Manhattan Knight
As fate would have it, UCF kicked off their Big XII existence for football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball against K-State. While I didn’t get there for football in 2024, it’s definitely on my radar. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
Published March 18, 2024
A little over a week ago, while driving to work down Grand Boulevard, I had an “oh duh!” moment as I realized the street was blocked off in front of T-Mobile Center. “Oh yeah, it’s tourney time again,” I told myself as I busted a right on 13th street to circumnavigate the closure. “Tomorrow, I will remember to go down Beardsley instead,” I thought.
<Insert voiceover of Ron Howard as the narrator of my life>: “He didn’t.”
Every year, I know that thousands will descend upon Kansas City for the Big XII Tournament. In fact, I look forward to it. Even though I have traditionally had no rooting interest in the tournament so to speak, I still enjoy college basketball enough that I typically try to get to a game or two every year. I love this time of year! And yet, I find myself having one of those mornings every March.
This year, it definitely felt like it was somehow earlier than normal; which makes sense, because it was. Due to the recent emergence of women’s hoops, the Big XII made the decision to host the Big XII Women’s Tournament at T-Mobile Center, in addition to the men’s, beginning this year. While that in itself is a big, and welcome, change, there was another factor that made this year’s Big XII Tournaments even more relevant to me: this is the first year that the University of Central Florida (UCF) was participating.
In other words, this is the first year I had a dog in the fight.
Now, perhaps UCF seems an odd allegiance for a proud Kansas Citian like me. After all, I have spent all but a few years of my life in Missouri. Two of those years out of state, were a stop in Orlando, Florida where I earned two graduate degrees from UCF.
When I arrived at UCF in the summer of 2009, I immediately latched on to their athletics. I had spent my undergraduate years at Division II University of Central Missouri (Snouts Out!) and so I saw no reason not to have a Division I allegiance as well. Not foreseeing any kind of conflicts, it only made sense that my fandom would lie where my degrees did. I was going to be a Mule and a Knight.
Despite the fact that UCF was, and is, one of the three largest schools in the nation, the athletics were not nearly at the level back then that they are today. The school was competing in Conference USA and the football team had never even beaten a ranked opponent. As a student who was in attendance for some major milestones, and an avid fan ever since, I have been fortunate to see Knights’ athletics grow into what they are today. While I have proudly supported and followed my graduate Alma Mater for the past fifteen years, living in the Midwest has severely limited my opportunities to support them in person.
So, when on September 10, 2021 it was announced that UCF, and three others, would be joining the Big XII, it is hard to believe there were many who were more excited than me! When the 2023 - 2024 academic year began and UCF was finally a part of the Big XII, I could hardly contain myself. I looked forward to talking trash during game weeks with all my friends and co-workers who attended the likes of Kansas, Iowa State, and TCU.
Knowing that road fixtures would make some of UCF’s schedule driveable, as opposed to 100 percent flyable, I made it well-known that I hoped to attend a UCF football game every fall going forward. (While conflicts prevented me from seeing UCF play at nearby Kansas and K-State this past fall, the opportunity to drive down to Norman to see UCF play at Oklahoma during the one year the two schools are in the Big XII together is not something I will forget anytime soon!).
Similarly, I knew I wanted to catch a basketball game every year as well. While I was definitely looking forward to my Knights being part of “tourney time”, I also knew that it was hard to plan ahead and guarantee I could attend tournament games. I was ready to see others in black and gold charging on to Power & Light District with me, but I knew that similar to football, I wanted the chance to see the campuses where so many of my fellow Kansas Citians had gone to school. When the schedule dropped and I saw that UCF’s first-ever men’s basketball game in Big XII conference play was at nearby K-State on a Saturday where I was free? You know I was going to be there.
As much as I love being a fan of the UCF Knights, there is a major drawback to my fandom. Living in Kansas City, there are SO few locally to share that fandom with.
Luckily, my brother Connor loves college basketball and we have a history of attending random Division I basketball games together. So when I invited him to make the trip to Manhattan with me on January 6, he not only obliged, but he asked to borrow a UCF hat and shirt.
This first UCF basketball road trip for me, and both of our first times in Manhattan, was a same-day there-and-back affair. However, we made the most of our day in Manhattan. These places were some of the highlights.
The architecture of the century-old apothecary that houses Varsity Donuts is pivotal to the charm. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
Varsity Donuts
704 N. Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas
For years, I had heard many a tale told of Aggieville, the district right next to the edge of Kansas State University’s campus that houses a collection of college bars, restaurants, stores, and other businesses. As I began asking my Wildcat friends what I needed to do in Manhattan, the thing I undoubtedly heard the most was Varsity Donuts.
Seriously, look at all that bacon! PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
If I am anything, I am a sucker for a good donut shop. And why not? As the shop likes to boast “Donuts make people happy.” As far as donut shops go, this Manhattan favorite is housed in such a unique space. Located in a century-old drug store, the donut shop definitely leans into its pharmaceutical roots by maintaining the original tile work and interior, and even displaying some of their toppings in a cabinet that was clearly intended for pills and drugs.
As for the donuts themselves? Phenomenal. Varsity boasts a wide array of classic and inventive flavors. Donuts of all flavors, sizes, and colors are there to choose. And they brew a fine cup of joe too!
Unable to choose just one or two, we elected to grab a half dozen, having full faith the leftovers would make for a great next day breakfast.
<Insert Ron Howard>: “They did.”
The Maple Bacon Log was one of the best versions of this pastry I have ever had. It was smothered in salty, smoky, chewy bacon pieces. The Oreo-topped Flat Tire was a delight. The Red Velvet was everything I hoped it would be. The Scout’s Honor, modeled after the Samosa Girl Scouts’ cookie, was an awesome amalgam of coconut, caramel, and chocolate. The Funnel Cake donut had a simple elegance capable of melting the most hardened of hearts.
The most inventive of the bunch, The New Year’s Resolution, was a chocolate covered yeast donut packed with banana-flavored Bavarian cream To top it all off? Some whipped topping and a drizzle of caramel. The portmanteau of Boston Cream Pie and Banana Pudding in donut form was just marvelous.
The only sad thing about starting our day at Varsity Donuts is knowing that it was all going to be downhill from there.
Every person that suggested So Long Saloon mentioned that it was a great place for burgers, but for my brother and me, the daily special looked too good to pass up. And thankfully, it was! PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
So Long Saloon
1130 Moro Street, Manhattan, Kansas
Among the many things the So Long Saloon is known for, the Nancy (a mixture of Busch Light and Pineapple Juice) may be their calling card. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
A morning of walking around Aggieville would have presented a number of intriguing lunch options, had we not already picked the spot out. Too many people had recommended the So Long Saloon in advance of this trip for us to really consider anywhere else. Judging by the huddle of people waiting outside of the small bar and grill for a table, it seemed we were making the right choice. As we snuck through the group that was waiting so we could put in our names for a table, we knew that the threshold’s mantra of “RUNNIN’ FOLKS OFF SINCE 2001” was far from true.
The crowd meant about 40 more minutes to explore the district while we waited on some seats to open up. Checking in again after about 30 minutes, we were offered the opportunity to stand in a gated area outside the bar where we could get drink service, and that seemed like a great way to spend the time.
Now, every single person who had suggested the Saloon had called it a great place to get a burger. (They also made mention of the bar’s famed Chipotle Raspberry and Black Bean Dip. One co-worker went as far as calling it, “life-changing”. However, since neither of us can stand the taste of raspberry, we sadly did not try it. Given its reputation, I would advise those who like raspberry to give it a shot.)
As we were led to a pair of seats at the bar, we could hear the sizzle of the flat top and smell the burgers throughout. It seemed my question was not if I was getting a burger but was going to be “which one?”. Ordering anything else had never even crossed my mind. That was until my brother, who had caught the chalkboard out front advertising a daily special, chimed in. When he even suggested it, nearly every person sitting at the crowded bar was very emphatic about this sandwich. “You HAVE to try it!”.
The aforementioned special was the Fried Tenderloin Grilly and a side of fries for $14.95. Advertised as a Swiss and pepperjack grilled cheese stuffed with fried pork tenderloin, red onion, chipotle lime aioli, and bacon; I figured I would just have to get a burger when I returned for a football game. This was an excellent choice. The bread was buttery and perfectly griddled, the melted Swiss and pepperjack were so gooey and surprisingly, the very different flavor profiles played quite well together. The bacon was crispy and a bit chewy and the seared tenderloin was so flavorful. This was one hell of a sandwich.
The UCF women’s basketball team was actually kicking off their Big XII schedule that same day against K-State in Orlando. The highly touted Wildcat women were destroying a Lady Knights’ team that has fallen from grace. “Surely, the game we’re seeing will be much more competitive,” I told Connor.
<Cueing Ron Howard>: “It wasn’t.”
So as we enjoyed our lunch and caught the women’s game on the TVs, we kept noticing people ordering a yellow drink and asking for “The Nancy”. As the bartender told it (after Connor asked), “In the early 2000s, this guy would come to our bar and order a beer but he didn’t like the type we had on tap so he started mixing it with pineapple juice and the bartender made fun of him by calling him a ‘Nancy.” Nowadays, the Nancy is what the So Long Saloon is best known for. A mixture of Busch Light and Pineapple Juice, the Nancy has evolved to include a few variations. The Dirty Nancy adds vodka to the mix while the Pirate Nancy includes a shot of Parrot Bay rum. The latter is the version I opted for.
Much like the Swiss and pepperjack, this was a collection of flavors that I did not expect to love together, but definitely did. After polishing off our Nancies, and a couple more beers, we took to the streets of Aggieville to get in a few more stops before the game.
A friend once referred to Auntie Mae’s Parlor as “the coolest bar in the state of Kansas”. I can see why he would think that. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
Auntie Mae’s Parlor
616 N. 12th Street, Manhattan, Kansas
There is nothing hidden about the entrance to Auntie Mae’s basement bar. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
After lunch at the So Long Saloon, we explored quite a few bars in Aggieville. (Sadly, one that we had wanted to visit, the ever-divey Aggie Lounge was not open until close to gametime). A few friends had advised a visit to Auntie Mae’s Parlor with one friend who used to live in KC declaring it, “the coolest bar in the state of Kansas”. With that kind of endorsement, we had to see what the hype was all about.
The sign hanging about the sidewalk read, “Craft Beers - Craft Cocktails” which seemed to jive with the type of experience that had been advertised. I had been mentally prepared to visit a speakeasy (another love of mine) but when we walked through those doors, it was beyond expectation.
There were no frills or an over-stated mix of modern and industrial motif that seems to haunt every good cocktail bar. Instead, this felt like a small-town honky tonk down to the Christmas lights that were still up throughout the bar. There was nothing secretive about this place’s basement as the stairwell down was right in front of the main door and marked with a red arrow. The whole vibe of this particular joint was “Come on in and have a good time!” and we were ready to do exactly that.
The long basement bar felt like a throwback. It was like the kind of cozy bar in the middle of nowhere you would see in an old movie. Finding two seats, at the rather empty bar, I was immediately impressed by the selection of whiskeys, ryes, and bourbons on display. I opted for the Old Fashioned while my brother gave the Jackrabbit (a blend of apple brandy, orange juice, lemon juice, and maple syrup) a try.
The drinks were both well-made and affordable. While everything about this bar felt like a cocktail place or even a speakeasy, it also had the familiarity of a local watering hole. It was the kind of place where the outside world just stops. When we arose from the basement, we knew that while I was not ready to similarly declare it, “the coolest bar in the state of Kansas”, it was a unique place with good drinks where I will be sure to return.
As we said our farewells to Aggieville and departed for the game, the thing that was best about the areas was the diversity of offerings. Within a few blocks, there was such a varying collections of shops, bars, and restaurants. Nearly every type of bar experience a person could want was present in this small district. It was also amazing how much free street parking there was and how walkable the area was. Being right next to the campus, puts Aggieville over the top.
Of all the college towns I have been to in the country, this was definitely one of my favorite entertainment districts. The variety and the location made it so special.
Having been to “The Pit” (University of New Mexico) and Carver-Hawkeye (University of Iowa) for basketball games, I have always greatly enjoyed arenas where the seats descend with the concourse on top. Bramlage Coliseum at K-State is such an arena. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
Bramlage Coliseum
1800 College Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas
The only downside to Aggieville was that eventually we had to leave. We were, after all, there for a basketball game. All day long as we went from one bar to the next in our UCF gear, the local fans welcomed us, engaged in some friendly trash talk, and had told us where we needed to visit in the town. We had enjoyed Aggieville so much that we now found ourselves cutting it close to arrive to Bramlage Coliseum on time. After a little confusion on where to park, we finally found the main lot (which was less than $10!) right next to the arena and hurried in to find our seats.
We had loved meeting all the K-State fans throughout the day but now all bets were off and we had to represent the Knights. I was hoping there would be a few other Knights fans near our seats. We had purchased tickets behind the basket nearest the UCF bench.
<Ron Howard>: “There weren’t.”
In fact, throughout the entire game, we did not see a single person wearing UCF gear beyond those who were clearly associated with the team. Connor relished the opportunity. Even though he is not a Knights fan, he loved the idea of getting to be a visiting fan and having to carry the support for UCF. We hoped to be in for a fun evening of competitive basketball.
<Ron Howard>: “They weren’t.”
After watching a fun pre-game, and taking in the theatrics of the newspaper-shredding student section on the sideline, we were eager to watch some hoops. To say the Knights got off to a slow start would be an understatement. The Wildcats began the game on a 12 - 0 run. Four minutes into the game the score was 14 - 3. While the Knights showed some life at the end of the first half, it was still 35 - 19 at the break. K-State never looked back and ran all over UCF. The game was in fact so offputting that it may be the most bored and miserable I have ever been at a sporting event.
Sadly, my UCF Knights were just never in this game. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
The only saving grace was that sports betting is legal in Kansas. While I never will bet on my teams to win, I decided to place a wager on the under (U 139.5) feeling that the number was too high. With only 54 points in the first half, that bet seemed to be in great shape, even if my team was not. Looking at the live lines as UCF came out for the second half flat, I saw that the line had dropped to 119.5. This was an opportunity to hedge and so I took the over on the live bet. The game soldiered on. It was a miserable one but as the game ended 77 - 52 in favor of K-State, I had made a rare hit where I had nailed both the over and the under. Though I rarely bet, I was glad I had in this case as my wins had at least meant that my ticket cost to such a poor exhibition had been covered.
For Connor, he never got his chance to troll the local fans. UCF has never been competitive. It truly was a miserable spectator experience. Despite that, we were glad we went. The coliseum was beautiful and they put on a great show. Getting to see the K-State student section perform the “Wabash Cannonball” In person was amazing.
It was not the result we wanted. It was not even much fun to be there. However, it was a game we will both always remember. And, it was my first opportunity to see UCF basketball play in almost fifteen years. I had to at least be grateful for that.
While we greatly enjoyed Aggieville on a cold, overcast January day, I can’t wait to see what it’s like on a beautiful fall Saturday before a football game. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
The following days were felt with K-State coworkers talking some trash, but also thankfully understanding that UCF had been so terrible in the game that there was nothing they could say to pile on. Unbelievably, just a few days later, the tides turned. UCF defeated the #3 Kansas Jayhawks by five in Orlando. Not only did I get to talk some smack to KU friends now (and all the aforementioned K-Staters were EAGER to join in), but it had been another historic moment. UCF had never before beaten a team ranked as high as Kansas. As I watched a sold-out Addition Financial Arena make noise and the Knights’ student section wave their palm fronds behind the basket, my brother sent me a text midway through the second half.
“Where the hell was this team on Saturday?” I did not know.
All things considered, the first season in the Big XII for Knights’ basketball was an incredibly successful one. The team would go on to beat Texas for their first road win in the conference. They defeated a ranked Oklahoma and Texas Tech team. It was the first team our school ever defeated three ranked opponents in the same season. The Knights finished with a winning record and even recorded a dominant win over Oklahoma State in this year’s conference tournament. As the men’s team now prepares for a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) match-up against longtime rivals, the University of South Florida, there is so much to be proud of. That would have been hard to believe back on January 6.
I think back to how miserable that game was and I smile. Not only is it a memory I will always have but I think about how far UCF has come. I think about what this means for me as a fan. Between 2011 and 2022, I had only been able to attend three UCF sporting events. In the past six months, I have gotten to attend four. In addition to seeing UCF football play in Oklahoma and the basketball game at K-State, I was at T-Mobile Center for the UCF Lady Knights’ loss to Cincinnati and the UCF Knights’ first-ever Big XII tournament win. Even now, I am already looking to the baseball and football schedules for my next opportunity to see my school.
I wish that I could describe how incredible it has been to watch UCF grow from what it was to what it is now. I wish I could verbalize how excited I am to actually be able to attend Knights’ games without flying halfway across the country. I wish you could understand how amazing it was to watch both Knights teams take the court at T-Mobile Center and to see this school I love have a presence in my favorite city.
I just hope that in an ever-shifting conference alignment map, that the Knights and Big XII are here to stay. Just last week, it was announced that the Big XII men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would remain at T-Mobile Center through 2031. It makes sense. Nobody knows how to host this tournament quite like we do. And while I know I will have my chances to see both UCF squads play in downtown Kansas City, I really look forward to getting out and exploring the campuses that many of my friends once called home.
So whether that next trip be to Lawrence, Ames, Stillwater, Waco, or somewhere else entirely - I cannot wait to explore the college towns of UCF’s new conference home. Until such time that I can share my next Big XII adventure? Charge On
Seeing Knightro dance on the Big XII logo these past few weeks felt so rewarding and so long overdue. While it really hasn’t taken long, it feels that finally, UCF has arrived. PHOTO CREDIT - disKCovery
What are your favorite things to do in Manhattan? What tips do you have as I continue to cross off several Big XII towns in the coming years? Let me hear it in the comments.
