MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State Athletics (K-State) and K-State Sports Properties have welcomed Purple Wave to the Wildcat family on a 3-year partnership agreement featuring significant sponsorship and support of K-State Athletics and K-State Rodeo.
“Purple Wave is a homegrown company right here in Manhattan that serves the K-State and agriculture communities tremendously,” said Gene Taylor, K-State Director of Athletics. “We’re proud to welcome them to the K-State family and thrilled to see the support they are providing to K-State Athletics.”
As a brand partner of K-State Athletics, Purple Wave will serve as the presenting sponsor of K-State Football’s Celebrate Agriculture Game against UCF on Sep. 27. Throughout the coinciding K-State College of Agriculture Weekend (Sep. 26-27), Purple Wave will also be the title sponsor of various events including The Big Barn Bash, Ag Ville Activity Booths and the College of Agriculture Alumni & Friends Tailgate. In addition, Purple Wave will have employees on hand throughout the weekend to help fans and alumni learn more about the benefits of equipment auctions and the leading online marketplace for buying and selling used equipment.
“Purple Wave was born right here in Manhattan, and we partner with the K-State family every day to keep the Ag community moving forward,” said Aaron McKee, CEO/Founder of Purple Wave Auction. “A partnership with K-State Athletics just feels natural, kind of like building purple with more purple. We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Wildcat Nation.”
In addition to their support of the Celebrate Agriculture Game and the College of Agriculture Weekend, Purple Wave will now serve as the presenting sponsor of the K-State College Rodeo, hosted Feb. 19-22 inside the brand new Bilbrey Family Events Center during its inaugural season.
Purple Wave, headquartered just steps from the K-State campus, was built on the same values that define Wildcat Nation — hard work, innovation, and deep agricultural roots. As the nation’s leading online auction for farm and construction equipment, Purple Wave connects directly with the farmers, ranchers, and builders who fill Bill Snyder Family Stadium every fall.
“We’re excited to kick off this new multi-year relationship with Purple Wave at the Celebrate Agriculture Game this weekend,” said Ben Boyle, General Manager of K-State Sports Properties. “The synergy between the Purple Wave and K-State brands is unmatched, and we look forward to growing together for many years to come.”
K-State Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college athletics – is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Kansas State Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Wildcats.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.