Iowa State Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones play at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, named for the school's first Black student-athlete, whose story is central to the program's identity. Cardinal and gold have historically played the underdog role in the Big 12, competing against larger, better-resourced rivals with grit and resourceful coaching. Iowa State has built a reputation in recent years for punching above its weight in a conference stacked with traditional powers.

Iowa State fielded an organized football team beginning in 1892 and has never won a national or major conference championship in the modern era, with its only conference titles coming in the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1911 and 1912. The program is named in Jack Trice Stadium for Jack Trice, who died in 1923 from injuries sustained playing football and remains a symbol of the university's values. Iowa State has enjoyed periodic bowl-era success, including notable runs under coaches Dan McCarney and Matt Campbell in the 2010s and 2020s.