Manhattan’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium didn’t crack the Top 25 toughest places to play in EA Sports’ new College Football 26 video game, and K-State fans aren’t happy.
Despite Kansas State owning the nation’s best home-field advantage—per the latest KFord Rankings that put the Wildcats No. 1 at beating the Vegas spread at home—their stadium was left off the list.
EA Sports stuck with the usual suspects: Tiger Stadium (LSU) ranked No. 1, Beaver Stadium (Penn State) No. 2, and Ohio Stadium (Ohio State) No. 3.
The top 10 is loaded with SEC and Big Ten powerhouses like Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Michigan. Last year’s No. 1, Texas A&M, dropped to No. 11 this year. Big 12 reps? Just Utah and Oklahoma State.
NEW: EA Sports College Football 26 Top 25 toughest places to play🎮https://t.co/36KX4yDXzv pic.twitter.com/e1EqWCKY9P
— On3 (@On3sports) June 24, 2025
K-State was a fortress last season, going 5–1 at home with wins over UT Martin, Arizona, No. 20 Oklahoma State, in-state rival Kansas, and Cincinnati. Their only loss? A 24–14 upset at home by eventual Big 12 champ Arizona State, where the Wildcats were 7.5-point favorites.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Wildcats have another solid home slate to defend. After opening the season overseas in Ireland against Iowa State (Aug. 23), K-State returns home for matchups against Army (Sept. 6), North Dakota, and Big 12 foes UCF, TCU, Texas Tech, and Colorado.
The season kicks off at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Aug. 30 with a “Stripe Out” event. Fans can also look forward to Fort Riley Day (Army, Sept. 6), Celebrate Ag Day (UCF, Sept. 27), Homecoming (TCU, Oct. 11), Harley Day (Texas Tech, Nov. 1), and Senior Day (Colorado, Nov. 9).
Junior QB Avery Johnson is back after a breakout year, joined by offensive weapons Dylan Edwards, Joe Jackson, and Jayce Brown. Defensively, veterans Austin Romaine and V.J. Payne lead a veteran unit loaded with experience.
National preseason polls have taken notice: K-State ranks No. 12 in USA Today’s Top 25, No. 16 in FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt’s rankings, and No. 21 in ESPN’s Football Power Index—the highest in the Big 12.
After finishing 9–4 last year and capping it off with a thrilling 44–41 bowl win over Rutgers, K-State is poised to make noise in 2025—aiming for a Big 12 title run and a coveted College Football Playoff spot.