23 May 2023
MANHATTAN, KS. (KSNT) – The K-State Catbacker tour goes all over the sunflower state, but Wildcat players and coaches didn’t have to go far Monday.
The Catbacker Tour is a yearly K-State Athletics fundraiser featuring Wildcats that fans saw on their TV screens all season. A Catbacker event typically consists of speeches from coaches and players, raffles, prizes, games food and fun.
After a week exploring western Kansas, the tour came back home to Manhattan Monday. Being at headquarters, K-State used the opportunity to showcase its new outdoor football practice facility.
“The Catbackers is all about us saying thanks to the people who travel all over the state to get here in the fall and sometimes multiple times in the winter. Now, Manhattan’s a little different in this way, but I’m so excited to see what we’re going to see tonight,” Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson said at the event. “We’re going to have a huge crowd, they’re going to hear from Coach Klieman and several other people. This will be the week that Coach Klieman is out.”
Fans showed up for a tailgate with local food trucks ahead of the event. Inside, K-Staters heard from a slew of Wildcats, like Klieman, AD Gene Taylor, women’s basketball’s Gabby Gregory and others.
The event also featured prizes and drawings and games for children ahead of the speeches.
Last week, it was men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang headlining the event.
“Last week when coach Tang was with us, I was looking forward to being out to see what the excitement level was. And I think it was a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10. We had great crowds, it was awesome, it was really good,” Thompson said.
Manhattan native Nate Awbrey made a big announcement at the event.
The Catbackers Tour continues through Thursday at these stops:
May 23: Hutchinson / Wichita
May 24: Chanute / Emporia / Kansas City
May 25: Seneca / Topeka
Click here to view the full schedule.