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Bill Snyder, head coach of Kansas State, holds the great honor of being the
only head coach in FBS who is currently coaching in a stadium named after
him. After his arrival in 1989, and
subsequent turnaround of a dismal program, Wildcat games are a hot ticket and
Bill Snyder Stadium is an intimidating place to play. The views encountered along the trek to
Manhattan, cleverly nicknamed “The Little Apple,” offer a stark contrast from
the concrete towers that litter “The Big Apple.” Skyscrapers and pedestrians are replaced
with wheat fields and cattle. However,
there is one commonality when gameday hits…traffic. Turning on to Kansas 177, the drive slows
to a Times Square crawl as fans near the exit for Kansas State University. Along the way, however, evidence of Bill
Snyder’s influence is revealed with not only the stadium named after him, but
also the highway that leads to the stadium.
The man is so treasured in central Kansas that I wouldn’t be surprised
if in the near future we saw “The Bill Snyder Petting Zoo,” “The Bill Snyder
Family Country Club,” and “The Bill Snyder Thimble Museum.” And why not? The stadium rocks on a Saturday
afternoon. If it wasn’t for Snyder,
KSU would still have crowds fit for a knitting competition. Instead, teams like Nebraska, Oklahoma, and
Texas have to tred more cautiously into the Wildcats’ den. The stadium itself is impressive as a main
road leads straight to the tall slab of concrete that looks down upon Wagner
Field. Opposite the high side is a grand
set of luxury and press boxes that balance the stadium’s appearance. The rest of the horseshoe stadium offers
excellent views and even a lawn that provides an outdoor concert feel. The students are vocal all game long and
the stadium shakes a bit when fans scream in unison, “KKKKKKKKKK…SSSSSSSSSSS…UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!” Densely packed with passion and purple, the
Wildcats have created a winning tradition and winning atmosphere in
Manhattan. I can only imagine the
excitement when they open “The Bill Snyder Walmart Superstores.”
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