Kansas' hiring of Charlie Weis may already paying dividends of a sort: the Jayhawks' "KU Kickoff" drew 6,000 fans on Saturday, the most in the seven-year history of the event.

The event, which is an opportunity for fans to meet and mingle with coaches like Weis, men's basketball coach Bill Self, and women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson, takes place in Prairie Village, Kan., and may have gotten a boost from the hiring of Weis, who came to Kansas from Florida.

"Coming here is exciting to see so many people. We have such a great fan base." Weis said. "I think that everyone wants the same thing. I want the same thing as the fans. We want to get football to where it is fun to go to the games again."

Self noted that Weis shaping a better Jayhawks squad could produce a rising tide that lifts all boats: "We have potential to probably generate several more million dollars if our football team's good."

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