To fully tell the final chapter of this story, you cannot start on gameday. It means too much. It’s too complicated, too compelling and quite simply, there are too many angles.
The stage is too perfect, the emotions too intense.
See, it’s been this way ever since Nebraska announced this summer that they would dart to the Big Ten conference at the conclusion of this season.
For some it’s just too difficult to grasp. What does a conference without Nebraska look like? What does it feel like?
Nobody quite knows.
And so this final chapter begins the night before Kansas State and Nebraska meet on the field for the final time as conference brothers—ending a 95-year football history.
It’s an unseasonably warm October night, and more people have gathered in the historic Aggieville bar district in the small town Manhattan, Kansas than usual for a Wednesday. It’s louder, more lively, and everyone seems to have one thing on their mind.
What will happen tomorrow?
Wednesday October 6 11:30 p.m.
For Cole Manbeck this week has been moving too slowly. It’s been 12 days now since the Wildcats have played a game, and this week has been unlike any other he has experienced in two years as a sports writer for The Manhattan Mercury.
He’s tired. Perhaps, because the night before he didn’t sleep—though tonight he expects he will. For him, and so many who associate closely with the Kansas State football program, a week such as this can do that.
In fact it’s been longer than one week. The Wildcat football team had a bye before this Thursday night ESPN matchup, and thus Manbeck, and the entire town of Manhattan has had ample time to sit and digest this game.
“I think this game take on a whole different level,” he said while sitting at Tubby’s sports bar in Aggieville.
Tonight, like so many others, he has gathered with friends to discuss the game.
It’s much of the same for Scott Fritchen, the assistant editor at Powercat Illustrated, a popular K-State sports website and magazine. Standing at the well lit bar at the front of the patio, Fritchen, discussed the game with his close friends.
“It’s so hyped,” he says holding a whiskey and Coke. “Nebraska has pretty much taken over their lives this past week, which is what Nebraska week is all about.”
It’s certainly taken over the lives of those who joined Manbeck at his table in near the back of the bar’s patio. Sitting at the circular metal table, slowly filling up with drinks, discussion of tomorrow dominates the conversation.
“How do you go away from all of that tradition?” Chris Hansen, another senior at K-State said.
“I wasn’t surprised [Nebraska left],” Nathan Lane, a senior at K-State added.
Lane told the group he plans on attending half of his scheduled classes before driving to the stadium and setting up a group tailgate.
His first class of the day begins at 8:05 in the morning.
“I’ve been completely unproductive [this week],” he said. “My mind has been consumed with the game.”
For an hour-and-a-half, discussion surrounding the game swirled around the circle of close friends and throughout most of the bar.
One thing was clear—the group was ambitious. Their Wildcats could surely pull off the improbable upset. They were at home, undefeated and this game was just too important for not only Manbeck and those at Tubby’s that night but the entire K-State family.
“This is more than just winning the Big 12 North [division],” Manbeck said. “This is sending Nebraska out of the [Big 12] conference with a loss.”
Then, as 1:00 a.m. slowly arrived, Manbeck, Lane and Hansen stood up from the table and left the patio, each heading home for what they knew would be a long, but oh so important Thursday.
Thursday October 7th 2010 — Kickoff
For two seasons, Manbeck has made the transition from watching K-State football teams from the stands and on television, to watching from within the mostly soundproof Dev Nelson Press Box as a sports writer. During those two years he’s noticed the significant change.
This explains why prior to kick off on Thursday night, Manbeck could be found standing on the balcony at the top of the press box building. It’s open air, and one can see the entire expanse of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, as 51,015 people made their way inside to watch the final chapter of this story unfold.
“I go up on the roof and I take in the environment,” he said. “That sort of gets me going for the game. A lot of media members lose touch with the game—for me I’m never going to let that happen.”
As the game grew closer, and the festivities drew to a close, Manbeck gazed down into the purple crowd, and then slowly walked back down to take his seat in the press box for the game.
The moment he and so many others who invest so much with this football program had been waiting for had finally arrived.
If only they knew what would occur in those next three hours and eleven minutes.
Thursday 9:30 p.m.
Most of the 51,015 fans had left the stadium by now, but Lane could be found sitting in the now deflated K-State student section. Fellow students were dotted throughout the bleachers with him, some standing, some talking amongst each other, but almost all of them shared the same stunned expression.
“I don’t really know why we stayed,” Lane said. “I guess I just wanted to stay there to support K-State. Part of me was so shocked at what was happening. I thought maybe if I stayed, maybe I would awake from this terrible dream.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t help at all.”
On either side of the stadium brightly lit scoreboards told the story of exactly what they were feeling.
Nebraska 48 Kansas State 13.
Thursday 11:00 p.m.
Silence filled the table at Tubby’s sports bar. This time, Lane and Hansen chose to sit inside the bar on the second level and they gaze down at the main level as it slowly filled up with people.
Red shirts entered the bar in waves and as they did the mood at the table only declined.
“We tried to find the bar with the least amount of red, because all we wanted to be with was purple.” Lane said.
Highlights of the game that had just finished just under three miles away, were displayed on the myriad of flat-panel televisions that encircled the bar.
Eventually, all they could do was sit, and digest an outcome that neither of them could have seen coming just 24 hours earlier.
“It was just depressing,” Lane said. “I wanted to talk about the game, but [at the same time] I didn’t want to talk about the game.”
The Aftermath
It’s too soon for many to comprehend just what a conference without Nebraska will look like. But for now, the final chapter of this story is over.
Will there be an epilogue? Perhaps. K-State head coach Bill Snyder, now in his 19th year with the program after he returned to the sidelines in 2009, said there is a small chance the two teams could meet in the future—but many see as an outside chance.
The game is over and this story, for the time being is complete. Nebraska and Kansas State have met 95 times on the football field, 83 consecutively, and for now this story is taking a pause.
“There is a lot of sadness because the last decade or so, things have become so competitive between the teams.” Fritchen said. “The fact that Bill Snyder is back really gives K-Staters a lot hope because they remember those fond memories, and really gives them something to latch onto and with Nebraska being such a big week, the fact that they are leaving the conference really leaves a void in what K-Staters look forward to in the future.”
-Photos by Cody Bansemer
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