K-State Wildcats Q&A: Chris Klieman, alternate helmets and the toughest games in 2025

You may have noticed that Kansas State will wear an alternate design on its football helmet for the season-opener against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, later this month.

A Celtic knot pattern can be found on the top of the helmet instead of the traditional purple and white stripes that K-State fans know and love. You can also find an Irish flag sticker and a three-leaf clover sticker on the back.

They are fun changes that will give EMAW nation a touch of Irish flair on game day, but they are a bit too subtle for my liking. I wish the Wildcats would have made bolder changes to their uniforms for this game. It will probably be a long time before K-State returns to Ireland. Why not try something big?

I would love to see green Powercats on the side of the helmets. Or maybe the Irish flag in the shape of power cats. At the very least, K-State could have gone with a green Celtic knot pattern instead of purple.

Green jerseys and/or pants would probably be too much for K-State fans to handle. But the baseball team has worn green jerseys for St. Patrick’s Day in the past and everyone survived. If that’s a no-go for football, how about some green or Irish accents?

Look, I’m happy to see any alternate designs, period. K-State football needs all the fun uniform changes that Chris Klieman will allow. Still, I feel like this was an opportunity for something more.

But I digress ...

Let’s dive into your questions about the Wildcats. Thanks, as always, for providing them.

If Avery Johnson doesn’t feel like he has the weight of the world on him, who does? Is it Austin Romaine and being an All-American? Or even Linkon Cure, our most heralded recruit? Or is it someone else? -@ChadFullington via X.

Chris Klieman might feel some external pressure, given how often he has pushed back against the narrative that winning nine games in most seasons shouldn’t be considered a successful campaign for the Kansas State Wildcats.

Deep down, I think he would love to win double-digit games this season and silence the 9-4 haters.

But I don’t think he feels “the weight of the world” as he chases another Big 12 championship.

Avery Johnson says he is able to play with more of a carefree attitude this year, because he has more playmakers around him. His job is simply to get them the ball and let them do the rest. With that in mind, I don’t think any K-State football players should have to stress out and try to be a hero this season.

What are Kansas State’s five toughest games this year? -@mhku32

Let’s start with No. 5 and work our way to the hardest game on the schedule.

5. At Kansas (October 25): The Wildcats have won 16 in a row against the Jayhawks. And the streak began during my first year on the K-State beat. So I’m in no rush to pick an upset here. But the gap between these teams is no longer what it once was. K-State has won the past two meetings by a combined six points. The Jayhawks will be motivated to end the streak in a partially renovated stadium. This game also comes after an open week for K-State, and Chris Klieman surprisingly has a 2-5 record with extra time to prepare. Weird things could happen.

4. At Arizona (September 12): I don’t expect Arizona to be all that good this season, but this will be a tricky road trip for K-State. It must face Arizona on short rest a week after going up against Army and its triple-option offense. I imagine K-State players will be exhausted for this one. Klieman has also never started a season 4-0 while at K-State.

3. Texas Tech (November 1): The Red Raiders could be the best team in the Big 12 if their big spending pays off.

2. Iowa State (August 23): No Big 12 team has owned the Wildcats like the Cyclones of late. Farmageddon has not been a fun rivalry for Klieman. Playing this game anywhere is hard for K-State. Moving it to Ireland in Week 0 probably won’t make it any easier.

1. At Baylor (October 4): The Bears had some early struggles last season, but they were arguably the best team in the Big 12 during the second half. Don’t believe me? They closed out the year with consecutive wins over Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, West Virginia, Houston and Kansas ... with a victory margin of 14.8 points. A road trip to Waco in the middle of the 2025 season will be as hard as they come for K-State.

Should I be concerned that Linkon Cure is already out with an injury? - Andrew B. via e-mail.

I don’t think so.

Linkon Cure has missed a few practices with a preseason knee injury, which is admittedly less than ideal. That setback could slow his development in Year 1. But it’s not a serious injury.

The former five-star recruit was wearing a brace over his right knee at practice earlier this week. That kept him out of practice, but it didn’t stop him from going through agility drills and taking mental reps. I am expecting him back on the field soon, if he isn’t there already.

There are also four other proven tight ends on the K-State roster. So it’s not like the Wildcats desperately need Cure to produce right away.

I am more concerned about the injury status of linebacker Asa Newsom and safety Gunner Maldonado. Neither of them were even at practice earlier this week.

When does the team depart for Dublin? -@TNCat53 via X.

They are scheduled to fly from Manhattan to Dublin on August 19. That will give them three full days in Ireland to get acclimated to their surroundings before they take the field on the 23rd.

Where will K State and Iowa State be ranked in the AP Poll prior to Farmageddon? -@Elgin506 via X.

It should be about the same as what we saw from the coaches poll.

K-State checked in at No. 20 and Iowa State was at No. 21.

That will make it the first ranked game in brief history of the Aer Lingus Classic. It might also be the first ranked matchup in any international setting for a college football game.

What would be harder for you to do ... trying to tackle Dylan Edwards or gain 10 yards against Austin Romaine? -@DerekYoungKSO via X.

Sadly, both tasks seem impossible.

But if I absolutely had to try one of them I guess I would try to gain a first down against Austin Romaine.

Here is my reasoning: I simply don’t have the speed to keep up with Edwards. I doubt I could even “tackle” him in a game of flag football. He would run or juke his way past me before I could get anywhere near him. I don’t have the speed or power to break a tackle against Romaine, either, but maybe I could slip past him with a perfect spin move or jump cut. And if I have someone blocking in front of me, maybe he could clear a path for me.

Of course, if I try to beat Romaine and fail I will end up in pain on the ground. So neither task seems all that desirable.

I would much rather face off against them virtually in a game of College Football 26 from EA Sports instead. That way, I could use Romaine to tackle Edwards.

What golf courses are you hacking around on in Europe? -@itsaholaday via X.

I’m going to try and complete the full British Open rotation while I am in Europe.

Hopefully there is enough time to play St. Andrews, Royal Troon, Royal Birkdale, Royal Liverpool, Royal St. George’s, Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Carnoustie, Muirfield and Royal Portrush.

If not, I guess there is always the Dublin Municipal Pitch and Putt.

What is the top facilities need/priority for K-State athletics? -@PowercatEng via X.

Nothing.

Facility upgrades are mostly a thing of the past in college athletics.

Right now, every available dollar is going to student-athletes. Revenue sharing has begun, which means K-State is now paying its players collectively around $20 million each year. Until they are told otherwise, boosters will be allowed to send money to players via NIL deals.

In the old days, paying players was against the rules and boosters were happy to build lavish facilities for their athletic departments. Now, everyone is taking more of a NFL approach. If something is badly in need of an upgrade, it will get taken care of. Otherwise, four walls and basic amenities will suffice. Players no longer a need a palace for a weight room or a locker room. They would rather have cold, hard cash in their pockets.

Fortunately, K-State just finished up several facility projects like a new indoor practice facility for football and a new arena for volleyball. Personally, I would love to see Bramlage Coliseum get a face lift. That facility is really starting to show its age. But that is not a priority for the Wildcats. Nothing on the facility front is all that important right now.

My weekly recommendations

Streaming: King of the Hill on Hulu. All the characters, including Bobby Hill, have aged in the latest series of this show. I’m halfway through the new episodes and they have all been enjoyable. They haven’t been as good as the peak seasons from back in the day, but they are an improvement on some of the later ones. The new season is funny and enjoyable for nostalgia purposes.

Eating: Lobster tacos. I tried some on my most recent vacation and now I wish they were available in Kansas.

Vintage K-State Highlight: Remember the last time K-State and Iowa State played before the full Big 12 schedule began? Jake Waters led the Wildcats to a thrilling victory in Ames.

This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats Q&A: Chris Klieman, alternate helmets and the toughest games in 2025."

Kellis Robinett

The Wichita Eagle

Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.