IT'S ON!!

[Prison Bitch]

December 18 1908

The First KU - Wichita State Basketball Game


KU and Wichita State first played each other on December 18, 1908. Back then, WSU was known as Fairmount College. Fairmount became the Municipal University of Wichita in 1926, and was renamed Wichita State University in 1964.



KU took advantage of the Christmas break to make a road trip across Kansas playing the local colleges. By defeating Emporia State, Kansas State, Kansas Wesleyan, Bethany, Fairmount and Baker, KU proclaimed itself Champions of the State.

Forrest "Phog" Allen was in second season as the KU coach, but did not make the trip with the team. In fact, on the day of the game with Fairmount he was in Columbia, MO officiating the basketball game between Missouri and Warrensburg. This was not unusual for the time, James Naismith also did not always travel with the team during his coaching tenure.

The game was the first ever in Fairmount's new gymnasium and KU won by a score of 65 to 15.