It’s no secret that fans of the Iowa State Cyclones recently rode what might be the biggest emotional rollercoaster in Cyclone sports history. From as early as Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, Iowa State fans experienced a sequence of ups and lows.
Through the weekend, it seemed like as nighttime approached, Cyclone fans would go to bed feeling the way they did the majority of the day, just for one last event to flip the moods of fans.
Friday: A big loss with two positives
As soon as Cyclone fans woke up Friday morning, they immediately heard the rumors that Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell was close to signing an eight-year deal to become the new head coach at Penn State, following former head coach James Franklin’s release.
With all the rumors flying around, yet nothing official until that night, fans were left only to spin their heads in wonder at what would happen next. Would assistant coaches follow? How many players would enter the transfer portal?
Later on Friday afternoon, just a few hours north in Minneapolis, the Cyclone volleyball team opened up NCAA tournament play against St. Thomas in order to provide positive news for fans.
While the players tried to remain focused on the game ahead and not on news regarding the football team, not all of them could totally avoid the news. Junior outside hitter Nayeli Ti’a even made a TikTok video before the first round match with the caption, “When our school’s football coach left, so we have to lock in for the NCAA Tournament because the school’s funding is up to us now.”
The news regarding Campbell might’ve been a distraction, along with the surplus of St. Thomas fans in the crowd. The Cyclones needed all five sets to take down a Tommies team that was playing at the Division I level for the first time in school history.
Later that night, official news had broken regarding Campbell’s decision to leave, as well as the hiring of Washington State’s head coach Jimmy Rogers. While Campbell chose to leave, he made sure he didn’t do so until the athletics director Jamie Pollard found someone to fill the void.
Saturday: Men’s basketball and wrestling respond with merciless wins
The men’s basketball team already was on a mission to shock the college basketball world with an upset win on the road against a No. 1-ranked team. After Friday’s news, they added a second mission to that list: flip the mood of the Cyclone fanbase.
Saturday’s game against Purdue in advance seemed like one where the home team would make a joke out of the underdog. The Cyclones made it into something that was the exact opposite.
With double-digit point performances from four different players, and a near double-double from junior forward Blake Buchanan, the Cyclones derailed the Boilermakers 81-58. The victory tied the largest defeat that a No. 1-ranked team has ever suffered at home in the history of the sport.
After the victory, Cyclone fans went from disheartened to ecstatic. Most fans can only wonder what head coach T.J. Otzelberger said before the game in the locker room, but whatever he said must’ve worked, both for the team and the fanbase.
For Cyclone Nation, it didn’t even end there. The wrestling team scored a big win at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. The Cyclones took home the team title, their second in the last three seasons and crowned four individual weight class champions.
Just as Cyclone fans thought the day would end on a high note, the volleyball team got swept in the second round, falling short of the regional semifinals for the fifth time since 2012. Although for some, the loss was expected.
While the volleyball loss stung for some, most fans looked at the season as a whole and compared it to the previous season. Last year, the Cyclones had no postseason. This year, the Cyclones had two postseason games. Both of which were within driving distance, too.
Sunday: Women’s basketball achieves what hasn’t been accomplished in 11 years
One more Cyclone sporting event came to cap the weekend, as the women’s basketball team got its turn in the spotlight. The Cyclones showed no mercy against the Northern Illinois Huskies in a 105-52 victory en route to their first 10-0 start since the 2013-14 season.
The victory against the Huskies was also their third game with 100 or more points in the last four games. Junior center Audi Crooks scored 30 points, her second straight game with 30 or more and her third this season. Junior forward Addy Brown was also only one assist away from another double-double.
The men’s and women’s basketball victories ignited a major spark that all Cyclone fans needed, especially with a big week featuring not one but two Cy-Hawk basketball games at Hilton Coliseum.
The women will take on Iowa Wednesday and the men will get their turn Thursday. Hawkeye fans were celebrating Campbell’s choice to leave, but ever since, the men and women’s basketball teams have torn through their opponents.
With the recent results, Hawkeye fans’ celebrations might just come back to bite them. Is Hawkeye basketball currently a stalled car sitting on the railroad tracks? Iowa State basketball right now is a freight train at full speed, and in a collision, the train always wins.
