of players holding up the trophy.

The curtain above the players is inscribed with the ancient Greek word "NIKE," the Goddess of Victory. The lotus flower-designed dome identifies the purity of strength, power and heart of the victors.

The football that tops the trophy is 18-karat gold with the enameled Fiesta Bowl logo and 38.6 karats of diamonds encrusting the football.

The piece stands 46 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds.

IN THE FIESTA RECORD BOOK: Darnell McDonald still holds the most receiving yards in Fiesta Bowl history with 206 and the most TDs with three. Ell Roberson ranks second in passing attempts for a single game with 51.

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX STADIUM: will be the site for the 7:30 p.m. (central time) game, which is located in Glendale.

It's a natural grass facility with the Tiffany 419 Bermuda hybrid measuring six-tenths of an inch tall making for a very fast surface. The playing surface is on a 12-million pound tray that can be rolled outdoors in the sunlight when not in use.

There will be one million watts of lighting in the stadium that measures 233 feet from the playing field to the top of the roof, or around 19 stories high.

The stadium has 63,000 permanent seats, but for the Fiesta Bowl will seat 73,000. The 2011 BCS National Championship game attracted 78,603 fans, which was the largest crowd in stadium history.

The stadium is the home of the NFL Arizona Cardinals.

NICE WEATHER GUARANTEED: The last eight Fiesta Bowls have been played with the roof closed and a stadium temperature of between 62- and 71-degrees.

ON TAP WEDNESDAY: With Purple having invaded the Scottsdale community, the players have a 10 a.m. wake up Wednesday, followed by a team lunch and then a walk-around at the stadium.

Chase Field, home of the baseball Arizona Diamondbacks, then takes center stage for the K-State pep rally at 2 p.m.

Position meetings will then take up much of the rest of the afternoon, followed by a team dinner and movie before lights out at 11 p.m.