CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — For the first time in program history, Iowa State football will compete in a league full of teams that look like it, live like it, and spend it like it, rather than anything beyond it.
Iowa State and its Big 12 brethren will no longer compete alongside programs that dwarf them in terms of budget, history, stadium size and recruiting power. Texas and Oklahoma State will join the SEC, while Pac-12 refugees Colorado, Utah, Arizona State and Arizona State will join the latest Big 12 football. Each program in the new conference has a different history, but the level of competition is comparable.
For the Cyclones, a new era in the Big 12 brings promise. Among the league's 16 member states, no school had more football ticket sales revenue in 2023 than Iowa State University ($16.19 million). The football program had his second-highest home attendance among current and new conference mates (60,384), just behind BYU (61,944). And no team in the country boasts more return production (86%; ESPN's Bill Connelly) than the Cyclones this fall.
It's no wonder the annual Cyclone Caravan, which brings together Iowa State coaches and officials from across the state every spring, draws a large and enthusiastic crowd. Dreams that once required perfection or deviation are now shaped by reality. Not only can Iowa State win its first conference championship since 1912, but doing so will almost certainly earn a bye in the College Football Playoff. And it has the potential to remain competitive over the long term.
“We couldn't have asked for a better star lineup with the coaching, continuity, facilities, the success of our returning players and the success we had last year,” ISU Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said. “Everything puts us in the best position possible if we're going to move into this new era. Now, I'm not saying it guarantees your success.
“Whether it was luck or strategy, it doesn't matter. We're putting ourselves in a position that you all want going into a new era, so it's very exciting.”
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With nine returning starters on both offense and defense, plus one of the nation's top punters, Iowa State has a solid foundation to live up to high expectations. As a redshirt freshman last fall, quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 3,120 yards, 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and completed 62.9 percent of his passes. ISU's receiving tandem of Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins combined for 119 receptions, 1,803 yards and 13 touchdowns last year. True freshman running back Abu Samah III ran for 276 yards against Kansas State in a snowstorm in last year's season finale. No school in the power conference tallied more plays than Iowa State for his 50-plus yards.
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Abu Samah III ran for a total of 77 yards last season in the Cyclones' win over Kansas State. (Scott Sewell/USA Today)
Summer, who had 614 rushing yards at Iowa State, is not counted as a returning starter, but there are five returning offensive linemen who started at least five games last year. The defense lost cornerback TJ Tampa to the NFL Draft, but allowed just 12 rushing touchdowns (14th nationally), had a completion percentage of 55.8% (12th), and had a red zone scoring defense. They revived a unit that was tenacious (73.1 percent, 6th place). Coach Matt Campbell called safety Beau Freiler's leadership “unparalleled” and on par with former quarterback Brock Purdy.
With an efficient quarterback, explosive playmakers, a veteran offensive line, and an experienced defense, a Big 12 championship doesn't seem too far off. But Iowa State tends to be torn between having high expectations and relying on past results to avoid risks and overwhelm opponents. Many people still remember the near-miss in the early 2000s when Dan McCarney was in charge. In 2020, Iowa State had the Big 12's best record, but lost to Oklahoma State in the championship game after defeating the Sooners in the regular season.
“If we’re being completely transparent about football championships, we won the regular-season championship a few years ago during the season,” Campbell said. “But other than that, we didn’t have the ability to be a team that could accomplish that.”
It's a testament to the program's culture and resiliency that Campbell, Pollard and hundreds of Cyclone backers can talk about a championship after last summer. In 2022, Iowa State finished 4-8 and won just one Big 12 game. Last May, a state gambling sting investigation involved both the state of Iowa and the Iowa State Athletic Department. Iowa State's starting quarterback, running back, tight end, left tackle and defensive tackle were among those who were criminally charged and suspended by the NCAA.
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And after a 1-2 start in 2023, things boiled over for the 44-year-old Campbell. As he walked back to the locker room with his players after a three-goal deficit against Ohio, a fan yelled, “You're in the hot seat.” As Campbell turned toward the crowd, players stopped him. High expectations following the 2020 Fiesta Bowl victory, combined with a poor 2021 campaign, disastrous 2022 results and a gambling investigation, seem to have pushed everyone to breaking point. Ta. But Campbell recognized that there was a problem. His team needed a massage, not a beatdown.
“We had a team meeting after the Ohio State game on Sunday,” Campbell said. “It had nothing to do with a lack of planning or effort. It had everything to do with…I feel like everyone was putting so much pressure on themselves to win.
“Some pressure is a privilege, but you have to realize that your process and the way you work from Sunday to Friday gives you the confidence to put that pressure aside and just play the game. “It's like being a kid again.'' After that, I thought the kids really started to turn it on. ”
The Cyclones won four of their next five games with home wins over Oklahoma State and 2022 national runner-up TCU. Iowa State has won its last four Big 12 road games, including the final game at Kansas State, 42-35. At 6-3 in the Big 12, the Cyclones achieved their sixth conference winning record in seven seasons. Before Campbell arrived in 2016, he had only one season in which Iowa State won the Big 12 championship.
It wasn't just the team that grew last fall. Campbell was no different. In his first season, he wondered if he could rebuild Iowa State. But he made the necessary schematic changes and set a disciplined, unwavering tone that elevated top performers like Allen Lazard and David Montgomery. Purdy and Breece Hall then took over until 2021, with Iowa State playing rivals such as Oklahoma State and Texas. The 2023 rebuild ran parallel to Campbell's previous iterations, although the content was different.
Gambling-related departures forced players into key roles last summer, but Campbell said it was a “relief” as the youngest players were forced to develop quickly. Ta. Six true freshmen combined to start 27 games, including 13 for middle linebacker Jack Sadowski and seven for offensive lineman Brendan Black. Becht took over the reins last summer and never let go. This process applied to everyone as well as accountability. Even as a coach, he never skipped a step.
“There's a reason why we missed some of those (games) and it certainly starts with clarity from our head football coach as to why we took a step back,” Campbell said. . “Trust me, I'm the first one to know about those things. But I think there was also a lot of belief that we had a really special locker room and a really special team coming back. May to June. We've gone through this extraordinary adversity over the past month, but we still have the pieces to get there. But we're not going to shortcut it just to win football games. I want to be a great team.”
That attitude reflects the maturation of Campbell, who was once considered a rising star in college football. Whenever his high-profile job came up, Campbell's name came up. That shine disappeared in 2022, but look at how Campbell coached, recruited and represented the program both during his early successes and in the midst of his slump. , no one would have noticed its brilliance.
“He's grown a little bit as a coach at Iowa State,” Pollard said. “After we won the Fiesta Bowl, most people who have been head football coaches at Iowa State would say, 'So what you're going to do after that is quit, right?'” Campbell said. I think the coach feels very comfortable being at Iowa State and I think his family feels very comfortable being at Iowa State.The players feed off of that. It's like everyone feeds on the leader, and when a leader feels like you have both feet on the ground and you're very happy with who you are, some great things happen. You can do it.”
The competitive nature and financial parity of the Big 12 gives Iowa State a legitimate chance for success this fall, and Campbell's stability ensures the Cyclones will show leadership and track record. Masu. Now it's about taking the program to a place where it never goes away.
“In the past when we thought we were going to do well, the thought was always, 'Texas and OU have more resources, they're going to have better talent,'” Pollard said. . “I don't think there's anyone else we watch at the conference who would say that to you.”
“My mission has remained the same since day one when I arrived at Iowa State. We want to bring a football championship to Iowa State,” Campbell said. “I think there is a clear path, and that path opens a lot of doors to a lot of special opportunities that a lot of people would have thought would never happen here in Ames.”
(Top photo: Chris Gardner / Getty Images)
