Taylor to Receive John L. Toner Award at NFF Hall of Fame Dinner
Sep 30, 2026 | Football, Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan.  – K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor will be honored at the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame Awards Dinner on December 8 with the John L. Toner Award, the organization has announced.
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The award, first presented in 1997, honors athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. It is named after its first recipient, the late John L. Toner, former athletics director and football coach at the University of Connecticut and NCAA President.
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The event, held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, will also feature the induction of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class, which includes Wildcat great Terence Newman as an inductee.
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"Gene Taylor represents everything you want in an athletics director," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "He's a thoughtful leader who cares deeply about the student-athletes, coaches and people around him, and everywhere he has been, he has left the athletics program stronger than he found it. Gene has also been a steady and respected voice during a period of tremendous change in college athletics, and his commitment to doing things the right way has never wavered. He is incredibly deserving of the John L. Toner Award."
Taylor, who has served as Kansas State's director of athletics since 2017, will receive the 2026 NFF John L. Toner Award for his distinguished career in college athletics administration, which has included stops at Iowa, North Dakota State, Navy and SMU, and his commitment to the values of college football.
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"I would like to thank Steve Hatchell and the National Football Foundation for this tremendous honor," Taylor said. "To be included in the likes of other athletics directors who I admire and worked so hard in this profession is extremely humbling, including one of my greatest mentors, Jack Lengyel, who I spent more than 13 years with at the Naval Academy. College football is the best sport in our country, and I am so grateful to the NFF for all they do to promote and advance the game. It is a pleasure to come to work every day in this profession, and I am extremely grateful for all our staff, coaches and student-athletes who work so hard to make my job much easier. They are what make college athletics so special."
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The Taylor era could go down as one of the most successful periods in K-State Athletics history as team championships, individual national titles, postseason runs, record crowds, continued academic success and new facility enhancements have all been the cornerstone of recent Wildcat success.
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A former member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and current chair of the FBS Athletics Directors Association and member of the College Football Oversight Committee, Taylor's tenure at K-State has seen the football program qualify for seven bowls and win the 2022 Big 12 Championship, the men's basketball team win a Big 12 Championship, earn an Elite 8 appearance and advance to two NCAA tournaments, the baseball team win the Fayetteville Regional and the women's track and field team win back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor championships.
K-State Nation continues to support the athletics program in unprecedented fashion as total cash giving to the department during the 2026 fiscal year totaled $45.7 million, breaking the previous fundraising record set in 2014. Within this, a new annual fund record was set with $41.2 million in annual gifts, shattering the previous record of $26.3 million set in 2024, and a record $1.17 million raised during the annual Powercat Auction.Â
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Graduating student-athletes remains the top priority for the department and academic success has continued under Taylor's guidance as K-State continues to rank among the top schools in the Big 12 in APR and graduation success rate.
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For the full list of award winners and details on the NFF Hall of Fame Awards Dinner, click here.
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The award, first presented in 1997, honors athletics directors who have demonstrated superior administrative abilities and outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football. It is named after its first recipient, the late John L. Toner, former athletics director and football coach at the University of Connecticut and NCAA President.
Â
The event, held at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, will also feature the induction of the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Class, which includes Wildcat great Terence Newman as an inductee.
Â
"Gene Taylor represents everything you want in an athletics director," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "He's a thoughtful leader who cares deeply about the student-athletes, coaches and people around him, and everywhere he has been, he has left the athletics program stronger than he found it. Gene has also been a steady and respected voice during a period of tremendous change in college athletics, and his commitment to doing things the right way has never wavered. He is incredibly deserving of the John L. Toner Award."
Taylor, who has served as Kansas State's director of athletics since 2017, will receive the 2026 NFF John L. Toner Award for his distinguished career in college athletics administration, which has included stops at Iowa, North Dakota State, Navy and SMU, and his commitment to the values of college football.
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"I would like to thank Steve Hatchell and the National Football Foundation for this tremendous honor," Taylor said. "To be included in the likes of other athletics directors who I admire and worked so hard in this profession is extremely humbling, including one of my greatest mentors, Jack Lengyel, who I spent more than 13 years with at the Naval Academy. College football is the best sport in our country, and I am so grateful to the NFF for all they do to promote and advance the game. It is a pleasure to come to work every day in this profession, and I am extremely grateful for all our staff, coaches and student-athletes who work so hard to make my job much easier. They are what make college athletics so special."
Â
The Taylor era could go down as one of the most successful periods in K-State Athletics history as team championships, individual national titles, postseason runs, record crowds, continued academic success and new facility enhancements have all been the cornerstone of recent Wildcat success.
Â
A former member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee and current chair of the FBS Athletics Directors Association and member of the College Football Oversight Committee, Taylor's tenure at K-State has seen the football program qualify for seven bowls and win the 2022 Big 12 Championship, the men's basketball team win a Big 12 Championship, earn an Elite 8 appearance and advance to two NCAA tournaments, the baseball team win the Fayetteville Regional and the women's track and field team win back-to-back Big 12 Outdoor championships.
K-State Nation continues to support the athletics program in unprecedented fashion as total cash giving to the department during the 2026 fiscal year totaled $45.7 million, breaking the previous fundraising record set in 2014. Within this, a new annual fund record was set with $41.2 million in annual gifts, shattering the previous record of $26.3 million set in 2024, and a record $1.17 million raised during the annual Powercat Auction.Â
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Graduating student-athletes remains the top priority for the department and academic success has continued under Taylor's guidance as K-State continues to rank among the top schools in the Big 12 in APR and graduation success rate.
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For the full list of award winners and details on the NFF Hall of Fame Awards Dinner, click here.
Wednesday, September 30
Tuesday, September 29
Tuesday, September 29
Monday, September 28
