Football | 6/24/2026 2:39:00 PM

June 24, 2026-The special events at Welch Stadium continue this weekend as the Kansas Shrine Bowl returns to the Emporia State campus for the second time in three years and seventh time overall.
 
The 53rd Kansas Shrine Bowl will take place on Saturday, June 27 but events will be held in Emporia throughout the week.  The Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band report on Tuesday for practice while the Cheer Squad comes in on Wednesday.  On Thursday the players will report to Emporia for the first time.
 
The Kansas Shrine Bowl is primarily a fundraising event to benefit Shriners Hospital.  The Hospital Experience Day is one of the most rewarding parts of participating in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. The players visited the hospital in St. Louis, but in an effort to involve more people and to send even more funds to the hospitals, the Kansas Shrine Bowl began bringing the hospital to Kansas in 2011. Patient Ambassadors from Shriners Children's will come to Emporia to interact directly with game participants. The Ambassadors guide cheerleaders, band members, and football players through interactive challenges, like maneuvering wheelchairs and operating prosthetic devices.  The Cheer Camp will meet from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Thursday with the Band Camp meeting from 2:00-5:00 p.m. that afternoon.  Both the East and West Football Teams will take part in the Hospital Experience from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Friday.
 
Friday's festivities begin early with the Shrine Bowl Golf Tournament held at the Emporia Golf Course. Registration for the sold out four person scramble begins at 8:00 a.m. with a shot gun start at 9:00 a.m.
 
The Kansas Shrine Bowl Farmers Insurance Fan Fest will take place on Friday night at Kellogg Circle on the campus of Emporia State University.  The free event runs from 6:00-9:00 p.m. The Farmers Fan Fest is community celebration honoring the Shrine Bowl participants. Families, Shriners, Shrine Bowl fans, and the entire Emporia and surrounding communities are invited for an exciting night packed with fun for all ages including a Meet & Greet Autograph Signing with the All-Star players; inflatable games – featuring a mechanical football; activity booths from ESU's Prophet Aquatic Research & Outreach Center, the David Traylor Zoo, and the ESU STEM Outreach Department; face painting by the Emporia Arts Council and the axe throwing provided by the Axe Shedd Mobile Trailer.  There will be a dedicated kiddie zone for our youngest fans along with food trucks and a beer garden available for purchase.
 
Game Day will start off with the Kansas Shrine Bowl Parade sponsored by Visit Emporia. The largest annual Shrine Parade in Kansas will start at 10:00 a.m. and run north to south on Commercial Street from the front of the Emporia State campus at 12^th Avenue down to Fourth Avenue. The parade features Shrine Clubs and Parade Units in full regalia along with the All-Star Football teams, Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Squad and more.
  
Parking lots on the Emporia State campus will open at 3:00 p.m. and there will be a $10 charge for parking that goes to the Shrine Bowl.  The Welch Stadium gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with pregame festivities set to begin at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.kansasshrinebowl.com/tickets for $22 for adults and $16 for students. Admission at Welch Stadium on game day is $25 for adults and $20 for students on game day.  

The game will kickoff at 7:05 p.m. and features 88 of the top senior players in the state of Kansas, including three future Hornets.  Running back Carter Hajak of Nemaha Central HS and offensive lineman Brady Alonzo of Chanute HS will play for the East while linebacker/defensive end Cooper McGowan will represent the West team. Over 50 Shrine Bowl alums have gone on to play at Emporia State since head coach Garin Higgins took over in 2007 while Emporia State assistant coach Jace McDown played in the 2016 Shrine Bowl, assistant coach Bryce Chavis played in the 2013 game. Current Hornet redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Burdick was the Paul Coffman MVP for the West team at last year's Shrine Bowl.
 
The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that produces annual events and related activities with net proceeds benefiting Shriners Children's. The Shrine Bowl of Kansas, Inc has existed since 1974 and has sent $3.36M to Shriners Hospitals for Children. The flagship event has been the Kansas Shrine Bowl, an East vs. West all-star senior football game that began in 1974. Kansas Shrine All-Star Events also include the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp, the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star Cheer Camp, the KWCA Kansas Shrine Duals and many other game week events. All Kansas Shrine All-Star Events are produced and presented to benefit Shriners Children's.
 
Shriner's Children's, previously Shriners Hospitals for Children, is a world-renowned healthcare system with hospitals, outpatient clinics, ambulatory care centers and outreach locations across the globe. Shriners Children's is dedicated to improving the lives of children every day by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research, and outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to the age of 18 are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the patients' ability to pay.
 
The seven Shrine Bowls in Welch Stadium are the most by any venue since Emporia State first hosted the event in 1998. In addition to the Shrine Bowl, Jones Field at Welch Stadium and Zola Witten Track played host to the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May. The Hornet football team will play six home games this season at Welch Stadium starting with a non-conference game against Michigan Tech on Saturday, September 12.