K-State football isn’t the only hot ticket in town. Basketball—both men’s and women’s—is the sport of choice for many K-Staters. Fans pack Bramlage Coliseum to cheer on K-State’s superstars. Here are some unofficial tips on how to fit in with the true-purple Bramlage Coliseum fans.
As the season heats up, students line up early outside the doors of Bramlage and race to get the best spots in the student section. The mad dash includes some innovative moves, like sliding across stadium benches and handrails to pick up speed.
It’s a tradition in the student section to hold up a newspaper and ignore the announcement of the opposing team’s starting line-up. “The newspapers are to demonstrate that the other team is not worthy of our attention,” said one insider.
Basketball fans are not passive types. Spontaneous chants erupt when a player makes an outstanding play, and fans hold up signs with messages for their favorite players. If you're crazy enough, you'll probably show up on the Jumbotron.
Getting tickets used to be a matter of showing up and buying them at the door. But whenever the teams hit a hot streak, expect a sell-out.
When you attend a K-State sporting event, it’s virtually a given that you wear the campus color of choice: purple. You can on occasion match it with grey, white, or black for added flavor, but the Wildcats have one school color and only one.
Or your face on TV. Your parents may get a glimpse of you (let’s hope it’s not their only contact with you all semester) if you make a clever sign that uses the TV network’s initials in an imaginative manner. Every Student is Proud to get Naked for an ESPN game probably won’t get you on TV, but you’ll surely gain acclaim among your peers.
If you’re “into it” you’ll know K-State’s players by name and number, but you can rely on fellow students—especially the hard-core sports maniacs—to help you out with the other team. This knowledge enriches your opportunity to make thoughtful and G-rated comments to those players when they’re on the floor.
