College Sports Established
1908
Location
Ames, Iowa
College Name
Iowa State University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division 1
1921 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
1908 - 1921 / Athletic Association of the United States
Conference History
1996 – Present / Big 12 Conference
1957 – 1996 / Big Eight Conference
1928 – 1956 / Big Six Conference
1908 – 1927 / Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Nickname
Cyclones - The Iowa State Cyclones are among the nation's most storied college sports teams. They have been around since 1895 and have a long history of success on the football field and basketball court. But many don’t know that their “Cyclones” nickname has an interesting origin story.
In 1895, when Iowa State first began competing in athletics at a varsity level, they were known as The Cardinals due to their red uniforms—the same color as cardinal birds! However, two years later, this was changed to The Cyclones after fierce storms swept through Ames during an October 1897 game against Northwestern University, causing fans to comment about how quickly things had gone from calmness before kick-off to chaos afterward! This inspired athletic director Louis Menze, who decided it would fit his team's name from now on.
Since then, "Cyclones" has become synonymous with Iowa State Athletics, representing their origins and strength, courage, and resilience - qualities that all great athletes strive for every time they step onto the field or court! As part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), these qualities show why ISU continues its legacy today as one of America's premier collegiate sports programs year after year.
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1892
- 1908
- 1940
- 1986
- 2022
-
Iowa state First football team
In 1892: The first football team is formed, coached by G.W. Woodruff. The team plays its first game against Cornell College and loses 24–01. -
Cyclones football team wins its first conference championship
In 1908: The football team wins its first conference championship as a member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (later known as the Big Eight Conference). -
Bob Feller named the National Player of the Year
1940: The basketball team wins its fourth conference championship and makes its fourth appearance in the Helms Athletic Foundation national championship tournament, losing to Indiana in the finals1. Bob Feller is named the National Player of the Year. -
Cyclones Jeff Hornacek
Hornacek redshirted at Iowa State University (ISU) in 1981; he was a team walk-on who played from 1982 to 1986. The son of a high school basketball coach, he became an all-conference player in the Big Eight Conference, playing for coach Johnny Orr. As a point guard, he guided the Cyclones to the Sweet Sixteen of the 1986 NCAA tournament. ... -
Iowa state cyclones football wins Cy-Hawk football trophy
Iowa State linebacker Carson Willich and offensive lineman Trevor Downing hoists the Cy-Hawk Trophy after a football game between Iowa and Iowa State at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. The Cyclones ended a six-game Cy-Hawk series losing streak defeating Iowa, 10-7.
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Cyclones
The football program is especially noteworthy for its numerous conference championships throughout its long history. They hold an impressive record of nine conference titles from 1912-2011, including five consecutive Big 8 Conference titles from 1972-1976! Additionally, they’ve made 14 bowl game appearances with seven wins over that span - making them one of only two schools (the other being Oklahoma) to make at least 10 bowl games since 2000!
Their basketball program also holds up well against some tough competition within the Big 12 Conference, with six tournament championships and four regular season titles under their belt since joining in 1996. On top of that, success on the hardwood floor is a consistent post-season play, including 15 trips to March Madness and three Elite Eight runs during this period!
Finally, it would be wrong not to mention all the great athletes who got drafted into professional sports leagues over these years, such as Fred Hoiberg (NBA), Seneca Wallace (NFL), Austen Arnaud (MLB), and Royce White(NBA). All these players had impressive collegiate careers while wearing cardinal & gold colors representing ISU proudly across America – showing why Cyclone Nation is so passionate about college athletics today!
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