Growing up in Iowa, the divide is usually clear: you are either a Hawkeye or a Cyclone. For the first seventeen years of my life, I was firmly on the side of the black and gold. I spent my Saturdays in Kinnick
Stadium, making the pilgrimage two or three times a year with family and friends. My loyalty felt set in stone until it came time to actually choose a home for the next four years.
It sounds like a cliché, but the recruiting process changed everything. My visit to Iowa City was
exactly what you would expect from a late Midwestern autumn: cold, dreary, and gray. Because
the campus is so sprawling, I spent most of the day staring out a bus window at a blur of
buildings. It felt distant.
A few weeks later, I drove to Ames. It was one of those perfect, golden fall days where the
central campus looks like a movie set. Instead of a bus ride, we walked. The compact, park like
feel of Iowa State immediately felt like home. By the time I left that day, my Hawkeye gear was
destined for the back of the closet. I was not just choosing a school; I was choosing a
community.
That love for the campus quickly evolved into a deep-seated passion for Iowa State athletics. If
you have never been to Ames on a game day, you are missing what many of us consider a
religious experience. There is a specific magic to the tailgating lots surrounding Jack Trice
Stadium. Whether it is the smell of hickory smoke in the air or the synchronized chaos of “Juicy
Wiggle” echoing through the parking lots, the tradition here is visceral.
One of my definitive I am a Cyclone moments happened in 2018. Standing in the stands as we
dismantled No. 6 West Virginia 30-14, the energy was electric. When the clock hit zeroes, I
was part of the sea of fans storming the field. Standing on that turf, surrounded by thousands of
people who shared that same improbable pride, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to
be.
Now, I am thrilled to bring that perspective to you as I cover the current state of the Iowa State
Athletic Department. We are living through a fascinating moment in Ames:
- Men’s Basketball: Tearing through the schedule with a Top 5 ranking and legitimate title
aspirations. - Women’s Basketball: Navigating a mid season slump and looking for that signature spark to
turn the tide. - Football: Entering a new era with a head coach already making waves by aggressive and
exciting moves in the transfer portal.
There is never a dull moment in Hilton Coliseum or at Jack Trice. I look forward to bringing
these stories to life and sharing the highs, the lows, and the Loyal Sons spirit with all of you. It is
going to be a wild ride. Let’s get to work.
