What Kansas State AD said about potential alternate football uniforms – The Topeka Capital-Journal

MANHATTAN — Summertime is when Kansas State fans can fire up Photoshop and some artificial intelligence apps and imagine what the Wildcats could look like in different uniforms.
The black look demands much of the hype, perhaps with purple numbers. Fans can only imagine what K-State would look like if it were to introduce lavender on football uniforms, rather than limiting it only to men’s basketball.
It’s that time of the year when K-Staters fill the time until kickoff with their dream mock-ups. After all, they don’t get to see too many different looks, as Kansas State tends to stick to its traditional set.
They may have to wait another year before they see anything new.
“It’s something that Collin (Klein) and I talked about with where I’m at and willing to go with certain looks,” athletic director Gene Taylor said. “I’m just really a proponent of being true to your colors.”
Taylor said he was open to mixing and matching a little bit more. He likes to be able to turn on the television and know who’s playing. One time, his son had Arizona State, Taylor’s alma mater, on, and he didn’t recognize their grey uniforms.
In Taylor’s eyes, the only school that can get away with multiple colors is Oregon, and there needs to be a focus on staying true to the brand. That’s something important to him and Klein.
“I just want to be cautious, but I also know I’m kind of a curmudgeon in that area,” Taylor said. “I’m at the back end of my career, so it’s probably going to be a conversation that comes up every year because fans are creative.”
Though black isn’t a part of Kansas State‘s color scheme, Taylor was a fan of the well-known K-State Twitter fan @EMAWCaleb’s mock-up showcasing quarterback Avery Johnson in a black uniform with lavender numbers and trims.
He also knows there’s a part of the fanbase that would rather K-State stick to the traditional uniforms that Bill Snyder helped make iconic throughout his legendary coaching career.
“I just think that we have a pretty traditional uniform, and I think our fans love it,” Taylor said. “Can we tweak it a little bit and be creative? I think we can, but I think we have to be a little careful with how creative we get.”
Kansas State tends to stick to the home purple uniforms with the silver pants and helmet. On the road, the tops are white. Alternate helmets happen occasionally for special occasions, whether it’s for the Ireland game overseas or Fort Riley Day. K-State has played around with the decals over the last decade, whether it’s a script logo or different stripes.
Last season, Kansas State opened the year in all-white uniforms and a white helmet at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the first time the Wildcats had worn all-whites at home since 1995. That could be on the table for this upcoming season.
Alternate uniforms can sometimes be somewhat of a curse for the Wildcats, who tend to struggle when they change it up. But that hasn’t stopped K-Staters from hoping that new looks can follow.
So a new uniform is coming in 2026, right?
“I don’t think so, at least in football, because you have to be out a couple of years,” Taylor said. “I don’t know of any major uniform changes… just for 2026.”
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com

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