Manhattan
The Kansas State football team is eligible to play in a bowl game, but the Wildcats may have taken the field together for the final time this season.
After head coach Chris Klieman announced his decision to retire on Wednesday, K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said the Wildcats may choose to decline a bowl trip later this month.
He will leave that decision up to the K-State football roster.
“We will start with the players,” Taylor said. “If they have a desire to play then we will take the next step. We have to start with the players and kind of see where they are at with it.”
Taylor said he would likely have the team vote on the possibility of a bowl on Thursday.
Previously, the plan was for K-State to play in a bowl game.
The Wildcats were considered a prime candidate for the Independence Bowl at 1 p.m. on Dec. 30 in Shreveport, La. But they were also in contention for the Liberty Bowl, Rate Bowl and others.
K-State seniors have said that they want to play another game together. But they made those comments immediately after the Wildcats defeated the Colorado Buffaloes to clinch bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record. Their thoughts may have changed now that their head coach is on the way out.
Taylor said that Klieman could coach the team in a bowl game, but head coaching duties could also shift to offensive coordinator Matt Wells or defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman.
If K-State decides to play in a bowl game, that is.
“We haven’t gotten that far,” Taylor said. “(Klieman) really wants me to talk to the players first to see what their interest is. And I’ll do that. Let’s get with the leadership and see where they are from a bowl perspective.”
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 8:38 PM.
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Kellis Robinett
The Wichita Eagle
Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.
