The Iowa State Cyclones and Kansas State Wildcats have successfully appealed to the Big 12 Conference over their decision to not participate in their respective bowl games last season. According to Brett McMurphy with On3, the two programs had their fines reduced from $500,000 to $250,000 each.
Both programs elected to skip their bowl games since they had to replace their head coaches following Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State and Chris Klieman’s retirement. While in a previous world of college football, teams who lost head coaches would still play in their bowl games. But now, thanks to the transfer portal, players will often hit the portal as soon as their coach leaves, retires or gets fired. It’s the way of the world. And often times, you won’t have the bodies, or quality players, to take the field in a legitimate FBS college football game. It can be a safety issue as much as anything else.
Why Do This At All?
Understandably, the Big 12 has to look out for its programs, but also has to be cognizant of its biggest TV partner, ESPN, making an enormous amount of money from these bowl games. So they have to make it seem like they’re appeasing the TV partners in this case. It’s a reality of today’s college football environment.
If conference’s allow teams to start opting out of bowl games, ESPN’s bowl season becomes a debacle, and the money dries up for all the conferences and teams. Then teams could find new excuses for why they can’t, or don’t want to, play in bowl games. It would be a mess for all involved. So while Yormark did the right thing in lowering the fine, he has to protect his TV partner here as well, which is exactly what he did.
Kansas State is now full-steam ahead with Collin Klein as head coach, while Iowa State is all in with Jimmy Rogers. And they each now have been able to retain an extra $250,000 to do with as they please.
