In Wichita, Kellis Robinett noted a “new LED lighting system will be installed” at Kansas State’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium before the 2026 football season that will see “purple lights flashing and music blaring after every touchdown.” K-State AD Gene Taylor said that the school has been “working on this project for several years.” The stadium upgrade is being funded from a donation from the Koster family (WICHITA EAGLE, 5/20).
PAYOUT TIME: In Memphis, Jonah Dylan reported ECU led all schools in the American Conference with a $12.6M payout in FY25, followed by USF at $12.4M and Memphis at $12M. The American does not reveal exactly how it distributes money to its schools. The conference reported revenue of $127.1M, down from $147.7M the year before. The majority of that came from TV revenue $65.2M (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 5/21).
WHAT’S AHEAD: UNLV AD Erick Harper, who earlier this month signed a new four-year contract, said sustaining financial stability “is going to be the challenge for all of us as we move forward.” He said, “The cost of elite competition and the cost of doing business and the cost of championships continues to rise. It’s just the cost of doing business these days.” Meanwhile, Harper’s biggest goal over the next four years is “generating revenue” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/21).
