K-State supporter has traveled to every single bowl game with the Alumni Association
Sharon Lady Evers ’67 has been to all 25 of K-State’s bowl games along with her husband Richard ’69. Each time they traveled with the K-State Alumni Association.
“It’s just fun to be with them,” she said. "They take good care of us.”
Among them include the 1993 Copper Bowl win over Wyoming, the 1995 Holiday Bowl win over Colorado State, trips to the Fiesta Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Sugar Bowl and most recently the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State. The list goes on.
Since K-State’s first bowl game in 1982, the Alumni Association has had a hand in planning the bowl travel experience for K-Staters. With each trip Wildcat fans have come to anticipate a first-class travel experience with exclusive perks offered by the Alumni Association.
“We did about everything we could do with K-State,” she said.
Among these include access to special events and receptions, reserved seating at Pep Rallies, occasionally offering charter flights to the bowl locations and options to stay at the team hotel, along with a bowl souvenir and more. Additionally, the onsite help from the Alumni Association staff was always a bright spot filled with wonderful interactions.
Evers recalls fond memories of greeting the ’Cats at the team hotels before bowl games and celebrating the season with her friends and family.
For Evers, the bowl souvenirs are some of her favorite K-State treasures.
“They don’t just give us candy,” she said noting that her refrigerator is lined with magnets and photos of her K-State travels.
The Everses have also traveled with the Alumni Association for other special football game trips offered by the Alumni Association including the 1992 Coca-Cola Classic in Tokyo, Japan, and the 2021 Allstate Kickoff Classic in Arlington, Texas.
K-Staters often travel to bowl games in great numbers. Officials say the Wildcats had an estimated 45,000 fans travel to Dallas for the 1997 Cotton Bowl. The largest crowd ever to cross state lines to watch a college football game belongs to the Wildcats for the 1997 Fiesta Bowl victory over Syracuse. Wildcat fans were again out in force at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl as an estimated crowd of just under 40,000 K-State faithful traveled to Arizona.
Beyond traveling to support the ’Cats, Evers has been deeply involved with the Alumni Association. She served on the board of directors from 1997 to 2003 – with a term as chair in 2001.
“When I had to leave because of term limits, I cried,” she said.
Evers is looking forward to cheering on the ’Cats no matter their next bowl destination.
The Alumni Association will offer a travel package for this season’s bowl trip.