Creation of Cy the Mascot

Iowa State’s beloved mascot, Cy, came officially into play in the year of 1954, however, the Iowa State University Alumni Association found records of an earlier mascot in the ISU yearbook The Bomb.

According to the Alumni Association’s website, the Bomb reported that Pi Epsilon Pi introduced the first Iowa State mascot — a dog named Cy.

The records say that the dog stayed near the cheerleaders on the sidelines of football games. There are also records of the dog named Cy in 1933 and 1936, but no records in the following years.

The official mascot made its first appearance in 1954. It was then that it was decided by the ISU Pep Council that the Cyclones needed a mascot in order to generate more school spirit. The decision was soon made that creating a cyclone costume would be too challenging, the council chose a cardinal for the mascot, in honor of the Iowa State colors — cardinal and gold.

For $200, the first mascot costume was created and designed. A name-the-bird contest determined the decision to name the mascot Cy, after 17 people entered in the name.

Cy made his first appearance at the 1954 Homecoming game, where he was an instant hit with the fans.

Today, Cy is still an important part of all Cyclone athletics. Cy continues to hold a special place in the hearts of Iowa State fans everywhere.