K-State to Play Colorado State in Wichita Wildcat Classic at INTRUST Bank Arena

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will resume the Wichita Wildcat Classic basketball series at Wichita’s INTRUST Bank Arena when the Wildcats host Mountain West foe Colorado State on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015.

The game will be the Wildcats’ third in Wichita in the last five years, following tilts with West Virginia in 2011 and Gonzaga in 2013.

“We are excited to return to INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita to play a quality opponent in Colorado State,” said head coach Bruce Weber. “I know that our fan base has fond memories of our last visit in 2013 when we knocked off Gonzaga, so I know they will again pack the arena with purple.”

The two-game agreement calls for a return game to the Pepsi Center in Denver on Dec. 17, 2016.

Tickets for the Wichita Wildcat Classic will be available first to men’s basketball season ticket holders and Ahearn Fund members and can be purchased through the K-State Athletics Ticket Office by calling (800) 221.CATS or online at www.kstatesports.com/tickets when 2015-16 season tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 10. General public tickets will go on sale Tuesday, September 8 online at www.selectaseat.com, by phone at (855) 755-SEAT and in person at the INTRUST Bank Arena Box Office, the K-State Ticket Office & at select Dillons locations.

Tickets are priced at $62 for lower-level sideline seating, $42 for lower-level corner seating, $22 for lower end seating behind the baskets, $22 for the upper level sidelines seating and $12 each for seating behind the baskets in the upper level at the INTRUST Bank Arena. Groups of 12 or more can purchase tickets for $12 each in the lower-level end behind the baskets and upper level sidelines and $7 each behind the baskets in the upper level.

There will be a discount for season ticket holders and Ahearn Fund members who order by the priority ticket deadline – Friday, July 24 – with their season ticket renewals. These fans will be able to pre-order lower-level sideline seating for $50, lower-level corner seating for $30 and lower end seating behind the baskets for $15. All tickets ordered through the pre-sale will be assigned in order of athletic department priority points prior to the general public sale.

An allotment of $10 student tickets will be available to K-State students through the ticket office in the fall.

The game will mark the 13th meeting between the schools and the first at a neutral site. K-State holds a 7-5 edge in a series that dates to 1937 with wins in two of the last three meetings. The teams split a home-and-home series during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with each winning on its own home court. The Wildcats are 7-0 all-time in the series in the state of Kansas (all in Manhattan), while the Rams are 5-0 in state of Colorado (all in Fort Collins).

“Colorado State is a great component of what we think will be another strong non-conference schedule,” said Weber. “They return three starters from a team that won a school-record 27-games and was one of the top seeds in the NIT this past year, so our young team will have to be prepared for a challenging contest.”

The game will mark the third time that K-State has played in the 5-year-old arena, which includes previous matchupswith West Virginia in 2011 and Gonzaga in 2013. In their last visit, the Wildcats knocked off the 21st-ranked Bulldogs, 72-62, on Dec. 21, 2013 before 13,224 fans despite a winter storm that blanketed the area with snow and ice. A sellout crowd of 15,004 fans saw the double-overtime tilt with the Mountaineers on Dec. 8, 2011.

The Wildcats will return seven lettermen, including four players with starting experience, in 2015-16 to go with the influx of at least six newcomers, including Mr. Kansas Basketball Dean Wade (St. John, Kansas/St. John) and NJCAA First Team All-American Carlbe Ervin II (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma/Connors State College). Senior guard Justin Edwards (6.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg.) is the team’s top returner in both scoring and steals (37), while junior forward Wesley Iwundu (5.8 ppg., 3.5 rpg.) is the leading returner in rebounding (108), assists (61), blocks (20) and minutes (780).

Colorado State is set to return seven lettermen and three starters in 2015-16 from a team that posted a 27-7 overall record and was one of four No. 1 seeds in the NIT. Among the lettermen returning for the Rams include senior guard Gian Clavell (9.2 ppg., 3.7 rpg.) and junior guard John Gillon (7.9 ppg., 3.2 apg.), who was named the Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year this past season.

In addition to the neutral site contest in Wichita, K-State will participate in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic at Kansas City’s Sprint Center, Nov. 23-24, which also includes two home games at Bramlage Coliseum. In all, fans will be able to catch the Wildcats in action in as many as 21 games between the three venues in 2015-16.

A full non-conference slate, as well as 2015-16 season ticket plan details, will be released in the coming months.