Last year, KU coach Charlie Weis spent the month of May touring the state to drum up support for his new football program. This year, Weis is taking his show farther afield.

KU recently announced the dates of an eight-city regional tour that includes stops at several major KU alumni bases and begins today in Denver.

Dubbed the Kansas Football Preview Party, Weis and special guests from the KU athletic department will talk about the state of the program and the upcoming season at happy hours and luncheons open to the public. There is a charge — $10 to $20 — for most of the events, but the first two, Thursday in Denver and May 8 in Houston, are free.

PS: I know this wasn't very football related, but I still thought it was worth throwing out there so people in these areas would be able to go if they wanted to. So let's do a KU football chat Friday morning sometime to make up for it. Be looking for the link in a while and submit your questions early.

Now.... Here are the details from each of Weis' scheduled visits:

Denver: May 2, 2013

Stoney's Full Stream Tavern will host a Happy Hour event from 6:30-8:30 p.m. (MT). Food and drink will be available for purchase. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend. There is no charge for this event.

Houston: May 8, 2013

The Armadillo Palace will host a Happy Hour event from 7-9 p.m. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend. There is no charge for this event.

Dallas: May 9, 2013

The Dallas Market Center will host a Happy Hour event from 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the Hall of Nations room. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend.

The cost of the event is $15.00 per person and includes food. A cash bar is available. Tickets can be purchased via http://www.kuathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/springtour.html.

St. Louis: May 15, 2013

The St. Louis Marriott West will host a Happy Hour event from 6:30-8:30 p.m. A cash bar and appetizers will be available. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend.

The cost of the event is $20.00 per person and includes food and two drink tickets. A cash bar is also available. Tickets can be purchased here.

Wichita: May 16, 2013

The Wichita Marriott will host a luncheon from 12-1 p.m. Registration for the event begins at 11:30 a.m. The seated luncheon, featuring Athletics Director Dr. Sheahon Zenger and head coach Charlie Weis, starts at noon.

The cost of the event is $20.00 per person and includes a plated lunch. Tickets can be purchased here.

Liberal: May 16, 2013

The Seward County Events Center will host a dinner event from 6:30-8:30 p.m., in the Ag Building. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend.

The cost of the event is $10.00 per person and includes food and drinks. Tickets can be purchased here.

Chicago: May 21, 2013

The Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel will host a Happy Hour event from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend.

The cost of the event is $20.00 per person and includes appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages. A cash bar is also available. Tickets can be purchased here.

Topeka: May 22, 2013

The Ramada Inn Downtown Convention Center will host a Happy Hour event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Head coach Charlie Weis, Director of Athletics Dr. Sheahon Zenger and other athletic department officials will attend. There is no charge for this event. Food and drink will be available.

Did you hear what Kansas University football coach Charlie Weis had to say about the whole Manti Te'o mess?

Well, in case you missed it, here are Weis' comments:

“–––––––––––––––”

During the past couple of weeks, as the story about the Notre Dame linebacker and his relationship with a girlfriend who not only did not exist but also never actually died, spiraled into more strange territory by the minute, Weis has kept his name out of the circus.

It would've been real easy for the second-year KU coach to get involved. He knew Te'o well, recruited him to Notre Dame and developed a strong bond with his immediate family. With the Te'o story landing in places such as Good Morning America, CNN, and, of course, every sports blog and web site on the planet, Weis' name and perhaps even his current employer would have been plastered all over the place for days, perhaps even weeks, as the story grew into one of the most unreal, unbelievable and, frankly, uncomfortable stories in recent memory.

But rather than capitalize on the chance to jump back into the limelight for a while, Weis passed. At least publicly.

I've talked to more than one person with knowledge of the fact that Te'o has reached out to Weis for advice multiple times during the past couple of weeks.

To Weis' credit, he has taken and returned Te'o's calls and done everything he can to help the young man navigate his way through a tough situation. Even more to his credit, Weis hasn't called a press conference to tell the whole world about it.

Weis handled things the same way during the 2012 season when Notre Dame, and a roster that included several players Weis recruited, raced to an undefeated season and a berth in the national championship game. Weis did release a statement saying how happy he was for those players and the school, but did not take it further than that, despite the fact that he received dozens of requests for interviews on a weekly basis throughout various parts of the season.

I can only imagine who has asked and how many times they've called to get Weis' take on the Te'o fiasco.

After the initial flurry, I asked KU officials if Weis would be making any comments on the situation and was told that he would not because he wanted to be respectful of the fact that this is about Te'o and not about him.

It's refreshing to see a coach who is willing to lie low in today's world where coaches so often — too often? — jump at the chance to put a microphone in front of their face to gain visibility for their program and feed their own egos.

It would've been easy for Weis to do that, especially right now during this crucial time in recruiting. But he didn't. And I don't expect he ever will.