FRISCO, Texas — Kansas State head coach Collin Klein addressed the media Wednesday afternoon in his first Big 12 Media Day since taking over the program back in December.

Klein, along with quarterback Avery Johnson, running back Joe Jackson, linebacker Rex Van Wyhe and safety Wesley Fair, made the trip down to The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ practice facility in Frisco.

Here’s what the first-year coach said:

COLLIN KLEIN: Thank you all for being here. Thank you for all that you do for the greatest sport in the world. It’s great to be back to the Big 12. I grew up a Big 12 kid and being able to be part of this conference as a fan, as a player, as a coach and now being part of helping move our game and our conference forward is absolutely tremendous to be a part of.

I thank the Lord every day that I get to come to work at a place that has impacted my life tremendously, and our program at Kansas State, my two predecessors have been so much — it’s been so much bigger than just the game of football.

Yes, we’re going to do football well, but the impact that we want to have and they have had on young men in setting the trajectory for the rest of their lives at an incredible angle, being able to teach them the lessons and give them the opportunity to compete is something that I don’t take for granted.

This is home for me. It’s a dream come true and so grateful for our administration and our players and all the effort that has been put in in the last six months as we build this thing and move it forward.

We have four of our players with us here today and just how they have led our football team and bought into what we are doing and what we are building is absolutely tremendous. It’s incredibly exciting for the future of Kansas State Football, and I’m excited for the season to get started.

Q. You mentioned your two predecessors. You were a quarterback for one and a coach for the other. You had great success. How much will you rely on what you learned from each and sort of putting your imprint on the program?

KLEIN: I think it’s an incredible situation top to bottom. I think starting most recently with Coach Klieman, I think our relationship is very unique. I think it’s very genuine. I think both of us have come at everything through the different course of our professional journey what is best for the other person.

I think that is something that, again, I don’t take for granted. He’s been there every step of the way, if I’ve needed something or had a question, with, I know, my and our program’s best interest at heart.

Coach Snyder has been tremendous. Again, I’d be here all day if I was going to go through all the ways that his fingerprints have been on my life and probably a big reason I got into coaching, you know, to be perfectly honest with you. All of those little things that I didn’t even know he was teaching me at the time, being able to apply those and have those come to fruition through the course of my journey is incredible.

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Kansas State football is losing a special-teams standout from last season

Sophomore wide receiver and kick returner Bryce Noernberg is no longer with the team, according to a social media post from his father, Scott, on Facebook.

In a post from Tuesday night, Noernberg’s father claimed that after first-year head coach Collin Klein and his staff took over the program, the sophomore from Olathe North found himself at the bottom of the heap in his position groups and is going to try to find playing time elsewhere.

“It was an amazing couple (of) years in Manhattan, but then D1 College Football did what it does. New HC Collin Klein brought in all new coaches and players … paid them accordingly, and (Bryce Noernberg) found himself at the bottom of the depth chart. Not wanting to start over again as a true walk-on freshman, he basically told them to kiss his ass!!

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Whether Jerome Tang will sue K-State over an $18.7 million buyout clause remains up in the air.

Attorneys for Tang, the four-year former men’s basketball coach who was fired in February, sent a draft of a lawsuit that claimed he was owed that amount, athletics director Gene Taylor told The Mercury recently.

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A second 7-footer is headed to Manhattan.

Kansas State men’s basketball and head coach Casey Alexander have signed Xavier forward Pape N’Diaye from the transfer portal, the team announced on Saturday.

The 7-foot sophomore appeared in 29 games for the Musketeers during the 2025-26 season, averaging 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in limited minutes. New Mexico transfer JT Rock is the Wildcats’ other 7-footer, standing at 7-foot-1.

Despite the low usage, N’Diaye ranked second on the team and seventh in the Big East with 1.0 blocks per game. He also went 9-of-21 on 3-point attempts for the Musketeers.

N’Diaye showed flashes throughout the season, including a pair of 10-point performances against Creighton and Seton Hall. He also posted a career-high four blocks against Missouri State and recorded multiple games with strong defensive impact off the bench.

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Former Wildcat senior safety VJ Payne was picked with the 12th pick of the seventh round (228th overall) by the New York Jets.

It’s the fifth-straight year and the 37th draft overall that the Wildcats have had at least two players picked.

A four-year starter for the Wildcats, Payne played in 52 career games, which is tied for 11th in school history. He started 42 career games including 41-consecutive games to end his career, which stood as the longest streak on the team at the time of his graduation.

A two-time All-Big 12 honorable mention pick, Payne ended the 2025 season with 59 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception, four passes defended and two forced fumbles.

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It took until Day 3, but Kansas State football is sending another player to the next level.

Wildcat senior center Sam Hecht was picked with the fourth pick of the fifth round (144th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers Saturday afternoon.

A former walk-on, the 6-foot-4, 303-pound offensive lineman was a first-time All-Big 12 selection by the leagues coaches and earned honorable mention for the league’s offensive lineman of the year award.

He played in 42 games as a Wildcat, and started in the last 25 of them.

During the 2025 season, Hecht played 759 offensive snaps and did not commit an accepted penalty. He anchored an offensive line that helped guide the Wildcats to a No. 10 ranking in sacks allowed (1.08 per game) and helped K-State finish fifth in school history in rushing yards per carry (5.09).

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After a couple of quiet days in the transfer portal for Kansas State and head coach Casey Alexander, another new Wildcat is headed to Manhattan.

Miami forward Timotej Malovec, originally from Slovakia, committed to the Wildcats after a season in South Beach, according to reports Tuesday afternoon.

Malovec appeared in 33 games with the Hurricanes, averaging 4.2 points and 1.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 214-pound sophomore shot 35% from the floor and 33.3% from 3, hitting 37-of-111 attempts, including six games with three or more 3s made.

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The first morning of the 2026 women’s basketball transfer portal season brought bad news for Kansas State fans.

Star freshman sharpshooter Jordan Speiser is hitting the portal, according to a report from On3 Monday morning. She will enter the portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag, a designation preventing college coaches from initiating communication with a player, allowing athletes to manage their recruitment by having schools reach out only after the player makes initial contact. It’s often used by players who already have a destination school in mind.

A former five-star from Warrentown, Mo., Speiser came on strong late in the season, ending the Big 12 Tournament with an appearance on the All-Tournament team after tying the national mark by a freshman in the last 15 years for 3-point field goals made in any conference tournament in NCAA Division I.

Speiser ended the year averaging 10.2 points per game, shooting 38% from the field, including 34.9% from 3.

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Kansas State has suspended women’s soccer head coach Colleen Corbin for two weeks following the use of a racial slur — even though her use of the term was objecting to its use — The Mercury confirmed Tuesday.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Corbin had asked players not to play pregame music that included some swear words, including the N-word, before K-State’s exhibition versus Arkansas on March 7, in Kansas City. In a conversation about the music, she reportedly said the N-word, and players complained to the university.

Corbin later used the word again when relaying the situation during a staff meeting, which led assistant coach and goalkeepers coach Maddie Dobyns, who was hired by Corbin this past offseason, to resign from the team.

Following that incident, Corbin was suspended from the team for two weeks after a meeting with athletics director Gene Taylor on March 23.

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Collin Klein has had almost the full head-coaching experience over the last several months. He’s accepted a job at his alma mater to rapturous acclaim, built a staff, and filled a roster.

But on Thursday, the former Wildcat Heisman finalist and Ring of Honor inductee will run his first practice as a head coach when K-State opens 2026 spring practice.

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A top-10 salary in the Big 12 and over $1 million in potential bonuses highlight new Kansas State men’s basketball head coach Casey Alexander’s contract, which The Mercury obtained Monday afternoon.

K-State announced last week that Alexander signed a five-year deal worth $17 million before any bonuses. He will make $3.3 million in the first year, and that will increase by $50,000 every year through the 2030-31 season.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An improbable run through the Big 12 Tournament ended after four games in four days for the 12th-seeded Kansas State women Saturday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center.

The Wildcats ran out of steam midway through the fourth quarter, falling to the veteran and size-laden top-seed TCU, 74-62.

K-State had a slim lead at the break, thanks in part to first-half TCU turnovers and four 3-pointers in the second quarter, but the Horned Frogs caught fire in the third quarter and couldn’t be caught.

The loss ends one of the best Big 12 Tournament runs for the Wildcats in school history, and shows the growth and potential that this young roster could have moving forward.

“I mean, obviously we want to be playing tomorrow, but I’m just proud of this group and proud of the growth they’ve had all year,” junior Taryn Sides said. “Just wish we were playing (on Sunday).”

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After Friday’s thrilling win over No. 4 Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, the 12th-seeded Kansas State women are stepping into relatively unknown territory.

K-State will play its fourth game in as many days on Saturday, when it takes on No. 1 TCU in the tournament semifinals. The Wildcats have only played four games in four days like this once, in the 1997 Big 12 Tournament.

But of all of the concerns that head coach Jeff Mittie might have about facing the conference’s regular-season champions in a high-stakes tournament game, fatigue is not one of them.

“The (players) would tell you that we’ve practiced seven, eight days in a row, and some days the seventh or eighth day is the hardest day, and it also might be the best day,” Mittie said. “Their bodies are tired right now, but they’re young. I don’t think it’s any different. We’ll get our preparation

“I would say this: The one thing about playing early in the day is the day is pretty normal for us in terms of our recovery. We practice at 10, 11 a.m. (in Manhattan), so the day is pretty normal. I’m sure they’ve got a nap scheduled later at some point later today, but our preparation will be the same.”

Both junior Nastja Claessens and freshman Jordan Speiser agreed and mentioned plans for a nice ice bath to help with their recovery.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A record-breaking offensive explosion led the Kansas State women to a blowout win over Cincinnati in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center.

A school-record 17 Wildcat 3-pointers powered the 12th-seeded Wildcats over No. 13 Cincinnati 91-66. The 17 three pointers broke the Big 12 tournament record, topping Iowa State’s 14 in 2008, and tied the school record set earlier this season versus Columbia in Cancun.

The win advances the Wildcats to a second-round matchup versus fifth-seed Texas Tech on Thursday.

Jordan Speiser and Taryn Sides both had 20 points in the win.

K-State will advance on to play fifth-seeded and 21st-ranked Texas Tech (25-6, 7-2 Big 12) on Wednesday. The Wildcats beat Tech in Lubbock, 65-59, back on Jan. 17.

Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on News Radio KMAN and Sunny 102.5 FM. Pregame coverage begins at 10:30 a.m.

Read the full game story at TheMercury.com

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A promising first half spiraled for the Kansas State women versus an Iowa State team that’s starting to find its footing after a mid-season dip following a red-hot start to the season.

The Wildcats (15-16, 8-10 Big 12) used an excellent second quarter to lead by as much as six, but the Cyclones’ physicality down low was too much, led by a 41-point performance from star center Audi Crooks, to handle, as K-State fell 93-79 in Bramlage Coliseum Sunday afternoon.

With a win, K-State had a chance to earn a first-round bye in the Big 12 Tournament, but the loss forces the Wildcats into the opening game of the tournament Wednesday morning.

“We were in position to get (the bye),” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “It is what it is, right? We didn’t earn the bye. We had a chance, and now our opportunity is to play right away. So we’ve got to make the most of that.”

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A disastrous third quarter for the Kansas State women sunk any hopes of a potential road upset of No. 18 Baylor Monday evening, as the Bears rolled at home, beating the Wildcats 80-54 in Waco, Texas.

The Wildcats (15-15, 8-9 Big 12) only trailed by nine at the break, but seven 3-pointers in the third quarter were too much for the Wildcats to contend with, as they dropped their second straight game, and their last true road matchup of the season.

“(Our) shot decisions in that stretch were poor,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “I thought we were weak around the rim. I think we had some frustration in our players. I think the fatigue at that point was a combination of those two things. We didn’t go to the next play very well. We had a lot of breakdowns, and then tonight, Baylor made you pay every time you missed a break. You know, if you had a breakdown defensively, if you went inside on a screen, they faded it. If you trailed it, they made the right read. So I think a combination of a lot of things.”

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A member of the Kansas State University men’s basketball coaching staff arrested last week is scheduled to make his first appearance in Riley County District Court on Monday.

Mark Randall Vital Jr., 29, of Manhattan is charged with one count of disorderly conduct by engaging in brawling or fighting. He was arrested at 12:20 a.m. Feb. 9 and originally charged one charge of domestic battery, which has since been changed.

Also arrested in the same incident was Kristen Blake Whiting-Daniels, 27, of Manhattan. She was originally charged with domestic battery and criminal damage to property but now faces the same charge as Vital. Whiting Daniels is also set to make her first appearance Monday, in the same 1:30 p.m. docket as Vital.

Read the rest of the story at The Mercury!

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For the second time in the last three months, Kansas State fans experienced a whirlwind of change in a small amount time over the weekend when former Wildcat men’s basketball head coach Jerome Tang was fired for cause.

While most are aware of where things stand as of publication early Monday afternoon, it’s worth looking back at what all transpired over the last week that led to the ouster of the fourth-year head coach and his team that was mired in one of the worst seasons in school history.

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Tang goes on a viral rant following a 29-point blowout loss to Cincinnati, one of the 10-worst home losses in program history. His comments, along with the students wearing paper bags on their heads during the game, made national news.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

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Kansas State’s fourth-quarter comeback fell just short Sunday in a road loss at No. 25 Iowa State.

The Wildcats (14-13, 7-7 Big 12) trailed by double-digits early in the fourth quarter, but found a way to make a late push to get within a point with just over a minute left. But K-State was unable to get over the hump and came away with a 76-72 loss to the Cyclones (20-6, 8-6) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

“Proud of the group for battling back,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We battled back. We had a double-digit deficit in the second half that we battled back from, which gave us a chance. … It just came up a little bit short.”

Read the rest at The Manhattan Mercury!

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In perhaps their most complete performance of the season, the Kansas State women rocketed past BYU for a 77-52 bounce-back win over the Cougars after a disappointing loss at Arizona on Wednesday.

K-State (13-12, 6-6 Big 12) got off to a strong start, but it was a dominant second half that featured the Wildcats outshooting BYU (16-8, 5-7) by more than 30% that turned the win into a rout.

“I would say that we played very well together, very connected all day long,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “And I thought the start was a good, solid start. …Everybody’s always caught up in the score, but from a coaching perspective, you want to get things established. You want to get ball movement established. You want to get your attack established. Defensively, you want to see how connected your team is in the game plan. And from that standpoint, I felt like we were solid. I felt that we were getting better as the game went on. And that’s what you want to see.”

The victory is just K-State’s third at home this season, and the first since a 69-65 win over Houston on Jan. 21. It’s just the second double-digit victory of conference play.

Read the full story at The Manhattan Mercury!

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Following the third-worst home loss in program history, and the second-worst start to conference play ever, uncertainty in the future of Kansas State men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang has started to take hold.

Tang is in his fourth season with Kansas State. Barring a miracle run through the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, the Wildcats will miss the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, a feat for which previous head coach Bruce Weber was fired at the end of 2021-22.

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After back-to-back losses in the Sunflower State, the Kansas State women traded the cold tundra of Manhattan for the warm deserts of Arizona, and it paid dividends.

Behind a stellar showing from behind the arc, the Wildcats (12-11, 5-5 Big 12) came away with a convincing 74-67 win over Arizona State (18-5, 5-5) on Sunday, the team’s first trip to Tempe since 1988.

The loss was the first at home for Arizona State this season.

K-State led by as much as 24 in the third quarter and held off a late push by the Sun Devils to buck their recent two-game skid.

“I thought we did a lot of good things all day long, and we’re not going to focus on the end,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We can fix those things. … I’m going to enjoy this one. I’m going to focus on how we got the 24-point lead, and we’ll try to fix whatever we can to do better tomorrow.”

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The Kansas State women toppled one of the last remaining undefeated teams in the country Saturday afternoon, beating No. 17 Texas Tech on the road, 65-59.

In a game that featured 14 lead changes and eight ties, K-State outlasted the talented Red Raiders to secure its second top-20 win of the season. This was the Wildcats’ first road win over a ranked opponent this season and the first since downing 13th-ranked Kentucky on March 23, in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Read the rest at The Mercury website!

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For the second-straight day, Kansas State football has added a young, talented defensive lineman out of the transfer portal who should make an immediate impact for the Wildcats in 2026.

Kennesaw State soon-to-be sophomore Elijah Hill is headed to Manhattan, according to reports on Monday, after a breakout season for the Owls.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Arkansas native and three-time high school state champion, Hill was a first team all-Conference USA player in 2025 and helped lead Kennesaw State to its first conference championship.

He ended the season with 22 tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks, which led Conference USA last season. It was also the most sacks recorded by a freshman in FBS in 2025. He also recorded six quarterback hurries.

With Monday night’s addition of former Oklahoma State star Wendell Gregory, the Wildcats should have a formidable pass rush heading into 2026, including returners like Travis bates and Jordan Allen.

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While many Kansas State fans slept late Monday night, Kansas State coaches added perhaps the highest caliber transfer portal addition so far.

Former Oklahoma State defensive end Wendell Gregory, the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year last season, is making the short trip north from Manhattan to Stillwater, according to reports.

The sophomore edge rusher was a four-star prospect out of high school, and a four-star transfer portal target. A native of Marietta, Georgia, Gregory started his career at South Carolina but played sparingly, retaining his redshirt, before jumping to Oklahoma State.

As a Cowboy, Gregory racked up a team-high four sacks and 12 tackles for loss, the most of any freshman in FBS and the fifth-most in the conference. He also ended the season with 27 total tackles, seven quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

An all-Big 12 third-team pick, the 6-foot-3 portal add helps buoy a Wildcat defensive line that lost several major contributors to the transfer portal, including Tobi Osunsanmi (Indiana) and Chiddi Obiazor (Indiana).

Read the rest of the story at The Mercury!

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A furious fourth-quarter comeback by the Kansas State women got the Wildcats within two possessions of a hot-shooting Utah team on Saturday, but that’s as close as they’d get as they fell to the Utes at home, 80-73.

K-State (9-9, 2-3 Big 12) trailed by 19 heading into the final period, but fought all of the way back to four before Utah (13-4, 4-1) pulled away in the final minutes.

“I can positively say that (I’m) proud of the fight, proud of the fact that we continue to raise our level up. You saw us dive on the floor (and) play the game the right way,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “It’s equally as frustrating to say, ‘What would have happened if that would have been our start today?’ If that’s how we would have started this game, diving on the floor, creating chaos, playing better together. If that would have been our start with this game, would this game have been different? That’s where it’s disappointing and frustrating that that wasn’t our start, because we don’t know the answer to that. We obviously fought hard at the end, and, for that, I hope we can build off of it.”

Finish reading the story at The Mercury!

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After a quiet day on Thursday, Kansas State football came away with three potential starters from the transfer portal on Friday.

Virginia cornerback Ja’Son Prevard and offensive linemen Tanner Morely (Colorado State) and Delvin Morris (Akron) joined the Wildcat roster for 2026 on Friday, according to reports. K-State also added Oklahoma State long-snapper Jaxson Duffield.

Prevard comes to K-State after a year as a Cavalier, where he was an All-ACC honorable mention pick, recording 24 tackles, three interceptions, and five passes defended.

The 6-foot-2, 199-pound, Atlantic City, New Jersey native started his career at FCS Morgan State (Maryland).

Morely, a 6-foot-7, 325-pound offensive lineman and Colorado native, spent the previous three seasons in Colorado Springs. He’s allowed one sack in his career and has three years of eligibility remaining.

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The Kansas State women had to fight (at times literally) their way back from a double-digit deficit in the first half, but the Wildcats found a way to walk out of Houston with their first Big 12 road win of the season on Wednesday, topping the Cougars 71-62.

K-State trailed by as much as 14 in the second quarter, but after a major effort in the third quarter evened things up, the Wildcats were able to claw their way to the win, led by a 30-point outing by senior guard Tess Heal.

“I just thought we played tougher, a lot tougher, and a lot more physical and with lot more desire,” head coach Jeff Mittie said of the team’s second-half effort.

Visit the Manhattan Mercury for the rest of the story!

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For the third day in a row, Kansas State football has gotten good returns out of the transfer portal.

The commitments of five new incoming Wildcats were announced on Wednesday, led by junior wide receiver Joshua Manning, a player whom K-State recruited heavily out of high school.

In addition to Manning, the Wildcats added Cal Poly (FCS) offensive lineman Charlie Adams, Coastal Carolina defensive end Jayden Bryant, Cincinnati defensive tackle Kamari Burns and Toledo kicker Robert Hammond III.

To read more, visit The Manhattan Mercury!

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It was a busy transfer day for the Wildcats on Monday, with seven new additions signing to play for Kansas State, including five players announced in the afternoon and evening.

Defensive tackle De’Arieun Hicks (Gardner-Webb), running back Rodney Fields Jr. (Oklahoma State), safety Koy Beasley (Miami of Ohio), linebacker Jacobi Oliphant Jr. (Oklahoma State) and safety Kaleb Patterson (Illinois) all signed to play for K-State in 2026.

The quintet brings K-State transfer total to nine so far, in addition to cornerback Keshawn Davila (cornerback), offensive lineman Keiton Jones (Missouri), wide receiver Izaiah Williams (Texas A&M) and punter Dylan Davidson (Emporia State).

Get more info on K-State’s portal class at The Manhattan Mercury!

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Just a day after landing its first target of portal season Sunday afternoon, Kansas State added two more SEC transfers into the fold Monday morning.

According to reports from 247Sports, Texas A&M wide receiver Izaiah Williams and Missouri offensive lineman Keiton Jones are both headed to Manhattan to join the Wildcat roster in head coach Collin Klein’s inaugural season.

Jones was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025 from Coffeyville. The 6-foot-4, 333-pound interior offensive lineman played eight snaps in two appearances for Missouri last season and will have four years of eligibility.

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A competitive back-and-forth game ended in heartbreak for the Kansas State women as the Wildcats fell short of a win, losing 60-58 at home on Saturday.

The Wildcats (1-2 Big 12, 8-8) led by as much as eight in the first half and trailed the Mountaineers (3-0, 13-2) by as much as seven midway through the fourth quarter, but couldn’t make the plays down the stretch to come away with the win.

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Kansas State football has its first commit of the transfer portal season.

On Sunday, former Arkansas cornerback Keshawn Davila became the first transfer portal addition of the Collin Klein era.

Davila follows new Wildcat assistant coach and co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, who coached him in Fayetteville.

A native of Tampa, Fla., Davila was a four-star junior college prospect and the No. 2 overall Juco player coming out of Northwest Mississippi Community College heading into the 2025 season.

Finish the article at The Manhattan Mercury!

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There’s still quite a bit of uncertainty concerning the 2026 Kansas State football roster, but one thing is known: the Wildcats still have their quarterback.

On Friday afternoon, soon-to-be senior signal caller Avery Johnson announced on social media that he would be returning to K-State for his final collegiate season under new head coach Collin Klein.

“After a lot of prayer and conversations with my family, and talks with my coaches, I’ve made the decision to return to Kansas State for my final year,” Johnson said. “There is unfinished business here, and I’m not done yet. This place, this program and this fan base mean everything to me. The relationships I’ve built, the culture we’ve created, and the goals we still have ahead of us are too important to walk away from.

Read the rest at the Manhattan Mercury!

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Kansas State football experienced some comings and goings over the Christmas holiday.

Sophomore cornerback Donovan McIntosh announced that he would be staying with the program after reports surfaced that he was leaving, while sophomore defensive lineman Chiddi Obiazor and senior defensive back Daniel Cobbs are entering the transfer portal, according to reports.

McIntosh, a St. Louis native, played in 10 games last season and was a starter in seven. He finished the year with 33 tackles, an interception and four pass breakups.

The sophomore announced that he would be staying in Manhattan in a post on social media Friday.

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It’s early, but new Kansas State head coach Collin Klein is getting high marks from athletics director Gene Taylor for how he’s handled a tricky transition period to start his tenure.

The Mercury sat down with Taylor earlier this month for a wide-ranging conversation which will feature in multiple articles in the near future.

Klein was officially introduced as the Wildcats new head coach on Dec. 5, just days following Chris Klieman’s retirement. In the time since, Klein has been boomeranging from Manhattan to College Station, Texas, starting the process of player retention and building a coaching staff at K-State, while also fulfilling his offensive coordinator duties at Texas A&M, helping the Aggies prepare for their opening-round College Football Playoff game versus Miami.

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Kansas State is losing its top defender to the transfer portal.

Linebacker Austin Romaine is entering the transfer portal, according to a multiple national reports Monday afternoon.

The junior from Hillsboro, Mo., has been a dominant presence in the middle of K-State’s defense, wracking up 162 tackles over the last two seasons, including 66 and seven tackles for loss in just nine games played in 2025. He’s been a starter the past three seasons for the Wildcats.

A two-time All-Big 12 second team selection and a honorable mention pick for the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023, Romaine injured his hand midway through this past season and played with a cast on his hand before having season-ending surgery following K-State’s home loss to Texas Tech.

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Kansas State women’s basketball got off to a rough start in Big 12 play, falling 77-55 to No. 9 TCU Saturday afternoon in a game that was close early, but eventually was put out of reach.

The Wildcats, one of the youngest teams in the country, couldn’t find a foothold against the Horned Frogs, the oldest and most experienced team in the nation, and K-State faded through the final three quarters while TCU soared.

“(TCU) is really good,” head coach Jeff Mittie said in a statement. “They’re very veteran. They play that way, and we don’t play that way right now. We’ve got to grow up quicker. We’ve got to play beyond our years right now, and we have not done that well enough, particularly against a team like them.”

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Kansas State men’s basketball wrapped up finals week with more than a passing grade after a 30-point home thumping of South Dakota, 106-76, on Saturday.

The Wildcats quickly extended their lead to double-digits and never looked back, outclassing the Coyotes in almost every category on their way to a blowout win.

“You’re always concerned about this game and thankful that our guys didn’t go home mentally,” head coach Jerome Tang said in a statement. “They stayed here and they were locked in and did a great job, and I’m so proud of them.”

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A $5 million buyout and and a $6.5 million salary pool for assistant coaches are just two highlights from new Kansas State head coach Collin Klein’s contract, which the athletics department released on Wednesday.

As previously announced, Klein’s deal runs for five years and will have a base salary of $4.1 million for the 2026 season. That amount will increase by $100,000 for the next four seasons.

That ranks 10th in the Big 12, and is higher than the two other new hires in the conference: Iowa State’s Jimmy Rogers ($3 million) and Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris ($3.8 million).

If the Wildcats win six or more games in any of those four seasons, that will trigger up to two automatic extensions.

With the two auto-extensions, Klein’s deal equals $30.8 million before any bonuses.

Since Klein is starting before the start of 2026, he’ll be paid a prorated base salary calculated using the $4.1 million for the 2026-27 school year.

If Klein were to leave before the end of the contract for any reason, the buy-out owed to K-State would be $5 million if he leaves before Dec. 31, 2026. That amount decreases by $1 million if he leaves before Dec. 31 of the next three years, and then drops to $1 million if he leaves anytime from Jan. 1, 2030, to Dec. 1, 2030. After Dec. 1, 2030, the buyout drops to $0.

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By Tim Everson

Kansas State is officially declining its bowl bid, athletics director Gene Taylor announced in a statement released Sunday morning.

“Following our recent coaching change and conversations with our player leadership and Commissioner (Brett) Yormark, I determined that we will not accept a bowl invitation on Sunday,” Taylor said in a statement. “This decision was not taken lightly, but with our coaching staff transition and several uncertainties regarding player availability, I felt it was not in our best interest to try to field a team that was not representative of Kansas State University.

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A strong second half sent Kansas State out of the regular season on a high note Saturday, as the Wildcats fought past Colorado for a 24-14 win.

Led by another three-touchdown day from Joe Jackson, K-State (6-6, 5-4 Big 12) wrapped up the regular season with six wins, which clinched a bowl berth for the fifth straight season.

How it happened

Kansas State struck right out of the gate, orchestrating a 13-play, 74-yard drive that ended with a four-yard Joe Jackson touchdown.

The drive featured two third-down conversions and one on fourth down. K-State kept the drive alive with an 11-yard pass to Jaron Tibbs and a 27-yard run by Jackson on third down, and a nine-yard pass to Loftin on fourth down set up K-State’s touchdown a play later.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas State made a second-half statement Thursday, topping Mississippi State 98-77 in the first round of the Hall of Fame Classic at the T-Mobile Center.

After tussling back and forth through the first half, the Wildcats led with their defense, smothering the Bulldogs while shooting 57.1% down the stretch.

K-State got another 30-plus point game from junior star point guard PJ Haggerty, ending the night shooting 50.7% from the field and 46.7% from 3.

The win keeps the Wildcats perfect this season, their first 5-0 start since the 2022-23 season.

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A strong second half and a smothering defensive effort led the way as the Kansas State women topped Troy 81-59 on Tuesday, snapping a two-game losing streak.

After a slow start early, the Wildcats used a strong third quarter to gain separation and carried that momentum through into the fourth quarter to put the game away.

The win was K-State’s first in over a week after back-to-back losses to South Dakota and Texas A&M.

“This has been a tough week for us,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “(I was) really pleased that we were able to battle and not play great, but play well enough and have some balance to that. Because I think everybody did some good things.”

Thursday’s game wrapped up a stretch of five games in 10 days for the Wildcats, including three games that came down to the wire.

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The Kansas State women fell just short of a full comeback on Sunday in a 77-72 loss to old Big 12 foe Texas A&M.

The Wildcats (3-2) fell behind by as much as 13 at the half, but stormed back to tie it early in the fourth quarter, but just couldn’t get over the final hump.

“I mean, there was a lot of growth in this game, but ultimately we need to make more plays,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “The goal is to win the game, figure out how to win the game. We’re never going to be happy with the fact that we didn’t do that, but if you didn’t see progress today, then you weren’t watching the same game I was watching.”

The loss is the second straight after K-State fell in a heartbreaker to South Dakota on Thursday. The game is the fourth in the last eight days for a very young Wildcat team that’s playing without two potential starters in Nastja Claessens and Jenessa Cotton.

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STILLWATER, Okla. — There wasn’t much scoring in Oklahoma on Saturday, but it didn’t matter. The Wildcats came away with a 14-6 win, their first over the Cowboys in Stillwater since 2017.

The Wildcats (5-5, 4-3) were outgained by almost 100 yards, but came away with thanks in part to five Oklahoma State (1-9, 0-7) turnovers, four of which came on consecutive drives.

The win gets the Wildcats one step closer to bowl eligibility. K-State now needs to win just one of its last two games to earn a bowl bid for the fifth-straight season.

How it happened

To say Saturday’s game started slowly is an understatement.

In the first quarter, K-State gained just 10 total yards, and Oklahoma State was the only team to score. The Cowboys cashed in on a 47-yard field goal midway through the first quarter, and hit another from the same distance at the beginning of the second to take a 6-0 lead.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, were lost offensively through the first quarter and a half of play. They opened with four straight punts before getting set up at midfield after an interception by sophomore cornerback Zashon Rich off a deflection by sophomore defensive end Ryan Davis.

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An absolute dogfight for the Kansas State women ended in heartbreak Thursday afternoon as a last-second South Dakota 3-pointer gave the Wildcats their first loss of the season.

Down two with a second to play, South Dakota’s Patience Williams hit her first 3-pointer of the day, boosting the Coyotes ahead 72-71. A last-second lay-up attempt from freshman Gina Garcia didn’t fall, and the Wildcats moved to 3-1 after the loss.

K-State got off to a slow start offensively, trailing early and missing its first six shots before cashing in on its first bucket at the 4:36 mark.

And 8-0 run for the Wildcats put them ahead five, 14-9, but South Dakota responded with six straight of their own on back-to-back 3-pointers to take a one-point lead, 16-15, into the second quarter.

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It took a little bit to get going, but once it did, the Kansas State women easily ran past Lamar Monday night in an 89-61 win.

“We’ve got a lot of new pieces in there, so the chemistry of working together, everybody connecting, is just going to take some time,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “We’re seeing better things every game, but it’s not going to be a straight line of improvement. … I think there were stretches of this game where it looked really bad, and there were stretches game where you saw it look really good.”

Both teams were even through the first quarter as K-State (3-0) struggled to get a stop. Lamar (6-of-12) and the Wildcats (8-of-16) both shot 50%, but the Cardinals (0-2) made up the difference by going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

That continued into the second quarter until an 11-1 K-State run opened the game up. The Wildcats held Lamar without a field goal over the last 3:49 of the half, and outscored the Cardinals 17-3 in that span to take a 48-32 lead at the half.

“I think the main thing was we stopped fouling as much as we did in the first quarter,” junior Taryn Sides said. “Coach Mittie said they went to the line 12 or 14 times in the (first half), and it’s hard to get going when you have to stop every other possession. So I think we just locked in better defensively, and we were able to push in transition and get into a little bit of a flow.”

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The Kansas State women only led for a total of 43 seconds, but it was all they needed Saturday afternoon in their 46-44 last-second win at SMU in Dallas

Down eight points with just over 4:30 to play, K-State (2-0) started to chip away, ending the game on an 11-1 run, including seven straight to close the game with a 3-pointer from junior Taryn Sides, and back-to-back lay-ups from freshman point guard Gina Garcia, including the game-winner at the buzzer.

“We just wanted to make sure we had the momentum if it goes to overtime,” head coach Jeff Mittie said in a statement. “We felt pretty comfortable about it going to overtime. We wanted to get the last shot. Garcia had a good look to her in that high-ball screen action. We thought we would get a good look out of it. I didn’t know that she’d be able to get all the way to the rim, but, you know, we’ve got good shooters, so there’s some gravity that we can play off of. And she made a gritty, tough play.”

Points were hard to come by for both teams throughout the entire game, but especially in the first half, as both squads shot less than 30% from the field.

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A new-look Kansas State women’s basketball roster made a strong first impression on Wildcat fans Monday evening in K-State’s 100-35 win over Omaha in the season’s opening game.

“I thought it was a solid performance,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “It’s different at home, different emotions, different energy, different nerves that go into it. And thought our group really did some things that were pretty solid most of the night. You could see we were kind of excited to play.”

The Wildcats were dominant from the jump, allowing just two made field goals in the first half, and hitting seven 3-pointers, all of which came in the first quarter.

Omaha woke up some in the second half offensively, but the Wildcats managed to keep their defensive intensity intact while shooting 58.8% from the floor in the final two quarters to thoroughly put the Mavericks away.

Sophomore guard Izela Arenas, a transfer from Louisville, led the way with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Junior Taryn Sides, one of three returners for the Wildcats and the only player to see time on the court last season, had 15 points while leading the team in assists with 12, with no turnovers, and rebounds with seven.

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