Iowa State Cyclones - Traditions

Traditions

Mascot

Main article: Cy the Cardinal

Iowa State uses a cardinal, Cy, as its mascot instead of an actual tornado or Cyclone. Prior to the football match up against the University of Colorado on November 12, 2005 a tornado touched down in Ames, Iowa and forced fans to either stand out in the parking lot and watch the storm or flee to shelter in Hilton Coliseum. It created such an atmosphere that Iowa State was able to win over the favored Buffaloes 30–16. When asked about the event, Colorado coach Gary Barnett said, "I thought we had a pretty good mascot. But when we showed up at Iowa State and they had a real tornado, that's the real deal."

Colors
██ Cardinal
██ Gold

Originally silver, yellow, and black, the school colors were changed to cardinal and gold in 1899 to make dyeing sweaters easier. A council was formed in October 1899 with the purpose of finding new colors that would be suitable for sweaters. The council reported in favor of cardinal sweaters with gold lettering. According to cyclones.com (Iowa State Athletics official website), the Iowa State teams were originally known as the "Cardinals", though there is no other evidence to support it, it is assumed that the cardinal color was derived from the original team name.

Cheers

See also: ISU Fights

ISU Fights is the official fight song for Iowa State University:

O we will fight, fight, fight for Iowa State,
And may her colors ever fly.
Yes, we will fight with might for Iowa State,
With a will to do or die,
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Loyal sons forever true,
And we will fight the battle through.
And when we hit that line we'll hit it hard every yard for I. S. U!

Rivals

See also: Cy-Hawk Trophy, Telephone Trophy, and Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series

Iowa State's most heated rival is against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Though the two teams started playing each other in 1894 (in football), the Cy-Hawk Trophy was not introduced until 1977 when the two teams met for the first time in 43 years. The trophy was donated by the Des Moines Athletic Club, and is awarded to the victor of the annual football game. The trophy features a football player in the classic running back pose, with the Cyclone's and Hawkeye's logos.

Started in 2004, the annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series gives points to the Hawkeyes and Cyclones based on wins in 11 sports and academic achievement. Each team is awarded 2 points for a win (except football which gets 3 points), 1 point for a tie, and 2 points for having athletes average GPA better than national average. At the end of the year all the points are added and the team with the most points wins the series for that year and bragging rights.

When the coaches’ field phones were tested prior to the 1959 Iowa State-Missouri football game in Ames, Iowa, it was found that the teams could hear one another. The problem was solved by game time, but not without considerable worry on the part of the coaching staff. The Northwestern Bell Telephone Company of Ames had a trophy made after the field phone controversy and it continues to be presented today to the winner of the game between ISU and Mizzou. An odd sidelight to the whole affair was that the same thing happened to Missouri later that year in a game played at Columbia, Mo.