Matt Campbell’s departure for Penn State has left more than just a coaching vacancy at Iowa State. The domino effect has certainly created a half-million-dollar problem for the program and the Big 12. After an 8-4 season with the Cyclones, the head coach decided to part ways with the program. But more problems resulted in a big fine.

Following confirmation of Matt Campbell’s departure, Iowa State has officially declined its bowl invitation to close out the 2025 season. Even with the hiring of Washington Huskies assistant Jimmy Rogers as the new head coach, the Cyclones are not expected to participate in a bowl game. On3 college football insider Brett McMurphy reported the news on X.

“Iowa State turns down bowl bid, sources told @On3sports. Cyclones are 2nd Big 12 team that was bowl eligible that opted not to play & could be subject to a league fine, source said.” McMurphy’s post read.

Iowa State is not the only school to receive the fine. On Sunday morning, even Kansas State decided not to participate in the bowl game. Even the Wildcats are going through a transition as Chris Klieman retired, and former QB Collin Kline will be the new head coach. This decision from both programs resulted in heavy financial repercussions.

“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,” the statement reads. “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 Cyclones got off to a 5-0 start to the season, but were plagued by a four-game losing streak in the middle of the year. However, they rebounded with wins over TCU, Kansas, and Oklahoma State to conclude the year. Iowa State hired Washington State’s Jimmy Rogers as his replacement. But players’ health was a priority amid the injuries, which led to this decision.

“The administrative staff & coaches respect & support the players decision,” Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard released a statement on the decision.”Our student-athletes have had an incredible season & we are grateful for their leadership as we worked through this process w/them today.”

Matt Campbell’s move to Penn State and Iowa State is still transitioning with Rogers. Additionally, the Nittany Lions are trying to poach more from the current Cyclones roster. That is why the question remains: who will remain with the program?

Now, the NCAA will pick replacements based on APR, with the top five being Rice, Auburn, UCF, Mississippi State, and FSU. With the hefty fines issued to both programs, the Big 12 now considers the matter closed. It has become a common practice in recent years for players to opt out of bowl games to instead prepare for the NFL Draft or seek opportunities elsewhere through the transfer portal.

Iowa State and Kansas State are not the first programs to do so. Last season, the Marshall Thundering Herd decided to opt out of the Independence Bowl game after losing more than ten players to the transfer portal. As a result, the Sun Belt fined them.

Which teams get the last two bowl game spots?

With both Iowa State and Kansas State withdrawing from bowl participation, two additional spots open for five-win teams with the highest APR ratings. Rice is projected to claim one of those bids, only its third in the last 11 seasons. Next, UCF could secure the other ahead of Auburn. Despite Auburn holding a higher APR than UCF, the Tigers are not expected to appear in a bowl game due to their own coaching stress.

After firing Hugh Freeze and a disastrous season, the Tigers were dead set on finding a replacement. USF’s Alex Golesh was named the replacement after going 23-15 in three seasons at the program. The absence of Iowa State and Kansas State in the postseason gives incoming head coaches Jimmy Rogers and Collin Klein valuable time to prepare for their transitions.

Their priority task will be retaining players who may consider leaving amid the coaching changes. If they manage to keep most of their players, the next step will be evaluating talent and strengthening their rosters through the transfer portal. The transfer portal is scheduled to open on January 2, 2025.

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