Jimmy Coffman
Monday, October 12th, 2026
This Week Today: Oct. 12th – Oct. 18th
KANSAS CITY – With more and more sports on the horizon in Manhattan, here’s all of the action going on around Manhattan this week, today.
Monday, Oct. 12th – Wednesday, October 14th – KSU Men’s Golf – Big 12 Match Play Championship – Salt Lake Country Club
K-State men’s golf is back to work to start the week as they travel to Salt Lake City for Big 12 Match Play over the next three days. The Cats enter the event with two top five finishes in their two previous events, finishing second in their own event and fifth in their event with Arkansas.
Oliver Toyer has led the pack with top 10 finishes in both events for the Cats, one of two Wildcats to finish in the top 20 in both events. After day one of match play, K-State took down Texas Tech 4-1, winning three matchups and tying the other two. Before that, the Cats tied with Colorado as both units won two matchups and tied the last. K-State now sits tied at second place with KU and Arizona State, with Oklahoma State sitting above the pack. As the week continues and K-State goes head to head with more Big 12 teams, the Cats have a chance to make noise early as they’ll still have many events until May comes.
Thursday, Oct. 15th – 6:30 p.m. – KSU Volleyball vs KU – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+
K-State volleyball is back in Morgan Family Arena to host the best rivalry in the state of Kansas: the Sunflower Showdown. KSU had a great start to the season with nine straight wins, but have since cratered hard after their five set win against UCF to open Big 12 play. The Cats have gone 0-5 in subsequent matches, losing to three top 25 opponents in that streak.
Jason Mansfield’s group is coming off an unsuccessful road campaign as the Cats lost to Iowa State and Colorado with a combined score of five sets to two. Though Kansas State’s strength of schedule has gotten really tough, the Cats haven’t been able to bounce back with the inexperience this team has. And it won’t get easier from here; the Kansas Jayhawks sit at 17th in the nation and are 10-1 in their past 11 games. Though their season started rough, the Jayhawks have blossomed as a top team in the Big 12 and one of the toughest opponents on K–State’s schedule.
On top of KU’s strength, the Jayhawks also have had control over the Cats in recent matchups. Kansas is 9-1 in the past 10 Sunflower Showdowns and hasn’t lost in Manhattan since 2019. K-State volleyball, much like soccer, has to overcome history as well as a tough opponent and will need all hands on deck in Manhattan this Thursday.
Friday, Oct. 16th – 6:30 p.m. – KSU Soccer vs Colorado – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+
KSU soccer is back in action as they host Colorado on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Much like volleyball, K-State soccer has struggled quite a bit in Big 12 play. Since last Monday, Kansas State fell in the Sunflower Showdown 2-0 and lost in Waco against Baylor 3-2. As it stands, Colleen Corbin’s team is officially at .500 after starting conference play undefeated. At 5-5-4, K-State is running out of time to qualify for the Big 12 tournament with only five games remaining.
Colorado won’t make anything easier, as they’re the second ranked team K-State has faced in the past week. Though the Cats played well against Baylor on the road, K-State seems to struggle more at home as they have a losing record in Buser Family Park. K-State’s defense has been a point of struggle, so as K-State welcomes the highest scoring offense they’ve faced this year, it could be fireworks for the Buffs.
Saturday, Oct. 17th – 11 a.m. – KSU Football vs Kansas – Manhattan, KS – Watch on FS1
To finish the week, K-State football has a chance to continue their longest win streak against a Big 12 opponent as they host the Sunflower Showdown. KSU football is another team that had a great start to the season but has fallen off of a cliff since conference play has started. After a tough 35-16 loss, K-State has the opportunity to get Collin Klein’s first power four win as head coach, but it will come against a potentially tough opponent.
KU may have a multitude of issues around their team, but they have also played conference opponents pretty close. With the return of RB Dylan Edwards to Manhattan, it could be a big day for the former Wildcat to get revenge. QB Isaiah Marshall has had a lot of problems passing the ball, but he can run well and has the potential to hurt the Cats after a lackluster performance against Houston.
Both teams have yet to win a game against a power four team, so someone will walk out with their first Big 12 win on Saturday. KSU Head Coach Collin Klein is undefeated against KU as a player, coach and coordinator, but this will be his first time playing the Jayhawks as a head coach. The Cats’ win streak is one win away from being a legal adult, but this may be Kansas State’s toughest game in the series in decades.