K-States 2014 schedule nearly set

Kansas State moved a step closer to finalizing its 2014 football schedule on Wednesday when Iowa State officially announced that its game with K-State has been moved up to the second week of the season.

K-State's trip to Ames to play a Big 12 game will now take place on Sept. 6, just one week after the Wildcats open their 2014 season with a game against Football Championship Series (I-AA) opponent Stephen F. Austin in Manhattan. The game at Iowa State was originally slated for Oct. 11.

K-State is now awaiting final word on whether or not its home game with Auburn will be moved to an alternate date to accommodate television. ESPN is considering moving the significant non-conference contest between the Big 12 and SEC powers from Saturday, Sept. 20 to Thursday, Sept. 18 so it can be broadcast nationally.

K-State athletics director John Currie also recently announced on a local radio show that a game with Texas-El Paso had been scheduled on Sept. 27 to replace the game cancelled this fall by Texas-San Antonio. That means setting the date for the Auburn game is the final obstacle preventing K-State from announcing its 2014 schedule.

The Wildcats are already scheduled to play a Thursday night game at West Virginia on Nov. 20. If the Auburn game is also moved to a Thursday, K-State will face the scheduling oddity of not playing games on five Saturdays next football season. The Wildcats would be off the Saturdays before and after the Thursday games with Auburn (Sept. 13 and Sept. 20) as well as West Virginia (Nov. 15 and Nov. 22), and the former date to play Iowa State would also remain open.

K-State's 2014 Football Schedule

Aug. 30 -- Stephen F. Austin

Sept. 6 -- at Iowa State

Sept. 18 or 20 -- Auburn

Sept. 27 -- UTEP

Oct. 4 -- Texas Tech

Oct. 18 -- at Oklahoma

Oct. 25 -- Texas

Nov. 1 -- Oklahoma State

Nov. 8 -- at TCU

Nov. 20 -- at West Virginia

Nov. 29 -- Kansas

Dec. 6 -- at Baylor