Well, the announcement has finally been made, and after a season of ups and downs the Iowa State football team will be going to . the Independence Bowl, in . Shreveport, La. And while this isn’t the Rose Bowl, or even an Alamo Bowl (which by the way Iowa, a worse team that we beat coming out of a weaker conference, will be playing in), Iowa State fans should be happy with the Cyclones.

For the second consecutive year, and for just the sixth time in its history, Iowa State will see itself on a national scale playing in a bowl game.

The benefits of a bowl game appearance are enormous. Tom Kroeshcell, head of ISU media relations, said Iowa State can expect to pull in $925,000 (plus mileage) for the Independence Bowl appearance.

And the long-term benefits are just as large. With two consecutive bowl appearances under its belt, Iowa State can expect their football program to continue its upward trend into national prominence.

And though it’s all the way in Shreveport, La., that shouldn’t stop fans from making the long road trip. Iowa State is known for its strong fan support, and turning the Independence Bowl into a virtual home game will only make a second consecutive bowl victory even easier.

Congratulations to the Iowa State football team on another exciting year, a winning year that will have them playing in mid-December, something not a lot of colleges are saying right now.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t snow.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell