So, to address the original premise of this thread, whether playing The University of Arkansas in a bowl game diminishes the image of the Kansas State University
football program and their grand aspirations, I'll refer to the Wikipedia page regarding the KSU fottbal program's history that states:
Kansas State's football team officially began play in 1896. The first game recorded in the team's record books is a 14-0 loss to Fort Riley on November 28, 1896.[7] Despite some shining moments in the 1920s and 1930s,
Fortunes changed in 1989, when the athletic department hired LHC Bill Snyder as head coach. Success and high rankings followed, culminating in a #1 national ranking during the 1998 season and a Big 12 Conference championship in 2003. Between the years of 1993 and 2003, Snyder's teams went 109–29–1 and attended eleven straight bowl games. LHC Bill Snyder retired following the 2005 season, and Ron Prince was named the new head coach.
In his first season, Prince guided the Wildcats to the school's first winning record (7–6) in three years and a spot in the inaugural Texas Bowl. Prince's second and third seasons both ended with 5–7 records. With three games left in the 2008 season, it was announced that Prince would not return for the 2009 season.[9] Prince was replaced by former head coach Snyder, who returned to the school for a second stint.
So, KSU went from being the worst program in the NCAA D1, hired a new coach, became competitive in the Big Six, Seven, Eight, whatever, the newly hired coach bailed, they began losing again, retreaded their
old/new coach, and voila', KSU is a D1 powerhouse with prestige and reputation? Hah. Hah hah. Hah hah hah. Bwahh haaaah haaaa haaaaaaaaa.