They needed some 5-win teams to fill bowl slots but some programs that finished with five assumed they were done for the year and hung up their jock straps so to speak.

Teams that have declined a bowl so far....

Florida State.
Auburn.
UCF.
Baylor.
Kansas.
Rutgers.
Temple.

and of course, butt-hurt Notre Dame. (must be nice not to need bowl $$$)

Excuse the pun...Rice is in a bowl. (5 wins but VERY high academics)

“We didn’t do very well so we quit. The rest of you can fend for yourselves”. I guess academic institutions are willing to allow their athletic programs to dictate their fairness and integrity standing.

I think one of the unreported reasons why teams are declining bowl games is the timing of the transfer portal. Players want out, and coaches want their schedules free to have all this scouted and get kids on campus in early Jan.

I don't think it's a "we're too good for this" so much as it's an F-U to the power brokers at ESPN/CFP for leaving them out. It's a drop in the bucket monetarily in the long run, but I respect them saying ESPN can't use their brand to promote some shitty bowl game now. Plus all the transfer stuff already mentioned.

In the case of ISU and KSU, it’s clearly been stated by their administrators that they don’t feel they could field a team or staff with the current situation. In ISU’s case looks like lots of coaches heading to Happy Valley and I’m sure he’s taking a few players.

Ten schools so far.

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/cfb/college-football-b... /

A lot of those teams are 5-7. I personally don't think a team with a losing record should go to a bowl game anyway.

Good for them.

I don’t think 6-6 teams should make bowl games either , but we’ve moved way past that to fill TV slots. Maybe we should everyone play 13 games and schedule the last game with opponent to be decided after the regular season. In today’s reality of coaches changing jobs and players opting out and/or joining the transfer portal , it’s getting messy for sure.

This will always be an issue as long as the whole process is run by the NCAA and ESPN, two entities that up there with FIFA when it comes to corruption. I'm just waiting until ESPN creates a newly minted peace prize medal so our dear leader has matching trophies to wear around his neck.

Agree with all of this.

I kind of like that all things being very close to equal that head to head results, Miami beating Notre Dame, mattered.

(Unlike 4th place Miami Ohio making the MACC over two teams that beat them.... And yes maybe the above is just an excuse for me to bring this up yet again...)

I honestly don't mind that any of these schools declined bowls. In fact, I could just about care less if the bowls entirely went away at this point all together. I used to love bowls....LOVE them! But now, many of these bowls are no more than a glorified scrimmage anymore. After all the conference realignment, players opting out of them, players setting their sights on transferring, coaches leaving, and the addition of the playoffs - bowls are a watered down version of what they once were. I remember when the bowl gift packages used to be an added incentive for the teams. Now, many of these guys could care less because they're getting paid and either already have these sort of items or can just buy them themselves. Most of the locations of the bowls aren't an incentive to get excited about. The extra bowl prep with the additional practices used to be a plus, but that's now been shot full of holes as a number of those players that it's applicable to will end up leaving for another school. For those guys who simply want to play one more game with their teammates, they're a dying breed. Some of these teams who go to bowls are simply a shell of the team they were that qualified for them once they get there (opts outs, transfers). I was somewhat reluctant to see the playoffs creep into the the FBS postseason a few years ago, but having seen how it has operated and developed and really like it now, and it has essentially stripped away what little significance these bowls had left. You have teams that have lost their coaches and have players with one foot out the door, what the hell do they want or need to play in a bowl for. I applaud them for their decision - even with the fines by their conferences. Bowl games remind me very much of the newspaper industry. Both had their time to shine. Now, one is all but dead, and the other isn't far behind.

Temple put out a statement today that they did not decline a bowl: a bowl spot was offered and before they had a chance to respond the offered spot was filled
https://owlsports.com/news/2025/12/8/general-a-clarificat...