Jimmy Coffman
Monday, August 31st, 2026
This Week Today: August 31st – September 6th
KANSAS CITY – As over 20,000 students swarm the Little Apple, another exciting season of K-State Athletics is kicking off with all sorts of programs hitting the ground running.
With volleyball (2-0) and soccer (4-0-1) having great starts to the season and football kicking off the Collin Klein era this Saturday against Nicholls State, there are games all over the calendar as August turns to September. Here are the games this week to mark your calendar for as the week ramps up.
In football, the Sunflower Showdown has been a one-sided contest for the better part of the last two decades, with K-State winning 17 straight showdowns since 2008. But the 2026 season has brought a lot of changes to both rosters in key positions; from head coach, to coordinators, quarterbacks, running backs and more, both programs in the state have a chance to dictate how this rivalry will look for the rest of the decade. But for now, how will this season’s Sunflower Showdown look?
Thursday, Sep. 3rd – 7 p.m. – KSU Soccer vs Iowa – Iowa City, IA – Watch on B10+
The youngest program in K-State athletics gets the week started as KSU soccer travels to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes in their sixth game of the season. 2nd year head coach Colleen Corbin has the Cats sitting at 4-0-1 for the second straight year, with their first tie of the year coming yesterday against Nebraska, 0-0.
K-State has grown into an impressive defensive unit under Corbin, with KSU sitting at 18th in D1 shutout percentage and 14th in GAA. GK Maddie Sibbing brings a .929 save percentage, allowing one goal through 13 saves. Meanwhile, the offensive side for K-State has been a step above their previous season. Senior forward Rilyn Rintoul has been an early standout, leading the team with two goals and three assists, amounting to seven points. The Cats as a team are 38th in Division 1 in total points, sporting 33 points through just five games.
But the toughest challenges still lie ahead for K-State, as Iowa has been an offensive juggernaut through five games. At 4-1, Iowa is 5th in the nation in points and 10th in scoring offense, averaging 3.8 goals per game. The Hawkeyes’ sole loss came against #5 ranked Wake Forest, who beat them 2-0. K-State has their first big challenge on Thursday and Coach Corbin will get to see how far her defense will bend before they break.
Friday, Sep. 4th – 6:30 p.m. – KSU Volleyball vs CSUN – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+
Kansas State volleyball brings the action back to Manhattan as the Cats host CSUN on Friday at 6:30. Sitting at 2-0, K-State had an impressive invitational, beating TAMU Corpus Christi and Campbell by a combined 6-1. Though only two wins show on the record, K-State also had great exhibition wins against Oklahoma and Missouri State, sweeping both squads 3-0. Now, as the Wildcats go from Invitational to the Wildcat Classic, there’s more to learn about this young group.
This K-State squad is similar to last year as they only feature four total upperclassmen. Some sophomores had the luxury of getting starter/rotational minutes last year, providing some extra experience despite the young roster. Caleigh Ponn and Alex Klukvin got a lot of playing time in their freshman years, so I am looking forward to seeing them grow through their sophomore campaign.
That being said, losing the likes of Shaylee Myers, Aniya Clinton and Jordyn Williams is a big blow for this K-State attack. Those three combined for 1,007 of KSU’s 1,392 kills last season, with Reagan Fox being the only returner with over 100 kills. Though underclassmen like Addison Massey and Sydney Maue are showing to be nice compliments to Fox, there will be a lot to prove for this young squad as the season progresses.
With that being said, CSUN is not a particularly strong opponent. Sitting at 1-2 after their trip to the Buffs Classic in Colorado, the Matadors were outscored seven sets to five with their only win coming against Central Arkansas. The Matadors have a whopping 27 service errors, so look out for a lot of turns in possession for CSUN that the Cats can take advantage of.
Saturday, Sep. 5th – 6 p.m. – KSU Football vs Nicholls State – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+
The game that many fans have waited patiently for all spring and summer; the return of Collin Klein. Following a tumultuous 6-6 2025 campaign for the Cats, Head Coach Chris Klieman retired from his position, leaving behind an impressive career and a legendary run in 2022 to hang his legacy on in Manhattan. In his place comes Collin Klein, former 2012 Heisman finalist and OC for the Wildcats in that 2022 Big 12 Championship run.
Klein brings much to be excited about, with his offenses at Texas A&M boasting an average of 33.8 points per game and a CFP berth in 2025. On top of his ability to scheme comes his connection with senior QB Avery Johnson. Along with Johnson playing a similar dual threat style to Klein, Klein was also the leader on the recruitment trail to get Johnson to KSU. Now that they’re reunited with more experience, it’s no wonder why Manhattan has been buzzing for the start of the 2026 season.
That being said, there is not much to dive into with this match-up against Nicholls State. The Colonels went 4-8 in the Southland conference and haven’t seen a Power 4 opponent since 2024, making this feel like a classic gimme game for the Cats.
But the real questions lie in house; how will Klein’s coordinators game plan? How will this new team gel this early into the season? Will Klein use Johnson’s dual threat ability more than Wells did in 2025? These are the reasons this game will be a fun watch, because there’s so much to learn about what is largely a new team and a new regime in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Sunday, Sep. 6th – 1 p.m. – KSU Volleyball vs Drake – Manhattan, KS – Watch on ESPN+
To finish the week, K-State volleyball closes out the Wildcat Invitational with their match-up against the Drake Bulldogs. Both teams will have played CSUN by this point, giving us a good idea of how they play and what to expect from this Midwest match.
Drake enters the weekend at 1-2, exiting their own invitational with a losing record after tough losses to South Dakota and DePaul. Though the Bulldogs enter Manhattan in the win column following a win against Milwaukee, this will still be their first match-up against a Power 4 opponent this year besides an exhibition with Missouri.
Drake brings far more experience to the table with 10 upperclassmen, including two fifth years making the roster. But with only 4 set wins in three games, Head Coach Darrin McBroom will have a lot of work to do with this group before they enter Morgan Family Arena this weekend.