Bill Snyder Asked By Big 12 Not To Wear Old Bowl Game Windbreakers

Bill Snyder likes to be comfortable, but the Big 12 would like him to be, well, more current.

USA Today Sports is reporting that the Big 12 Conference has formally and “respectfully” asked Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder to no longer wear windbreakers from the Wildcats’ past bowl games. The reason the request was made to stop wearing some of those jackets is because they had certain logos on them from past bowl games that the league doesn’t have contracts with anymore. And others — like the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl jacket that Snyder wore last week during the nationally televised game against Auburn, for example — have changed names.

It does make sense that the conference make this request, since Snyder is frequently on national television. The conference is only interested in avoiding any legal issues, and it is a credit to Snyder to comply.

Snyder, not wanting to cause any trouble, complied, wearing a white windbreaker without any kind of logo during Kansas State’s 58-28 win over the University of Texas-El Paso on Saturday.

“Truth be known, I got a memo from the conference office that said whatever bowl was on the back is no longer a conference bowl,” Snyder said. “So I thought that if we cannot get that bowl game again, I am not going to advertise for them. That is a true story.”

Snyder’s tenure at Kansas State is as enigmatic as his choice of attire. Snyder is one of a very few coaches to have a two-time tenure at one job, according to the Kansas State Athletics biography page for Coach Snyder. Snyder was originally hired in 1989 to turn around a moribund football program. For the next 17 seasons, Kansas State became one of the better teams in college football. In 2005, Snyder decided to retire. That lasted almost three years, when Snyder came out of retirement to continue his tradition of winning football.

Snyder also has a reputation for not always following the status quo. Snyder spoke on the state of college football, including conference realignment and the new playoff format. Snyder itimated that universities today are selling out for higher revenue and not acting in best interest of student body.

The 74-year-old Snyder rarely minces words regarding these types of issues. Snyder has shown in the 23 combined years he has been coaching, he is not afraid to speak his mind and tell it like he sees it. With his actions regarding the windbreakers, Snyder once again proved he believes in doing what’s right.

[Image courtesy of Lost Lettermen]