The threat of an imminent thunderstorm likely cut down on the number of fans at Fan Appreciation Night.

Kansas University football players still appreciated the 500 or so diehards who showed up on a hot, muggy Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.

Kansas University football fans gather for the autographs of football players, from left, Mark Simmons, Adam Barmann and Bob Whitaker during KU's Fan Appreciation Night. The final 20 minutes of Wednesday's practice at Memorial Stadium were open to fans.

“I just want to thank you guys for coming out,” said junior linebacker Banks Floodman, one of five Jayhawks introduced as co-captains after practice. “It shows the true fans come out even when a storm like this is coming. We put in a lot work this offseason, and we’re going to give you something to cheer about.”

The Jayhawks opened camp Aug. 7 and have another week of workouts before they play host to Tulsa in the Sept. 4 season opener.

“These guys have been working very hard for you the last three weeks,” KU coach Mark Mangino told the crowd. “It’s been a tough training camp. It’s been demanding. It’s been difficult, but that’s the only way we can be one of the best teams in the Big 12.”

• Co-captains: Floodman was voted a captain by his teammates for the second year in a row, as was senior defensive tackle Travis Watkins. Also receiving the honor were senior center Joe Vaughn, senior receiver Brandon Rideau and senior defensive end David McMillan.
• Practice notes: Starting guard Bob Whitaker, who was held out of Friday’s open practice because of an undisclosed injury, was inactive for the 20 minutes of Wednesday’s workout that was open to the public. Sophomore Matt Mann took his place with the first-team offense. … Freshman James McClinton was working at tackle with the first-string defense. Junior Tim Allen had been in that role Friday. … Sophomore cornerback/receiver Charles Gordon’s 70-yard reception was the biggest play of the day. Gordon is expected to start at cornerback and see spot duty at receiver. … Players were supposed to sign autographs on the field after practice, but that part of Fan Appreciation Night was moved under the stands on the west side of the stadium because of the approaching storm.


Coach Mark Mangino addressed the crowd and introduced the captains for the upcoming season. The autograph session was moved underneath the stadium stands because of the threat of bad weather.

• Randle’s status uncertain: Mangino said during a radio interview Wednesday afternoon that he had not made a decision on the status of backup running back John Randle, who may be suspended for the season opener because he was arrested three times during the past school year.

“I’ll probably make a decision Monday or Tuesday,” Mangino said. “We have evaluated what he’s done on a day-to-day basis. He’s done what we’ve asked him to do.”

• See you at Arrowhead: KU athletic director Lew Perkins isn’t interested in playing rival Missouri in a neutral-site game at Arrowhead Stadium, but Perkins does want the Jayhawks to play at the Kansas City, Mo., stadium.

6Sports video: New season looks good for Jayhawks 6Sports video: Watkins ready for football season Less than two weeks before KU’s opening game against Tulsa, Jayhawk head football coach Mark Mangino will answer questions from kusports.com readers Thursday. Click here to submit questions for the chat, which starts at 2:15 p.m.

“I’d say the Missouri-Kansas thing, I don’t think is in the cards now,” he said in a radio interview. “We’re looking at a game there in the very near future. I don’t know what game. We will play over there if it’s once every two years, three years — we’re going to play there at some time. It’s important to us. We have a lot of people over there, and we need to do some things there. We play a basketball game there every year.”

• Ticket update: KU has sold 24,900 season tickets, up from 22,550 last year.

“We’re pleased, but we’re still getting a response out of advertising and other offers,” associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said. “We’re not done by any means. We won’t be completely pleased until every ticket is sold. We’re working hard.”

KU sold 26,500 season tickets in 2002 — it’s highest total in 30 years.

“If we can get 5,000 additional fans this year and 5,000 additional fans the next year, that’s how you build it,” Perkins said. “We don’t want the curve to go up and then straight down.”

• Turmoil in Toledo: KU’s second game is a Sept. 11 home contest against Toledo. The Toledo Blade reported in Wednesday’s edition that at least three students were injured Sunday in a fight that allegedly involved UT football players.

According to the Blade, police said a man who had been involved in a fight at an off-campus party was asked to leave. The man, whose name was not released, threatened to return with the football team and “shoot the place up.” He did return with friends, and another fight broke out.

• And finally: KU’s dance team unveiled new uniforms and a new name — Rock Chalk Dancers — during Fan Appreciation Night.

The dance team dropped the name Crimson Girls — largely because the term “girls” was deemed inappropriate for college-aged women — and was simply known as the KU Dance Team the past two years.

“We wanted to be called the Crimson Dance Team,” said Chesterfield, Mo., junior Erin Maxwell, who said the athletic department picked the new name. “Rock Chalk Dancers is OK. We’re glad to finally have a new name instead of University of Kansas Dance Team.”

Brendan Goscha, 5, of Lawrence, gets his football autographed by Kansas University wide receiver Mark Simmons. Simmons signed at Fan Appreciation Night on Wednesday at Memorial Stadium.