PROVO, Utah — As part of the festivities celebrating BYU’s 100th season of college football in 2024, the Cougars will wear throwback jerseys from their Cotton Bowl season in 1996 when they host Kansas State to open Big 12 Conference play on Saturday, Sept. 21 in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
throwin' it back to 1996. pic.twitter.com/TNNFo9wpAb
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) July 1, 2024
BYU will take the field donning the white with royal trim, black drop-shadowed version of the threads worn by the Steve Sarkisian-led Cougars in 1996. With the team wearing white for the home game, including all-white pants with no stripe in the style of the 1996 uniforms, fans are asked to wear white for the game as well.
The last time BYU faced Kansas State on New Year’s Day 1997 in the Cotton Bowl the No. 5-ranked Cougars earned a 19-15 victory over the No. 14 Wildcats to finish the year with a 14-1 record and achieve the highest national finish since winning the national title in 1984.
This year’s week four matchup marks not only a rematch of the 1997 Cotton Bowl but also the inaugural conference contest between the Cougars and Wildcats after not facing each other last year in BYU’s first season in the Big 12.
BYU will host Kansas State coming off a road contest at Wyoming in week three. When the Cougars last faced Kansas State, BYU, similarly, was coming off a game with the Cowboys, having defeated Wyoming in overtime, 28-25, in the inaugural WAC Championship game in Las Vegas in 1996.
Overall, BYU and Kansas State have met eight times dating back to 1957, splitting the games with four wins apiece. The Wildcats last visited Provo in 1977. The Cougars hold a 3-0 advantage at home to go with the Cotton Bowl win, while Kansas State owns a 4-0 record in Manhattan.
Last season, the Wildcats went 9-4, with a 6-3 mark in Big 12 action to finish tied for fourth. Head coach Chris Klieman has led Kansas State to bowl games in four of his five seasons since moving on from North Dakota State, where he won four national championships at the FCS level.
In addition to the throwback jerseys, BYU will honor the 1996 team versus Kansas State as part of the planned festivities commemorating the program’s 100th season in 2024.
Leading up to and throughout this year’s milestone season, BYU Athletics will be providing fans with a variety of opportunities to celebrate and reminisce over the rich history and tradition of Cougar football while cheering on the 2024 team in its second season as a member of the Big 12 Conference.
The official celebrations of 100 seasons begin this month leading up to the start of the team’s fall camp practices and continue throughout the 2024 season, which opens on Aug. 31 against Southern Illinois in LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Fans can participate and follow the latest announcements, news and updates about the 100 seasons of BYU football by going to BYUCougars.com/100 and the BYUCougars app. In addition to all the latest information about the special festivities, fans can read articles that feature and revisit the incredible history created by BYU players and coaches over the decades.