If you walked into a bar in Ames back in 2014 and told a group of fans that the Iowa State Cyclones would soon be a perennial contender in the Big 12, they probably would have checked your temperature. Honestly, it was a different world then. The Cyclones of the Big 12 conference were the lovable losers—the team that played "spoiler" once a year but otherwise served as a homecoming opponent for the likes of Oklahoma and Texas.
But things changed. Fast.
The story of Iowa State’s rise within the conference isn't just about one lucky season or a single superstar player. It’s a complete cultural overhaul. We’re talking about a program that went from a 3-9 disaster in 2015 to winning 11 games in 2024 and making its way to the Big 12 Championship game twice in five years. You’ve seen the highlights, but the "how" behind it is way more interesting than just a final score.
The Matt Campbell Era and the 133-Year Ceiling
For the longest time, the 10-win mark was the Great Wall of Iowa State football. 133 years. That’s how long the program went without hitting double digits in the win column. When Matt Campbell arrived from Toledo, he inherited a roster that had basically forgotten how to win on the road.
Campbell didn't just coach; he built a bunker. His "Process" became a meme among rivals, but in Ames, it was gospel. He led the Cyclones to their first-ever 11-3 season in 2024, capped off by a wild 42-41 victory over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. It was peak Iowa State: gritty, slightly chaotic, and ultimately successful.
By the time Campbell departed for Penn State at the end of 2025, he had completely rewritten the record books. He owns over 50% of the school’s all-time Big 12 wins. Let that sink in. One guy accounted for half of the conference victories in the history of the school.
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Now, the whistle has been handed to Jimmy Rogers. Rogers isn't some corporate hire; he’s the guy who just led Montana State to an FCS national title. He’s stepping into a massive shadow, especially with a roster that saw a "talent exodus" via the portal after Campbell left. But that’s the new Big 12. It’s a constant cycle of rebuilding and reloading.
Why the Big 12 Expansion Actually Helps Ames
You might think adding schools like Arizona, Utah, and UCF would bury a middle-market school like Iowa State. It’s actually been the opposite. The "new" Big 12 is arguably the most egalitarian conference in the country.
In the SEC, you have a few kings and a lot of peasants. In the Big 12, everyone is a middle-class brawler. Last year, Arizona State was picked to finish dead last and ended up winning the whole conference. That kind of parity is exactly where the Cyclones thrive.
The 2026 Schedule: A Survival Guide
The 2026 season is going to be a gauntlet. If you're looking at the home slate, the Jack is going to be rocking.
- Home Games: Cincinnati, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Utah, and West Virginia.
- Road Trips: Arizona, Baylor, BYU, and UCF.
The Utah game at home is the one everyone is circling. Utah is basically the "Iowa of the West"—tough, defensive-minded, and physical. Seeing those two identities clash in Ames is going to be a bloodbath. Also, keep an eye on the road trip to Orlando. Playing UCF for the first time on their turf is a culture shock for a team used to 40-degree winds in November.
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The T.J. Otzelberger Effect on the Court
We can't talk about the Cyclones of the Big 12 conference without mentioning Hilton Magic. If the football team is the heart of the school, the basketball team is the soul.
T.J. Otzelberger is currently doing things that seem statistically impossible. He took over a team that went 2-22 and had them in the Sweet 16 a year later. As of early 2026, he’s sitting on a career record in Ames of 111-45.
The 2025-2026 season started with a 16-0 tear. They were ranked No. 2 in the country before dropping two tough road games to Kansas and Cincinnati. That’s the thing about Big 12 basketball: you can be the best team in the world on Tuesday and get handled by a "bottom-tier" team on Saturday because the environments are so hostile.
The NIL Deficit: The $147 Million Elephant in the Room
Here’s the part that gets messy. While the wins are piling up, the bank account is looking a bit thin. Iowa State is currently projecting a cumulative $147 million deficit through 2031.
Why? Because the "House v. NCAA" settlement changed the rules. Schools are now allowed to share up to $20.5 million annually with athletes. Iowa State has committed to paying the full amount to stay competitive, but that money has to come from somewhere.
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To bridge the gap, the athletic department is getting aggressive:
- Ticket Tax: Fans are now footing the bill for the sales tax on tickets, which used to be absorbed by the school.
- Cyclone Club Hikes: Donation requirements are jumping by 20%.
- Olympic Sport Cuts: Travel for smaller sports is being slashed. No more fancy flights for the golf team; they're likely taking the bus or finding cheaper routes.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for a fanbase that is already among the most loyal in the nation. But in the 2026 landscape of college sports, if you aren't paying the players, you aren't playing the game.
What Really Matters: The "Farmageddon" Problem
One of the saddest parts of the new Big 12 is the loss of tradition. The Farmageddon rivalry with Kansas State—a game played 103 years in a row—is no longer a guaranteed yearly matchup.
With 16 teams in the conference, the math just doesn't work for everyone to play everyone every year. In 2026, the Cyclones are losing that yearly consistency with K-State. This makes the Cy-Hawk game against Iowa even more vital. It’s the one constant in a sport that is changing faster than a 14-year-old’s TikTok feed.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're following the Cyclones this year, keep these three things in mind to stay ahead of the curve:
- Watch the Offensive Line NIL: Most fans focus on quarterbacks, but Iowa State’s strategy is shifting toward "building the wall." Reports suggest a massive chunk of their NIL budget is being diverted to the O-line to protect Rocco Becht in his senior season. A dominant line wins games in the Big 12; flashy receivers don't mean much if the QB is on his back.
- Monitor the "New Blood" Transitions: The road game at UCF and the home stand against Utah are the litmus tests for the new conference identity. If the Cyclones can handle the speed of the Florida teams and the physicality of the mountain teams, they’re a top-four lock.
- Manage Expectations with Jimmy Rogers: Transition years are brutal. With Matt Campbell gone, the 2026 football season is about identity. Don't panic if they start 2-2; look at how the young guys like Carson Hansen and Benjamin Brahmer are developing under the new staff.
The Cyclones of the Big 12 conference aren't just a "scrappy underdog" anymore. They are a blueprint for how a mid-sized school survives the corporate takeover of college athletics. It isn't always pretty, and it definitely isn't cheap, but the "Hilton Magic" and "Jack Trice Atmosphere" are currently some of the most valuable currencies in the sports world.