What Bowl Game Did the Kansas Football Program Turn Down?

After a disappointing 5-7 season for Kansas football, it appeared set in stone that the Jayhawks would be missing out on bowl eligibility for the second year in a row.

But as it turns out, the Jayhawks were offered an opportunity to play Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl and turned it down. On3's Brett McMurphy reported that Kansas became the seventh 5-7 team to decline a bowl bid as "the quest continues to find an opponent in the Birmingham Bowl."

At least 7 teams that were 5-7 have now declined a bowl bid: Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, Temple & Kansas, sources told @On3sports. The quest continues to find an opponent for Georgia Southern in the Birmingham Bowl
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 8, 2025

This has been a growing problem in the NCAA over the past few days. Kansas State and Iowa State, two teams in the Big 12, declined their bowl bids due to their respective head coaches departing the program.

K-State Athletic Director Gene Taylor revealed a statement on Sunday confirming the Wildcats would opt out of a bowl game.

"Following our recent coaching change and conversations with our player leadership and Commissioner Yormark, I determined that we will not accept a bowl invitation this afternoon," Taylor said. "This decision was not taken lightly, but with our coaching staff transition and several uncertainties regarding player availability, I felt it was not in our best interest to try to field a team that was not representative of Kansas State University.

Obviously, there is a big difference between when a bowl-eligible team declines a bid and when a sub-.500 team declines a bid. Notre Dame recently opted out of a bowl game today since it was left out of the College Football Playoff.

Most Kansas players likely wrapped up the season against Utah with the notion that they had played their final games of the year and potentially their final games in Lawrence as a whole. Several Jayhawks have already entered the transfer portal and are searching for their new homes.

Nov 22, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Lance Leipold walks off the field after losing to the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The reported 5-7 teams that were not willing to extend their campaign into the postseason are Florida State, Auburn, UCF, Baylor, Rutgers, and Temple, in addition to Kansas. The NCAA appears to be having a difficult time finding a school that will take on Georgia Southern, which finished 6-6 this year.

In the current age of NIL and the transfer portal, some teams are broken up before the offseason even begins, and it would be very difficult for Leipold and Co. to field a team when most of the players have mentally checked out and are likely looking toward the next step in their career, particularly the seniors.

Since KU declined the bowl invitation, we can now officially say that the Jayhawks have missed bowl eligibility for the second year in a row. Leipold, who has gradually regressed over the past couple of years, may only have one more chance to prove himself as the head coach, with his job seat getting hotter by the day.