This season, many Iowa football fans were preoccupied with “what-ifs.” Whether it’s fair or not, a lot of those discussions began with an annoying September afternoon in Ames. After entering Week 2 confidently, Iowa lost to rival Iowa State 16–13 at Jack Trice Stadium. This game immediately cast a shadow over what would turn out to be a wild year for both teams.
The defeat brought up all of Iowa’s well-known concerns. Fans were reminded of Cade McNamara’s inconsistent play by Mark Gronowski, the new starting quarterback. Typically one of the program’s most dependable assets, special teams faltered at crucial times. The Cyclones’ game-winning field goal was made possible by a long, late drive that even the defense, which is renowned for winning close games, gave up. It was more than just a defeat; it was disappointment wrapped in déjà vu.
And that ominous cloud loomed over Iowa City for days after Iowa lost its second consecutive Cy-Hawk game. The fan base was affected by it. The Hawkeyes didn’t give up, though. Rather, the team calmed down, fixed their problems, and fought their way to a respectable 8–4 victory. Given how the season began, it was a turnaround worth praising even though it wasn’t spectacular or flawless.
Ironically, Iowa State’s season collapsed spectacularly while Iowa steadied itself. The Cyclones appeared to be a team prepared to make waves across the country at the start of 2025. In Dublin, Ireland, they made an impression by defeating then-No. 17 Kansas State. They then defeated Iowa to get off to a perfect 5-0 start. There were fans who genuinely questioned whether this was Matt Campbell’s greatest team to date. Then everything changed.
Iowa State went from being a Big 12 contender to a team searching for answers after dropping four straight games over the course of the following month. The Cyclones and Hawkeyes had identical 8–4 records at the end of the regular season, despite their radically different paths to the same conclusion. However, Iowa State’s biggest surprise of the season wasn’t on the field. On December 6, longtime head coach Matt Campbell agreed to take over as Penn State’s head coach. Campbell, who transformed the Cyclones into a reputable, tough, and nationally significant program, abruptly left Ames after ten years. And the knock-on effect was severe.
Iowa State decided not to play in a bowl game because important players were sidelined by injuries and the program was going through a leadership transition. Fans were taken aback by the move, which sparked immediate criticism throughout the conference. The Big 12 dropped the hammer a few hours later. The conference fined Iowa State $500,000 for choosing not to participate in the postseason, according to Keith Murphy of WHO in Des Moines. The same punishment was meted out to Kansas State, which made a similar choice. It was a financial setback for a program that was already dealing with instability.
With a new era ahead, the 2025 Cyclone season officially ended at 8–4 overall and 5–4 in Big 12 play. After ten years under Campbell’s direction, Iowa State looked to former Washington State head coach Jimmy Rogers to take over the program, marking a new beginning. Naturally, Campbell’s exit also had an impact in Iowa City, where Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz, who has witnessed almost everything in his 26 seasons, gave his longtime rival nothing but praise.
Every year, Ferentz and Campbell faced off in one of the fiercest state rivalries in college football. The Cy-Hawk series began in 1894, was put on hold for over forty years, and was brought back to life in 1977 with the creation of the recognizable Cy-Hawk Trophy. The Cyclones have had more recent success, winning two of the last three games, but Iowa has historically dominated the game with a 47–25 lead. However, Campbell had a difficult start to the rivalry, losing his first five encounters with Iowa before making a breakthrough in 2022 with a tough 10-7 victory in Iowa City.
Ferentz praised Campbell’s influence on Iowa State football and the state at large after his departure became official. According to Eliot Clough of Hawkeye Insider, Ferentz stated that he has “nothing but respect for Matt” and that Campbell’s teams were always tough and well-coached. That assessment is difficult to dispute. Whether Hawkeyes supporters like to acknowledge it or not, Campbell improved Iowa State football and the Cy-Hawk rivalry. Now that he’s going to Penn State, a new chapter has begun for both the Cyclones and a rivalry that depends on intensity and continuity.
There is no doubt that the sidelines will be very different when Iowa and Iowa State play each other next season. However, how passionate are the two programs? That is not going to change anytime soon.
