Wildcats to Practice in Kansas City

The Kansas State football program and head coach Ron Prince announced Friday that the Wildcats will hold an open practice in the Kansas City metropolitan area on Saturday, August 11, at the College Boulevard Activity Center (CBAC) in Olathe, Kan.
The practice was approved by the Olathe Board of Education on Wednesday night and will include a two-hour workout followed by a 60-minute autograph session for the fans.
“We are always looking for creative ways to reach out and connect with our fans and supporters,” said Prince. “The open practice in Olathe is a terrific way for our fans in the eastern part of the state and in the Kansas City metropolitan area to come out and support the Wildcats. The cooperation we have received from the people of Olathe has been fantastic and we are grateful that the Board of Education has voted to approve this proposal. We could not be more excited that the idea to bring a K-State practice to Kansas City has become a reality.”
The practice will be held in the football stadium at CBAC (11031 S. Valley Road, Olathe, KS 66061) and is scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. The fan appreciation autograph session will follow from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge to attend the workout and parking is free.
“We’re very pleased to be taking what we believe is one of the first of many steps in further cultivating our District’s relationship with Kansas State University as we look forward with anticipation to the opening of their satellite campus and the biosciences park in the future,” said Olathe Board of Education president Kevin Gilmore. “This is also a cooperative effort with the City of Olathe and we believe this event will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase what makes our community such a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family.”
The idea for K-State to hold an open practice at CBAC grew out of the University’s partnership with the City of Olathe to build a bioscience research center just west of the sports complex. Kansas State University president Dr. Jon Wefald said he was thrilled with the continuing evolution of the partnership between K-State and the City of Olathe.
“We are excited about our relationship with the City of Olathe and are looking forward to a long-term partnership with the establishment of the K-State Olathe Innovative Campus,” Wefald said. “Having this open practice and fan appreciation day is another great step toward strengthening the link between K-State and the City of Olathe.”
Olathe mayor Michael Copeland echoed Wefald’s sentiments regarding the Wildcats’ practice at CBAC as well as the connection that has developed between the city and K-State.
“When we were in discussions with Kansas State, we both recognized the learning potential for our students and we included a partnership with the Olathe District Schools in our agreement,” Copeland said. “With thousands of visitors coming to our community for the event, this is a wonderful first step in that new partnership.”
Kansas State’s practice in Olathe is one of two open workouts the Wildcats will host during their fall 2007 training camp. K-State’s practice in Manhattan on Saturday, August 18, at Bill Snyder Family Stadium will also be open to the public and is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.