By Tim Everson

Following an appeal to the conference, Kansas State will only have to pay half of a $500,000 fine for opting out of a bowl game at the end of last season, the athletics department confirmed to The Mercury Wednesday morning.

Brett McMurphy of On3 reported the news first.

To view the full article visit theMercury.com.

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By Toby Hammes

WICHITA — Less than 24 hours after moving into Manhattan to begin his Kansas State football career, Pratt senior Arley Morrell found himself back on the track for one final high school competition.

Morrell, a Kansas State football tight end signee and one of the first commitments secured by new Wildcats head coach Collin Klein, competed Friday at the KSHSAA State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State’s University Stadium, closing out a decorated prep career before returning to Manhattan for summer football workouts.

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An evening season opener and a pair of morning kickoffs begin the Collin Klein era of Kansas State football, as the Big 12 Conference and its television partners have made selections for the first three weeks of the 2026 season.

The first game of the 2026 campaign against Nicholls on Sept. 5 will kick at 6 p.m. and be shown on ESPN+, followed by a pair of 11 a.m., contests against Washington State (Sept. 12) and Tulane (Sept. 19). The game against the Cougars will air on TNT/HBO Max, while the contest against the Green Wave will be shown on ESPN2.

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K-State Football fans will be greeted with a new LED lighting system in Bill Snyder Family Stadium this fall, thanks to a leadership gift from the Koster Family of Garden City, Kansas. This gift will also aid in the daily operation of the athletics department.

“We are excited to welcome Coach Klein back to K-State and for him to lead our football program,” Kathy Koster said in a statement. “Our grandchildren have seen other football stadiums with lighting systems that change color and add to the gameday excitement. We visited as a family; we wanted the football team and Wildcat fans to have the same experience and are proud to make this gift to support this project.”

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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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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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By Ned Seaton

Chris Klieman is back.

Klieman, who retired last November as the K-State football coach, has signed an agreement to serve as a consultant to the athletics department through the end of the year. He’ll help advise Coach Collin Klein and athletics director Gene Taylor, Taylor said in a phone interview with The Mercury Tuesday.

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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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Manhattan Christian College’s president announced his resignation Tuesday and said he’ll take a new position as director of player development for the Kansas State football team.

Kevin Ingram said this move “has not been an easy decision at all.”

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