Mississippi State has received a bowl invitation for the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Bulldogs will face off against an ACC opponent to be named shortly. The game is set to be played on January 2nd. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM CT. Tickets are on sale now.
State was granted an invitation after some other programs opted out of the post-season. Kansas State (6-6) was in line for a bowl selection despite the retirement of Coach Chris Klieman. KSU officials released a statement earlier today that they would decline a bowl invite due to “uncertainties” within the program. Following the news of Klieman’s retirement, the Wildcats hired former Kansas State quarterback and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Colin Klein to succeed Klieman.
The other big bowl news of the day came when Iowa State (8-4) also chose not to play on. Former Cyclone head coach Matt Campbell recently accepted the head coaching position at Penn State and most, if not all, of his staff is expected to make the move to Happy Valley.
The Big-12 fined both Iowa State and Kansas State $500,000 for opting out of the post season. While those moves are based around coaching and staffing concerns, there is an expectation for teams who earn bowl eligibility to participate in the post season
The NCAA allows 5-7 teams to earn bowl eligibility when there are not enough bowl eligible teams at the end of the regular season. Six wins is the requirement to be considered for post season play. At times, 5-7 teams are needed to fill out the available bowl pairings. The criteria used to determine who gets those remaining spots is based on the Academy Progress Report for each NCAA program.
A similar situation arose back in 2016. Mississippi State was able to participate in the St. Petersburg Bowl against Miami of Ohio. Coach Dan Mullen’s team lead by Nick Fitzgerald were about to leave Tropicana Field with a victory and some momentum heading into the offseason.
In addition to playing another game and having the chance to end the year on a winning note, the bowl practice sessions are invaluable to coaches and players. Mississippi State is expected to build a roster around freshman Quarterback KaMario Taylor. The extra practice reps can build chemistry and serve as a spring board into the 2026 season.
Of course, Mississippi State is making some changes to its coaching staff and some players have and will enter the NCAA transfer portal in search of other playing opportunities. That could create some interesting roster management decisions between now and game day. No matter the circumstances, Mississippi State is playing in a bowl game for the first time since the 2022 season.
Mississippi State defeated Illinois in the Reliaquest Bowl in Tampa, Florida that year. The Bulldogs finished the campaign with a 9-4 record and a Top-20 finish in the final Associated Press football poll.
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