The game was deemed a sellout in June, a full three months before kickoff.

Auburn’s trip to Manhattan has been talked about in the Little Apple since it was announced ESPN had picked the game up for its Thursday night telecast. Bill Snyder Family Stadium is not the largest stadium in the Big 12, but the Wildcat faithful can get rowdy, and its team is capable of pulling at upset.

Especially at home. Especially on a Thursday night.

“All I’ve heard is that Manhattan is the toughest place to play in the Big 12, so we know we’ve really got to be focused,” offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee told AL.com earlier in the week. “We’ve been fortunate not to have any false start penalties in the first two games. Your attention to detail and your awareness really has to be raised when you’re on the road in a hostile environment.”

Auburn returns its center and quarterback from a year ago, crucial in an atmosphere that is sure to be loud.

“A loud crowd definitely affects the offense,” Lashlee said. “But fortunately for us, [quarterback] Nick [Marshall] has played. A lot of guys have played. We don’t really have a young team, and it’s like going into any hostile SEC environment.”

Maybe in terms of intensity, but not in terms of size.

The smallest SEC crowd Auburn played in front of last season was at Arkansas, where 66,385 people saw the Tigers beat the Razorbacks. That far surpasses attendance at Kansas State.

The seating capacity at Bill Snyder Family Stadium is 50,000 though crowds usually surpass capacity according to K-State officials. Attendance has eclipsed 53,000 five times and seven of the top 10 crowds in program history have occurred over the last two seasons.

“This will likely be our greatest attended game ever,” Wildcats director of athletics John Currie told the Wichita Eagle. “We have actually not sold standing-room only tickets, because we know our student section will be as full as it ever has been that night. Student attendance is higher on weekdays.”

“I think it will be a really good measuring stick of where we’re at, because now we’re going on the road to a place where they’ve sold out because you’re the one they want to knock off,” Lashlee said. “Boy, they’ve got a good football team. It’s not the situation we were in last year. So, how mature are our guys? How are we going to handle it?”