For many people in Manhattan, loving their K-State football team is a way of life; Saturday’s are often reserved to tailgate, cheer for the team and hopefully revel in the victory of their beloved Wildcats.

The enthusiasm and dedication the fans are showing to travel to Glendale, Ariz. for the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, however, is proving to the rest of the country, that there are no fans better in the country than the K-State supporters.

So far, K-State has sold 22,500 tickets through the K-State office, which is most in the Big 12, and only trails Ole Miss and Stanford among all of the bowl teams.

Haley Grant, senior in public relations, said there is no way she would miss the game, and said that the level of support from fans shows how much K-Staters truly care about their team.

“I would not miss this game for the world,” Grant said. “K-State has one of the most loyal fan bases that I have ever seen, and I’m not just saying that because I’m biased. At K-State, it’s not just about football, it’s about family and tradition. We’ve had an outstanding season. Win or lose, we’re going to support our team, our family.”

Not only are the students coming to the game, but alumni are also travelling to Glendale to cheer on their Wildcats as they go for the first BCS bowl victory in school history.

Alan Heide, a spring 2011 K-State graduate, said he did not think twice when close friend David Knapp threw out the idea of heading down to Glendale.

“While I was in school, I never had a chance to go to a bowl as big as this game,” said Heide. “Being able to go down to Arizona in December definitely was a plus as well. However, the number one thing for me was to be able to go down and watch my Wildcats take on Oregon. I could not be more excited to watch the game.”

There is expected to be a substantial advantage for the Wildcats when it comes to fans, as the Ducks have not been able to have the same level of success in terms of selling tickets. Part of the reason is due to the fact that they have participated in a BCS bowl game the past four seasons.

However, if you ask fans like Calvin Schneider, sophomore in accounting, the answer is quite simple.

“Like Bill Snyder says, K-State is a big family and we want to support our family,” Schneider said. ” I have been a Wildcat my whole life, I’d never miss a chance to watch them play in a BCS bowl.”

With such a huge crowd, and the band and cheerleaders coming to University of Phoenix Stadium, expect to hear the K-S-U chant, as well as a few Wabash Cannonballs as the Wildcats fan base shows why there are no better fans in college football.

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