The 10 most memorable teams in Kansas State football history

Kansas State football has had a long history, with many winning seasons and many special players. One of the brightest spots of K-State's long football history is legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder.

Snyder had two stints as a head coach at Kansas State. His first one was the most memorable as he took a Kansas State program that was in complete shambles and had not won a game in a season and a half and made it a winning program in less than three seasons.

After Snyder decided to hang them up for the second and truly last time, K-State brought in Chris Klieman, who has taken everything Snyder built and taken it to the next level.

So looking back at the history of Kansas State football and all the teams that have stepped on the field, which ones were the most memorable? Now these may not have been the best teams or ones that won championships, but they were memorable each in their way.

10. 2017 team

The 2017 team was the final winning season Bill Snyder had at Kansas State. The following season, Synder's final season, the Wildcats went 5-7. In 2017, K-State went 8-5 overall and 5-4 in the big 12. They went to the Cactus Bowl that season won, which was Snyder's final bowl game as well.

9. 2003 team

The 2003 team was the first K-State team to win a Big 12 Championship, the first one of Bill Snyder's career. The 2003 team was a stacked roster with some of the best players in Kanas State football history including Darren Sproles and Ell Robinson.

This team finished the season 11-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 to win them the Big 12 North. They unfortunately went on to lose in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

8. 1997 team

The 1997 team was the best team Snyder had ever had since he took over in 1989. Almost a decade later, Snyder had taken a team that wasn't able to win a game in 27 tries and less than 10 years later turned it into a successful winning program.

They finished second in the Big 12 North and went on to play in the Fiesta Bowl against No. 14 Syracuse, but this time they brought home the win. The only loss Kansas State had in 1997 was to the Nebraska Cornhuskers who went on to win the National Championship that season.

7. 2019 team

The 2019 team was the first team post-Bill Snyder and it was Chris Klieman's first shot as the new coach at Kansas State. After the Wildcats went 5-7 in their final season under Bill Snyder, expectations were not very high for Klieman's first season.

However, Klieman's team exceeded all expectations and went 8-5 with an appearance in the Liberty that they unfortunately loss. However, this was a great stepping stone for Klieman to take over a struggling program and be successful.

6. 2022 team

The 2022 team is the latest Kansas State team to win the Big 12 Championship. This was also the first team to win a Big 12 Championship not under Snyder. Chris Klieman had a few seasons to get his footing under him and by 2022 had put together a great team.

The Wildcats went 10-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12 with a loss in the Sugar Bowl to Alabama. One of Kansas State's biggest wins on the season was in the Big 12 Championship against No.3 TCU when the Wildcats handed the Horned Frogs their first loss on the season.

5. 1993 team

The 1993 team was the first team to make it to a bowl game under Bill Snyder. In just his fourth season, Snyder had now had his second winning season and his first bowl appearance, just the second one in program history.

4. 1998 team

The 1998 team was the second team to get to 11 wins under Bill Snyder and they did so by going undefeated in the regular season. The 1998 team went 112 overall and 8-0 in the Big 12. It wasn't until the Big 12 Championship that the Wildcats lost to the Texas A&M Aggies.

This team was one win away from the National Championship, but after the loss to Texas A&M, the Wildcats went on to play in the Alamo Bowl where they lost to Purdue.

3.1991 team

The 1991 team is very memorable as it is the first team under Bill Snyder to have a winning season. However, they were one win shy of making it to a bowl game, which they would do the following season.

The 1991 team was the first team to have a winning season at Kansas State in seven seasons. Bill Snyder took only three years to completely turn the program around and did so in an amazing way.

2. 1989 team

The 1989 team may not seem all that memorable because they went just 1-10 and 0-7 in the Big 12, but that one win was very significant. That was the first win under Bill Snyder and the first win Kansas State had in a season and a half.

Even though that team struggled a lot, they won, and they gave Kansas State hope that thing would get better.

1. 2012 team

The 2012 team is probably the most memorable team in Kansas State football history because they are probably the best team in Kansas State football history. The 2012 team was star-studded with players like Collin Klein, Tyler Lockett, John Hubert, and many others.

This team was one win away from a National Championship appearance and broke all kinds of school record.