The Iowa State Cyclones, who represent Iowa State University, began life like so many other sports teams in America: as the Cardinals. While still under that nickname, the team was coached by the near-mythic figure of Pop Warner (best known for Pop Warner Little Scholars, the youth football and cheerleading program he started and that is still immensely popular to this day), after Iowa State seduced the coach away from his job at the University of Georgia by offering the princely sum of $25 a week. The team acquired its new name, the one that stuck, soon after Warner’s departure, when they traveled to Northwestern University in Illinois and blew away the favored home team 36-0. The Chicago papers described the Northwestern team as having been hit by a cyclone, and so Iowa State became the Cyclones for good. Amusingly, the mascot for the Cyclones is still a cardinal (Cy the Cardinal), as university officials were at a loss when faced with the prospect of creating a cyclone costume. However, in 2005, a tornado touched down in Ames before a game, after which the Cyclones beat Colorado 30-16, to which the Colorado coach remarked it was hard to compete with a team that had a real tornado as a mascot! The team still maintains cardinal red and gold as its official colors. On the field over the years, the Cyclones have blown hot and cold over the years, but lukewarm more often than not, frequently finishing in the mid-rankings of their conference. The team has won just two conference titles (both over a century ago, in 1911 and 1912), has a bowl record of 5-13, and an overall win percentage of .454. Nevertheless, the Cyclones enjoy enormous support in their small college town of Ames and all across the state of Iowa, with fans driving many miles to partake in the tailgating, sing “ISU FIghts” along with the marching band, and hope to hear the cannon blast, the tornado siren blare, and the Liberty Bell ring in the sounds of a home team victory.

Iowa State Cyclones Rivalries

The Iowa State Cyclones have a long-standing state rivalry with the Iowa Hawkeyes of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. From the first meeting of the teams in 1894 to their most recent game in 2023 (a 20-13 loss for the Cyclones), the Hawkeyes have had the upper hand in the series, with a record of 46-23 overall. The Cyclones have a more competitive record against their other big rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats (known as “Farmageddon”), maintaining a narrow lead in that series 52-50-4. Their rivalry with the Missouri Tigers is now unfortunately a thing of the past due to the Tigers departing from the Big 12 Conference. 

Finding Iowa State Cyclones Football Tickets

Despite what might be generously called an occasional record of success on the field, the Iowa State Cyclones have a devoted following of students, alumni, and Iowa residents, many of whom drive many miles to come cheer on their Cyclones (and enjoy the various festivities of the weekend). This can make tickets to Cyclones tricky to come by, especially for Bowl games, key conference matchups, or games against rival schools (see above). TicketX is your one-stop shop when it comes to finding affordable Iowa State Cyclones tickets. Check our listings for all available tickets and use our handy stadium seating chart to compare seating options for price and location.

Read more about our tips on "How to Get Cheap Tickets to Iowa State Football Games Today" on TicketX Magazine.