“So our teaching and learning is pretty much done. Now it’s all about adjusting.”

Those were the comments of Junction City Blue Jay head football coach Randall Zimmerman following the annual Blue – White scrimmage and the end of the second week of practice. The Blue Jays now enter their first game week as they prepare to meet Emporia next Friday night at Al Simpler Stadium.

Zimmerman felt the football team did some good things in the scrimmage. “Our defense, I believe, was in position, did some really nice things, really flying around.” On offense the coach stated, “We had some really good things go on, we turned the ball over a couple of times. A couple of those were putting it on the ground, a couple were just throws,  late throws. ” Zimmerman added overall he was pleased with the first two weeks of practice.

On Emporia Zimmerman said the Spartans have big, physical front lines on offense and defense. He noted the quarterback is more of a passer than runner. “We expect them to come in here and want to throw the ball a bunch against us.” The coach added the Blue Jays will have their “hands full with Emporia, that’s for sure.”

You can hear all Blue Jay varsity football games, including the contest with Emporia, on 1420 KJCK AM.

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State fans will have numerous opportunities to preview the 2017 Wildcats prior to next Saturday’s season opener as FOX Sports Midwest and Cox Channel Kansas will air the Wildcats’ preseason kickoff special beginning Saturday.

 

The one-hour show will air on FOX Sports Midwest at 5 p.m., on Saturday, Aug. 26, and will then be replayed on Monday, Aug. 28 (5:30 p.m.), Tuesday, Aug. 29 (11 a.m.; 10:30 p.m.), Wednesday, Aug. 30 (10:30 p.m.) and Thursday, Aug. 31 (12:30 p.m.).

 

Cox Channel Kansas will air the preseason special four times next week, beginning at 9 p.m., on Sunday, Aug. 27, and continuing Wednesday, Aug. 30 (6:30 p.m.; 9:30 p.m.), and Friday, Sept. 1 (9:30 p.m.).

 

The 2017 K-State Football Preseason Special is co-hosted by the Voice of the Wildcats, Wyatt Thompson, and head coach Bill Snyder and includes an inside look at the Wildcat offense, defense and special teams as well as an analysis of the upcoming 2017 schedule and individual player features.

 

K-State, which opens the season ranked No. 19 in the Preseason Amway Coaches’ Poll and No. 20 by the Associated Press, kicks off the 2017 season next Saturday with a 6:10 p.m., contest against Central Arkansas inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium, a game that will be broadcast on ESPN3. All contiguous seats for the season-opener are sold out, but standing-room only tickets are available through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

 

Fans looking for additional reserved tickets for the season opener can do so though Vivid Seats, the official secondary ticket partner of K-State Athletics, by clicking here.

 

K-State hosts Charlotte at 11 a.m., on September 9, in a game that will be shown nationally on FSN, while the Wildcats travel to Nashville, Tennessee, on September 16, to face Vanderbilt at 6:30 p.m., on ESPNU.

 

2017 K-State Sports Network Football Affiliates List

Day                                        Time                      Network

Saturday, Aug. 26             5 p.m.                   FSN

Sunday, Aug. 27                9 p.m.                   COX

Monday, Aug. 28              5:30 p.m.             FSN

Tuesday, Aug. 29              11 a.m.                 FSN

Tuesday, Aug. 29              10:30 p.m.          FSN

Wednesday, Aug. 30       6:30 p.m.             COX

Wednesday, Aug. 30       9:30 p.m.             COX

Wednesday, Aug. 30       10:30 p.m.          FSN

Thursday, Aug. 31             12:30 p.m.          FSN

Friday, Sept. 1                    9:30 p.m.             COX

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

K-State Announces New Agreements with SIDEARM Sports and ESPN3

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Athletics has partnered with SIDEARM Sports on an improved full digital platform, including a new k-statesports.com, in addition to collaborating with ESPN3 to add exposure and accessibility of live Wildcat sporting events to K-State fans across the country.

 

Highlighting the new ESPN3 agreement is the September 2 football opener with Central Arkansas, which will now be streamed live exclusively on ESPN3, produced by K-StateHD.TV. Brian Smoller and former Wildcat tight end Travis Tannahill will call the action. In addition, approximately 20 other live events featuring women’s soccer, volleyball, baseball and women’s basketball will be included in the arrangement.

 

“We are excited to team up with SIDEARM Sports as our full digital provider as well as add additional live events to ESPN3,” said Kenny Lannou, senior associate athletics director for communications and public relations. “Both of these platforms will bring more exposure to the K-State brand and our programs while also making it easier for our fans across the globe to watch their favorite Wildcat teams.”

 

When combined with the department’s third-tier television package, ESPN3 will carry approximately 40 live K-State telecasts during the 2017-18 season, all produced by K-StateHD.TV.

 

ESPN3 is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN app. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to those who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

Current television partners Fox Sports Midwest, Cox Channel Kansas and Fox College Sports will continue to carry a variety of K-State games and coaches shows. For the men’s basketball third-tier package, FS-Kansas City will continue to carry the games to the state of Kansas and in the Kansas City metro area, while those games will also be streamed on K-StateHD.TV and available outside the state on ESPN3. In all, approximately 70 live games will be produced by K-StateHD.TV staff and broadcast across the various television platforms.

 

On the digital front, SIDEARM Sports will become the new service provider for K-State Athletics and is working with the department on a new k-statesports.com, mobile/tablet applications and full digital platform, providing Wildcat fans with industry-leading features and enhanced mobile and video experiences. The new website will be launched next week in time for the September 2 football season opener.

 

The department also has announced that ALL K-StateHD.TV content will become FREE, including live press conferences and events not selected by the school’s television partners, in addition to all on-demand content.

 

“During this process, we felt that exposure and accessibility were two key elements, and making all K-StateHD.TV content free moving forward was the best decision for our fans and their ability to watch the Cats,” Lannou added.

 

SIDEARM Sports, a Learfield company since June 2014, has experienced incredible organic growth from delivering quality service, reliability and customization. Serving more than 980 partners, SIDEARM Sports is the nation’s leading digital provider in college athletics, and its easy-to-use interface allows schools to customize their content streams and digital presence. The company will play host to nearly 225 Division I university athletic sites during the 2017-18 season, including 41 schools in the Power Five conferences. SIDEARM Sports provides the software and technology that powers websites, mobile applications, live stats, social presence and video streaming for its athletic partners.

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics

 

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State sophomore Reggie Walker is one of 34 players in the nation to be named to the watch list for the 2017 Ted Hendricks Award, presented annually to the nation’s best defensive end, the Ted Hendricks Foundation has announced.

 

It marks the second-straight year a Wildcat is up for the award as Jordan Willis was on the 2016 preseason and midseason watch lists. Ryan Mueller was a two-time candidate (2013-14), while Ian Campbell was up for the award three times (2006-08), including being a semifinalist in 2006. Meshak Williams was also a candidate for the award during K-State’s Big 12 Championship season of 2012.

 

Walker’s inclusion on the Hendricks Award watch list is his third preseason honor as he was named to the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list and was a Preseason All-Big 12 pick by the league’s media.

 

The 2016 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American, Walker played in all 13 games with 11 starts last year as he carded 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. The Ponchatoula, Louisiana, native ranked fourth nationally among freshmen in sacks, while he led all Big 12 freshmen in both sacks and TFLs. Walker had a stellar end to his freshman campaign as he totaled 5.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks over the final four games, which included a career-best 2.0 sacks at TCU.

 

K-State, which is ranked 19^th in the Preseason Amway Coaches’ Poll and 20^th by the Associated Press, opens the 2017 campaign on Saturday, September 2, with a 6:10 p.m., contest against Central Arkansas inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. All contiguous seats for the season-opener are sold out, but standing-room only tickets are available through the K-State Athletics Ticket office online at www.k-statesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or at the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

 

Fans looking for additional reserved tickets for the season opener can do so though Vivid Seats, the official secondary ticket partner of K-State Athletics, by clicking here.

 

K-State hosts Charlotte at 11 a.m., on September 9, in a game that will be shown nationally on FSN, while the Wildcats travel to Nashville, Tennessee, on September 16, to face Vanderbilt at 6:30 p.m., on ESPNU.

 

– k-statesports.com –

 
RYAN LACKEY
Asst. Director/Athletics Communications | K-State Athletics