Iowa State Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams (6 men's and 10 women's teams) in 12 sports.
| Iowa State Cyclones | |
|---|---|
| University | Iowa State University |
| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
| Athletic director | Jamie Pollard |
| Location | Ames, Iowa |
| Varsity teams | 16 |
| Football stadium | Jack Trice Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Hilton Coliseum |
| Other venues | Lied Recreation Center |
| Mascot | Cy the Cardinal |
| Nickname | Cyclones |
| Fight song | ISU Fights |
| Colors | Cardinal and gold |
| Website | www |
The "Cyclones" name dates back to 1895. That year, Iowa suffered an unusually high number of devastating cyclones (as tornadoes were called at the time). In September, the football team from what was then Iowa Agricultural College traveled to Northwestern University and defeated that team by a score of 45–0. The next day, the Chicago Tribune's headline read "Struck by a Cyclone: It Comes from Iowa and Devastates Evanston Town." The article began, "Northwestern might as well have tried to play football with an Iowa cyclone as with the Iowa team it met yesterday." The nickname stuck.