At Big 12 Media Day in Frisco, Texas, Avery Johnson laid out why Kansas State passed on last year’s bowl game, and his explanation went beyond simple frustration.
The Wildcats were fined $500,000 for declining the invite, though that penalty was later reduced to half that amount. Johnson said the decision came down to the state of the roster and the mood around the program after a turbulent stretch.
"I didn't want to play in a game where people didn't want to give it their all," Johnson said. "I think it kind of got to the point where we didn't have enough players on our roster to even play in the game. It wasn't even up for consideration."
Kansas State’s situation was unusual compared with most teams that turn down postseason opportunities. The program was in the middle of major change after Chris Klieman unexpectedly resigned following last season, and Collin Klein was hired in December while still serving as Texas A & M’s offensive coordinator.
That timing mattered, especially after a disappointing 6-6 season left plenty of players weighing their futures and considering the transfer portal. Johnson said the group simply wasn’t in a place where a bowl game made sense.
"My thing is if we didn't have guys bought in, we had guys already halfway in, halfway out and wanting to transfer," Johnson said. "It wasn't like we were going to play in a New Year's Six bowl that really had a lot of meaning to it."
Now the focus shifts to this season, where Kansas State is aiming to get back into the top tier of the Big 12 under Klein. A former Wildcats star quarterback in the early 2010s, Klein arrived with plenty of buzz after being viewed as one of the nation’s hottest coaching commodities before returning to Manhattan.
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