- - What does 'EMAW' mean? Explaining Kansas State rallying cry

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKAugust 24, 2025 at 12:00 AM

Kansas State opens the 2025 college football season on a big-time stage, when it takes on Big 12 foe Iowa State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Week 0.

The annual international game in Dublin, Ireland, has been the first game of the season every year since 2022. The matchup will certainly draws loads of attention, for not only fans of both programs, but also those ready to see live action for the first time in months. College football fans unfamiliar with both teams will be exposed to plenty of traditions from both sides of the "Farmageddon" rivalry for the first time.

REQUIRED READING: Kansas State thinking College Football Playoff after Avery Johnson declined NIL offers

K-State's "EMAW" saying is one of its chief rallying cries, and will definitely come into play during the game.

Here's what "EMAW" means and how the saying was created:

What does EMAW mean for Kansas State?

"EMAW" means "Every Man A Wildcat," and it has been the predominant rallying cry for Kansas State fans for years.

It's unclear when the saying started, but it's commonly said by fans to one another, and also is showcased on campus. It also appears on Kansas State-branded clothing from time to time.

Kansas State's famed "Every Man A Wildcat" banner that hung across the press box at Ahearn Field House disappeared in April 1971, never to be seen again. It was said to have been stolen by K-State baseball players, who tore it down and cut the banner into pieces, distributing it to each other, according to the university.

But the piece that included Willie Wildcat, Kansas State's mascot, reappeared in 2024 when a man tried selling his piece of the banner that had been sitting in his basement. The man eventually decided to return it to the school, and it's now framed and back at Ahearn Field House.

"That logo represents all that Kansas State basketball is about," former basketball coach Lon Kruger told the school. "Shoot, Ahearn Field House, the old dirt floor that the court sat on, the clock that wound down and confused the opponents, that logo hung above all of that. Very, very special memories."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What does EMAW mean? Kansas State rallying cry explained

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL AOL Sports”