Ahearn Field House
Sep 11, 2003 | General
Storied Ahearn Field House, situated on the Kansas State campus, shook for 39 years with the roar of 14,000 Wildcat fans as the legendary home of KSU basketball. Large, boisterous crowds, memorable Kansas State victories, and the ghosts of Wildcats past are enamored in the history of the Field House.
Now, as the home of Kansas State volleyball, the roar of the crowd is heard again. In Ahearn Field House, Wildcat volleyball fans are treated to one of the most attractive volleyball facilities in the Midwest. The newly installed Terina Irsik Memorial Court, named for the late Terina Irsik, a long-time KSU fan, sits in the south end of the field house with balcony seating on three sides. The floor was put in just prior to the start of the 2004 season. The Field House can comfortably seat as many as 5,000 rabid Wildcat fans for volleyball, with 1,500 courtside bleacher seats that provide an intimate view of the action.
As the Wildcat volleyball program has enjoyed its remarkable resurrection over the past eight seasons, fans have poured into the Field House. Since 1997, Kansas State has annually ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams in home attendance, including a program-best seventh last season with just under 2,000 fans per match. In 2003, the Wildcats attracted a program-best 31,223 fans for 16 home matches, for an average of 1,951, which ranked second among Big 12 Conference institutions and seventh nationally.
In 2003, Kansas State hosted first- and second-round action at Ahearn Field House for the fourth time in school history. The Wildcats won both matches by a 3-0 score against Ohio University and the University of Arkansas.
Press row and the scorers’ table surround the floor, created strictly for volleyball action. Two new scoreboards, one at each end of the court, were added in 1996 to help KSU’s tenacious home crowds follow the action. Ahearn FIeld House has been the home to the Wildcats for their entire 30-year history. In that over quarter-century timeframe the Cats have posted a 212-116-5 record in “The Old Barn,” including an impressive 102-22 mark over the past eight years.
Dedicated: December 9, 1950
Seating: Capacity 5,000+
Seasons: Entering 30th
All-Time Record: 223-119-5
1974-79: 47-13-4*
1980-89: 72-51-1 (.585)
1990-99: 75-53 (.586)
2000-present: 52-4 (.900)
Record last 9 years: 102-22 (.796)
Record last 4 years: 52-4 (.900)
Winning Seasons: 20
Losing Seasons: 4
Longest Winning Streak: 16
September 9, 2003 - Present
Longest Losing Streak: 7
Oct. 13 - Nov. 17, 1983
Most Wins, Season: 16
2003
Most Losses, Season: 10
1992-1993
Year-By-Year Home Records
1974: n/a
1975: n/a
1976: 5-5
1977: 14-3-1
1978: 14-3-2
1979: 14-2-1
1980: 4-5
1981: 9-8-1
1982: 7-4
1983: 8-6
1984: 9-5
1985: 9-3
1986: 7-5
1987: 6-4
1988: 7-3
1989: 6-8
1990: 5-5
1991: 5-8
1992: 4-10
1993: 4-10
1994: 7-4
1995: 10-3
1996: 12-3
1997: 10-4
1998: 10-3
1999: 8-3
2000: 12-1
2001: 13-2
2002: 11-3
Top 10 Crowds
1. 5,287 Nebraska 11/15/03
2. 5,225 Nebraska 11/25/00
3. 5,122 Nebraska 10/30/99
4. 5,035 Nebraska 9/27/97
5. 5,011 Kansas 10/13/99
6. 4,958 Nebraska 11/15/96
7. 4,889 Texas A&M 11/17/01
8. 4,568 Kansas 9/26/98
9. 4,505 Texas A&M 10/16/99
10. 4,327 Kansas 10/2/96
