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By Andrew McCarty
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On Dec. 7, Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor announced the Wildcats would not be participating in a bowl game after capping off a 6-6 record.
"Following our recent coaching change and conversations with our player leadership and Commissioner Yormark, I determined that we will not accept a bowl invitation this afternoon," Taylor said. "This decision was not taken lightly, but with our coaching staff transition and several uncertainties regarding player availability, I felt it was not in our best interest to try to field a team that was not representative of Kansas State University.
"We applaud this group for fighting back from a 2-4 record to lead us to bowl eligibility yet again, and we are happy that our seniors were able to go out on top with a victory inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium."
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The move came not long after head coach Chris Klieman's abrupt retirement. K-State, though, wasn't the only Big 12 team to skip its bowl game.
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Iowa State also announced its decision to skip a bowl game after losing head coach Matt Campbell and a significant portion of his staff to Penn State.
"The administrative staff and coaches respect and support the players decision," athletic director Jamie Pollard announced. "Our student-athletes have had an incredible season and we are grateful for their leadership as we worked through this process with them today."
While they had valid reasons for skipping their bowl games, both the Cyclones and Wildcats were hit with a significant punishment from the Big 12.
"The Big 12 Conference is issuing a $500,000 institutional fine to Iowa State and Kansas State for opting out of their participation in the Conference's bowl pool," a statement from the conference read. "While the Conference acknowledges the difficult timing around coaching changes, the Big 12 is responsible for fulfilling its contractual obligations to its bowl partners. The Big 12 considers the matter resolved and will have no further comment."
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