MANHATTAN — Kansas State football is still weighing its options as to whether it will appear in a bowl game after the sudden retirement of Chris Klieman and the hiring of Collin Klein.
Reports on Thursday, Dec. 4, suggested that Kansas State was opting out, while athletic director Gene Taylor said on Dec. 5 that discussions are still ongoing. He said they will consult the Big 12 for guidance on their decision. Bowl invitations will be handed out Dec. 6-7.
"I texted with Coach Klieman this morning, and now I've gotta talk to the Big 12, and I haven't had a chance to do that," Taylor said. "We need to let them know where we are and then see where they are."
Taylor said he had a discussion with the leaders of the Kansas State football team, and that no vote has been taken on whether they'll play a postseason game.
Whether Klieman would coach in a potential bowl game is still to be determined. Klieman announced his retirement on Wednesday, Dec. 3, after seven seasons as coach. The Wildcats earned bowl eligibility by beating Colorado on Nov. 29, making the Wildcats bowl eligible six times under their now-former head coach.
"(Klieman and I) are still talking about that," Taylor said. "I think he's in a position now that he's kinda made his decision. If that's the case, I'm not going to force him, but we'll figure it out. That's just one of the pieces that we have to figure out."
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State still weighing whether it will play in bowl game