Sports to watch at Iowa State

Hakeem Butler secures the ball for a touchdown late in the second quarter. 

Aaron Marner

If you’re a college sports fan, you’ve probably watched an Iowa State team compete at some point before. The Cyclones have a lot of history and tradition in their 16 varsity sports, including several national championships and hundreds of All-Americans.

But if you’re new to the Iowa State sports scene, this guide will help you figure how what sports to watch, when and where.

In the fall, Iowa State has teams competing in the NCAA Division I level in football, volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country and soccer.

Last year was a historically great season for the Iowa State football team, which went 8-5 and won the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the first bowl victory for the Cyclones since 2009.

With seven home games in the 2018 season, all played at Jack Trice Stadium, you will have plenty of chances to see some of the best college football teams in the country. Oklahoma comes to Ames on September 15, one year after playing in the College Football Playoff. Iowa State was the only team to beat the Sooners in the regular season last year.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams won Big 12 Championships last year, so if you’re a cross country fan, you’re in luck. Both teams should be competitive nationally once again in 2018.

When the weather gets cold as winter approaches, head inside to Hilton Coliseum to watch basketball, wrestling and gymnastics.

Since the 2010-11 season, Iowa State’s men’s and women’s basketball teams have combined for 12 NCAA Tournament appearances (six apiece). The men’s team also has won the second-most Big 12 Tournament championships in conference history, behind Kansas.

The Iowa State wrestling team has won eight team NCAA championships. Head coach Kevin Dresser is entering his second year as head coach of the program, which improved from 1-12 in duals to 8-10 in his first year.

After basketball and wrestling season come to a close, keep an eye on the gymnastics team, which went 20-12 overall last year and qualified for the NCAA Regionals in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

When spring rolls around, find your way over to the Cyclone Sports Complex for some softball and track. The softball team has steadily improved during the last few years and is now led by coach Jamie Pinkerton, who just wrapped up his first season at the helm.

The track and field teams also have an illustrious history. Former Cyclone track and cross country star Betsy Saina placed fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 10,000 meters, and she recently won the 2018 Paris Marathon.

Every year, records are broken and incredible games happen at Iowa State. The 2018-19 year won’t be any different.