KSU Super Fans Pam and Rita

 

    ST. MARYS (KSNT) – Pam Sumner and Rita Muckenthaler have been to all 50 states, thanks to K-State Athletics.
    “I’m really on a first-name basis with a lot of those people there,” 88-year-old Rita said.
    Pam and Rita might be K-State’s biggest fans.
    “I’ve missed probably two or three [games] since like 1983,” Pam said. “[Rita]’s probably missed maybe four since 1989.”
    They both got degrees from K-State, and taught together in USD 321. In the 1980s, Pam wanted to keep going to Wildcat football games, so Rita suggested they go together.
    “We got addicted when we went,” Rita said.
     It snowballed from there. The traveling best friends have been to every home football game since 1991, plus 20 bowl games and about 75 percent of away games.
     “We started with her car, using her car,” Pam said. “Then, when I started driving, this is about my third car we’ve gone through.”
     There was one game Pam missed that Rita still went to– the day of Pam’s dad’s funeral. Rita went to the football game after the funeral because she knew Pam’s dad would not want her to miss a game
     Pam and Rita also go to women’s basketball and volleyball games.
     “You know how many purple shirts I have?” Rita said. “I have drawers and drawers and drawers, and they’re categorized. Long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless.”
     They’ve developed the perfect traveling system. Pam drives, and Rita pays for parking.
     “I think going to like Auburn, Marshall, USC, Stanford, to go to those iconic stadiums is just awesome,” Pam said.
     This duo will keep visiting more iconic stadiums while visiting the new Big 12 teams.
     “She’s my second mother,” Pam said. “I’m like her daughter. We’re family more than friends.”