August 23, 2017
A letter from Coach Bill Snyder
Submitted by K-State Athletics
Dear Kansas State Faculty, Staff and Students:
On Sunday, as I have for 25 of the past 28 years, I visited with the new students to Kansas State University. Several thousand of them attended a pep rally at your Family Stadium. I shared with them my congratulations and my admiration for selecting Kansas State as their school of choice. I emphasized the caring relationship between our faculty, alumni, community, state, student body and our football program, a truly special relationship.
Again, this summer as I traveled throughout the state and visited so many gracious alumni and Kansas State friends at a half-dozen Catbacker functions, I was reassured of the belief that prompted my return to the Kansas State University football program eight years ago.
As I have stated so many times publicly and in my own thoughts, we (my family and I) came to Kansas State because of the people, and returned to Kansas State because of the people. You, the student body and faculty, have been the foundation of the development of our football program and our university. You helped take our game attendance from 13,000 to 51,000. You have proudly followed our program throughout the country providing Kansas State, as I've proclaimed so often, with the three largest crowds in the history of college football to cross a state line to watch their team play and above all have genuinely cared about your "family football program" for the right reason.
And on game day, when you have exhibited that passion, it has had a dynamic impact on the student-athletes on the field. This group of young men has come to realize and appreciate what you, their fellow students, mean to them. I thank you for that and for caring enough to make a difference.
You truly do represent the values of family as it relates to the university, its faculty and the football program. Our staff and our players recognize and greatly appreciate it just as I do. You have probably heard me say numerous times that the "family" on our stadium includes you as well as my personal family and all the people past and present who have been a part of this program, which truly includes our faculty, university staff members, and student body; I have also said so many times that Kansas State is truly about people caring about people in a very special way. That is truly why we came to Kansas State, why we stayed and why (after a three-year semi-retirement) we came back — because of you "the family."
As the 2017 season is about to be underway, I hope you will again join us in supporting your program by filling "your family stadium" with caring passionate K-Staters. And thank you for recognizing that this is about far more than winning and losing and that its true meaning is relative to the development of quality young men who establish character and intrinsic values that will guide them to successful and meaningful lives.
Thank you for caring. May the Lord bless and be with you in a special way throughout this school year.
Bill Snyder
Head Football Coach
P.S. Contrary to all the media exposure and money involved in college football, we truly support the concept that our institution is and should be about educating young men and women and providing them with the foundation for becoming successful in all facets of their lives. That too is our mission.