Kstate

The Uncertainty of Kansas State Athletics

The word "uncertainty" isn't necessarily a negative word that signals instability and the unknown. However, with Kansas State, there are more questions than answers at this time.
Ryan Kay|
Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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As we approach the year 2026, the hope is that more questions will be answered than not answered for Kansas State football and even other Wildcat athletic teams.

First, let's take a lesson on how social media posts spread false information. This is not something new, but in terms of sports misinformation on social media, accounts are getting verified by more followers than they are following, so people may believe false reports that are being shared. One instance involved a completely false rumor about a Kansas State basketball player quitting the program. The lesson is to triple-check and verify any rumors on social media that you deem to be true, which you suspect may be misleading or, more importantly, entirely false and inaccurate.

Now, back to the uncertainty surrounding the Kansas State football program and how we arrived at this point. The most immediate source of uncertainty was the unexpected retirement of head football coach Chris Klieman following a 6-6 regular season earlier this month. This retirement caused a series of ripple effects and decisions made involving the football program.

When the Wildcats declined to go to a bowl game, it was a surprise but not a complete shock, and was considered by some to be a controversial move. K-State became one of the few FBS bowl-eligible teams to decline a postseason invitation to a bowl game this season. Athletics Director Gene Taylor cited the coaching transition and "uncertainties regarding player availability" as reasons for the team not accepting a bowl game invitation.

Then it was announced by the Kansas State athletic department that former Wildcat star quarterback and now former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein was hired to replace Klieman as the new head football coach at Kansas State. While this decision to hire Klein seemed to be a popular move with the Wildcat fanbase, Klein faces the immediate challenge of rebuilding a coaching staff and managing a restless roster during a period of high turnover.

The change in coaching made the transfer portal begin right away. When a coaching change occurs, as it did for the Wildcats, it started a 15-day transfer portal window, which began five days after the official hiring of K-State's new head coach, Klien, rather than immediately upon the official departure and retirement of Klieman. The biggest loss was the announcement of star linebacker Austin Romaine entering the transfer portal, who was named to the All-Big 12 team twice. He entered the portal recently, per reports from his agent. Fans and supporters are closely monitoring the number of other starters who may depart before the January 2 deadline. His and other players' intent to depart from the program has instilled a sense of uncertainty regarding the 2026 roster.

Kansas State, like many athletic programs, is changing how it compensates its athletes by eliminating the "outsourced" model that most colleges used in the past calendar year. This is part of the school's financial and NIL restructuring.

The university said it would take on Wildcat NIL (the main collective) to bring all Name, Image, and Likeness operations in-house. This step is part of the change and consolidation of NIL that started earlier this month.

K-State fans are expressing their opinions on social media about the uncertainty within the athletic program at this time.

K-State fans are, for the most part, wishing Jayce Brown well in his future endeavors, but some fans are sad and frustrated that he is entering the transfer portal.

The same goes for fans' reaction to Romaine entering the transfer portal.

When it was announced that defensive tackle Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder had entered the transfer portal, fans' frustrations continued.

However, uncertainty does not necessarily equal turmoil and chaos. The vast majority of Kansas State players have not entered the transfer portal, and some key players, like running back Joe Jackson, have announced that they are coming back for next season. However, one player in particular is being closely watched by many K-State fans to see if he returns next season to Manhattan, Kansas.

However, reports indicate that there is hope that he will play for K-State again next season with more optimism than pessimism.

Switching gears, K-State basketball has had a rollercoaster of a season.

High scoring and a surprising lack of consistency have summed up the Kansas State men's basketball team’s performance thus far. The Wildcats are 8–4, but their record doesn't describe the many ups and downs.

The team has become one of the most unpredictable in college basketball since Jerome Tang took over as head coach and is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Wildcats. At the start of this season, K-State seemed like a top-tier contender in the Big 12 and even in the country, thanks to the addition of Memphis transfer and preseason All-American PJ Haggerty. The Wildcats won their first five games, and they scored at least 84 points in each one. This includes close games versus California (99–96) and Tulsa (84–83).

K-State won its opening Hall of Fame Classic game by a wide margin, 98–77, over Mississippi State. This victory against an SEC team on a neutral court demonstrated that the coach had addressed the team's defensive issues, as they had in their performance against Cal. In the next game against the Huskers, they had an impressive performance against a team now ranked in the top 25, but they fell by one point against a very solid Nebraska squad in the Hall of Fame Classic title game. However, things quickly changed for the Wildcats in late November and early December as they went on a four-game losing streak. The "roller coaster" of a season made a sudden turn downward just before the week of Thanksgiving.

As indicated above, the slump technically started with a 1-point loss to Nebraska (85–86) in Kansas City. The Wildcats, on the other hand, played really well and were only one basket away from winning. Thereafter, the real heart of the slide came, and it truly began on a road trip to Bloomington, Indiana.

The defense virtually disappeared on a trip to Indiana, where they lost 69–86, and then it actually got worse when they came home, only to lose one of the most stunning games of the college basketball season so far. It was startling that they lost to Bowling Green by 82–66 at Bramlage Coliseum, as many fans started to panic with the thought that K-State may miss the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. Then, in another heartbreaking home loss, the Wildcats lost to Seton Hall by a score of 78–67. But thereafter, the season started to go up like a rollercoaster.

The Wildcats bounced back with three wins in a row. The Wildcats changed their defense and relied on their scoring depth again, just when it seemed like the season was slipping away. They ended the streak by beating Mississippi Valley State 108–49. Then they won a statement game on the road in the biggest "up" of the season thus far with an 83–76 win over Creighton in Omaha, which indicated that the team still has a lot of potential and, most importantly, some fight to save their season. They are coming off a 106–76 win over South Dakota and will complete non-conference play at home against UL Monroe in the last week of December.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the K-State football and basketball teams, the hope is that the athletic department will persevere through the storm and welcome January with sunshine and joyful Wildcat fans.

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Kansas State On SI.

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