Head Coach Chief Bender gave the nickname "Wildcats" to the 1915 football team because of the team's "fighting spirit". The nickname changed to the "Farmers" in 1916. Coach Bachman switched the name back to "Wildcats" in 1920. He also introduced the first live wildcat mascot to the campus in 1922. Today, K-State has a more animated mascot promoting K-State's spirit and pride, known as "Willie the Wildcat". Over the years, Willie the Wildcat has gone through several changes. The original Willie costume was purple in color with large ears that somewhat resembled a cartoon character. It later evolved into the face of a wild animal, and today, the very sleek powercat. Courtesy of the University Archives.