IOWA CITY - For everybody outside the football building, Cy-Hawk week already feels different. For Kirk Ferentz and Iowa’s players, it’s business as usual - at least until kickoff.
That split is what gives this rivalry its edge. Around the state, the red-and-gold vs. black-and-gold divide takes over quickly.
Jack Dotzler knows that firsthand. He grew up in Waunakee, Wisconsin, watching the game from Badger country, even if the color red didn’t carry much weight in his house.
Cael Winter came up on the other side of it. He was raised as an Iowa State fan, with both parents firmly in Cyclone territory, but he kept coming back to Iowa’s offensive line. Once he committed to the Hawkeyes, his family changed allegiances with him.
That kind of crossover is part of why the game matters so much in this state. Iowa has 39 players on its roster from Iowa, and Iowa State has 25. Between the two programs, 64 players have grown up living with this rivalry, and for a lot of them, it’s the one they imagined playing in long before they got to college.
“I always remember watching it on TV, for sure,” Dotzler said. “I know how much it means to the state and to so many people, and how much it meant to me growing up.”
Tony Diaz said the buildup is impossible to miss.
“I knew it was going to be big,” wide receiver Tony Diaz said. “I mean, all of Iowa is going to be there.”
Still, inside the Hawkeyes’ building, Ferentz keeps the focus from drifting toward the noise. He doesn’t believe in turning one matchup into something bigger than the rest of the schedule.
“I’ve never really quite bought into the one game or circling dates or red letters,” Ferentz said. “I think it’s a slippery slope.
Really what you are trying to do is get a team to understand it's important to compete every week. I totally understand we have 12 opponents, and I understand every game matters, conference games really matter, intrastate rivals really matter.
I get all of that.”
That approach is designed to keep Iowa steady through a week that can get loud in a hurry. Fans will wear their colors all week, classmates will talk, social media will buzz, and the stadium will be sold out when the game lands on national television. The Hawkeyes know exactly what’s coming.
What they want is the same thing every week: cleaner practices, sharper execution, and a better version of themselves on Saturday.
For players like Jayden Montgomery, though, there’s no pretending this one is ordinary.
“I’m super excited, and it means a lot,” Iowa linebacker Jayden Montgomery said. “I grew up coming to these games, so it’s really a cool experience to be able to go out there and play those games. I mean, it’s always a good game every year.”
Ferentz still wants the week handled like any other. But even he acknowledged what’s really at stake once the ball is kicked.
“The bottom line is this is the first time this 2026 team is going to meet their 2026 team,” Ferentz said. “It happens to be here this year, but it's really going to get down to what happens out there at 6:36. That's what matters and what can we do to get ready for it when that time comes.”
That’s the balance of Cy-Hawk week: keep the routine intact, then let the rivalry take over when the clock starts.
In Other News...
Iowa Is Using Cy-Hawk Weekend To Win Over Priority Targets
The Cy-Hawk game has long been one of the biggest dates on Iowas calendar, and this weekend it is doubling as a recruiting showcase. More than 20 football prospects are expected to be on hand, giving the Hawkeyes a chance to put their atmosphere, tradition and game-day routine in front of a group that includes both committed and uncommitted targets.
It is not just football being spotlighted, either. Iowa is bringing in recruits across womens basketball and mens basketball as part of the weekend push, turning one of the states signature sporting events into a broader pitch for the program. Former Hawkeyes quarterback CJ Beathard is also set to serve as honorary captain, adding another familiar face to a weekend designed to connect current targets with Iowas past and present. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Turns To A Familiar Tone Setter For Huge Cy-Hawk Night
The Cy-Hawk rivalry is set for a familiar kind of spotlight Saturday night at a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, with Iowa leaning into the kind of setting that has long defined these games. The Hawkeyes will be in all-black uniforms for the annual showdown with Iowa State, and the occasion will carry extra weight with the quarterback competition still unfolding as Iowa looks for a clear answer behind center.
C.J. Beathard, who quarterbacked Iowa from 2013 to 2016, is part of the nights build-up and gives the program a direct link to one of its steadier recent eras. For a team trying to find its next leader under center, having a former quarterback from a successful stretch back around the program is the sort of familiar tone setter that can matter on a stage like this, even before the first snap is taken. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa May Have A Rare Chance To Dominate Cy-Hawk Again
The 73rd meeting of the Cy-Hawk rivalry is shaping up as one of those games that can say as much about momentum as it does about bragging rights. Iowa and Iowa State have spent years trading blows in a series that tends to distort expectations, and this matchup has drawn attention because it comes with the kind of context Hawkeye fans know well: a familiar in-state opponent, plenty of history, and a national audience that always seems ready to treat September football in Iowa as something bigger than it looks.
The comparison that keeps surfacing is the 2016 game, when Iowa turned the rivalry into a runaway and left little doubt about which sideline controlled the day. The setup this time is different enough to make the projection interesting, with both programs in new coaching eras and plenty of fan anticipation around whether Iowa can once again turn a rivalry game into a statement. The numbers point toward a lopsided feel, but the real question is whether this Cy-Hawk meeting can match the rare kind of dominance that made that earlier result so memorable. [Read more 🡒]