
Who We Are
Who We Are

Message From The Ad
Dear Cyclone Fans,
Before we begin preparing for the new year, it is important to reflect on 2024 and remind ourselves how fortunate we have been to experience the excitement and success of Cyclone Athletics.
From our football team’s most successful season ever, capped by a thrilling 42-41 victory in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, to both our basketball programs being nationally ranked, our wrestling team’s return to national prominence, our men’s cross country team finishing as national runner-up for the second time in three years, and two of our student-athletes earning national individual championships, as well as our student-athletes continuing to excel in the classroom and the community, it is a wonderful time to be a Cyclone.
The investment from more than 6,000 Cyclone Club donors has allowed Iowa State’s student-athletes to thrive academically and athletically. Cyclone Club gifts and season ticket purchases remain our program’s lifeblood and represent our second-largest revenue source behind Big 12/NCAA distributions. In addition, our athletics program does not receive any State funding, thereby making it one of the nation’s only financially self-sufficient programs.
As we look ahead to 2025, we are in the midst of the most transformational period in intercollegiate athletics history. From the impact of conference realignment, changes to the college football playoff system, the transfer portal, and revenue sharing with student-athletes, the financial realities facing athletics departments have never been more daunting. The financial pressure facing our athletics program is no different. The annual cost to fund our athletics department will increase by over 20% in 2025 (approximately $20M) due to sharing revenues with our student-athletes, securing Coach Campbell and Otzelberger to long term contracts, and changes to Big 12 Conference and College Football Playoff revenue distributions.
The good news is we have spent the past several months working closely with Dr. Wintersteen and her leadership team to develop strategies, all focused on creating a financial pathway forward for our athletics program. She believes it is critically important to Iowa State University for the athletics program to continue to compete at the highest level. However, in order do that, we must be willing to make difficult, and in some cases unpopular, decisions.
We could not have picked a better time for our athletics program to be faced with these financial challenges. Attendance at our athletic events is at an all-time high, we have secured our most prominent coaches to long-term contracts, and the Big 12 Conference remains committed to identifying and pursuing new revenue opportunities for the membership.
We are also excited about the progress being made on CyTown and look forward to ground being broken on the first buildings this spring. Although CyTown’s direct revenues are earmarked for enhancements in and around the Iowa State Center, the indirect revenues associated with having additional conferences, concerts, and other events in CyTown will help our athletics program.
In closing, thank you again for supporting our talented student-athletes. Your Cyclone Club donation will provide our student-athletes the opportunity to compete in their sport at the highest level while also preparing them to utilize their Iowa State degree long after their athletic careers have ended.
Together, I am confident that the best is yet to come for Iowa State Athletics!
Go Cyclones,

Jamie Pollard
Director of Athletics
Iowa State University