Kansas State’s football program is entering a new era, but the biggest obstacle for Collin Klein may not come on the field.
Klein has checked the early boxes since taking over as the Wildcats’ coach. He has done well on the recruiting trail, connected with the local fan base and handled his media appearances the right way. That part, at least, has gone according to plan.
The harder assignment is the one that hangs over every Kansas State coach now: following Bill Snyder.
Snyder lifted the program from the bottom and turned it into one of college football’s success stories, and that standard still defines the job in Manhattan. Klein is stepping into that shadow with the Wildcats about two months away from the start of his first season. The roster has talent, but it is on him to get the most out of it while meeting the expectations Snyder left behind.
That is no small ask, even for someone already familiar to the fan base. Klein was a former player, and that gives him an edge with supporters who already know and trust him.
For now, he has their attention. The challenge is keeping it.
There was also good news for Kansas State on the golf side, where Stalee Fields is already making the most of her summer.
Fields, who will be a sophomore this fall, qualified for the US Women’s Amateur after winning a playoff for one of two spots in the US Amateur Qualifier on Wednesday at Firekeeper Golf Course, a par-72, 6,315-yard layout. She finished with a 1-over-par 73 and earned her place in the field of 156 for the 2026 US Women’s Amateur, scheduled for August 4-9 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
According to the university release, Fields opened with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 before bogeys on Nos. 3, 12 and 13 left her tied with Juliana Hong of Norman, Oklahoma, for second place, one stroke behind winner Destiny McNeil of Castroville, Texas. Fields and Hong then went to No. 8 for a playoff, and it ended there: Fields made par, while Hong bogeyed.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Fields is the second Wildcat in the last three years to reach the US Women’s Amateur. Carla Bernat was in the field and advanced to match play in 2024.
In Other News...
Did EA Sports Get Kansas State And Collin Klein Right
EA Sports College Football 27 has arrived, and with it comes the latest digital snapshot of Kansas State football under Collin Klein. The game puts the former Wildcats star in charge on the sideline and gives Kansas State an 81 overall rating, which places the program in the middle of the national pack and alongside a few familiar Big 12 neighbors. For fans, it is the kind of release that invites instant debate, from the teams place in the rankings to how the roster is translated into the game.
The bigger conversation, though, is whether the details feel close enough to the real thing. EA has added some fresh touches this year, including playable mascots and customizable stadium themes, but the Wildcats also come with a few head-scratchers, especially in how certain players are rendered. Avery Johnson is one of the names drawing the most attention, and not just because of his importance to the offense. The game may have the right pieces on paper, but for Kansas State fans, the question is whether the on-screen version actually looks and plays like the team they expect. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Quietly Building Something Fans Will Want To See
Kansas States recruiting board for the 2027 class is starting to take shape, and the early pattern is easy to spot. The Wildcats have extended offers to a cluster of high school prospects, headlined by four-star power forward Davis Cochran, who already has the program in his mix, along with four-star guard Malik Olajuwon, four-star forward Kameron Cooper and center Teke Deng.
The bigger picture is just as important for Kansas State as the individual names. The staff is clearly trying to build more depth, especially up front, after injuries exposed the roster last season and much of the current frontcourt is still young. With underclassmen like JT Rock and Pape N'Diaye in the mix, these early offers look less like isolated recruiting swings and more like a longer-term plan to make sure the Wildcats have more size and stability when the next wave arrives. [Read more 🡒]