It's not a terribly large news day here at BotC World Headquarters, but look for the introduction to EXPANSIONPALOOZA 2016 later today. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, here's what's cooking:
Tom Keegan at the Lawrence Journal-World expresses his desire for Big 12 expansion, for all the wrong reasons.
Brian Rauf at Chat Sports lists who he thinks are K-State's top five recruiting targets in the 2017 class.
The BatCats (24-25, 6-12) finish their home schedule with a three-game series against Kansas (19-29-1, 5-12). Because KU has played one fewer conference game due to a rainout against West Virginia and K-State visits 33-12 TCU next week, a sweep is a necessity in order to clinch a spot in the Big 12 tournament. All three games will air on Cox Channel Kansas; Friday is Ladies Night, Saturday is Senior Day, and Sunday is Family Day. Friday and Saturday are 6:30pm starts, and tickets are $3 with a graduation program; Sunday's first pitch is at 1pm.
K-State invades Fort Worth for the Big 12 Track Championships, and Kellis Robinett actually wrote about track for the Star yesterday as he profiled Akela Jones.
The first year of soccer at K-State will open on August 19 at Saint Louis, the first game of an eight-game road trip. The Wildcats will take the pitch for the first time at home on September 16 against Northern Iowa. As this is technically an exhibition season, K-State's October 7 trip to Austin will not be a Big 12 conference match; that appears to be the only game K-State will play against a Power 5 school this fall.
Notably, K-State will only have four home games; those four games will all take place on Friday or Sunday of three different home football weekends, allowing folks the chance to make a weekend of it. The Northern Iowa game is the day before the home football opener against Florida Atlantic. Oral Roberts and South Dakota will come to town for Friday and Sunday games the following weekend, with the Missouri State football game in the middle. The final home game will be against UMKC on the Friday before the Big 12 home opener against West Virginia.