Iowa State Wraps Up 8-Win Season, but Matt Campbell Has Bigger Plans for 2026
Iowa State’s 2025 football season ended on a high note - and a familiar one. With a seven-point win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater, the Cyclones locked in their eighth victory of the year, capping off another strong campaign under Matt Campbell. But if you think Campbell is satisfied, think again.
“This is what our program has always stood for,” Campbell said after the game. “To see it come to life with this team - it was really awesome.”
That sentiment carries weight. Campbell, now in his 10th season at the helm in Ames, compared the feeling to the emotional high that followed Iowa State’s Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon at the end of the 2020 season. And for good reason.
The Cyclones have strung together the most successful three-year stretch in school history. Saturday’s win marked just the 13th time Iowa State has reached eight wins in a season - and with a bowl game still to be played, they’ve got a shot at back-to-back nine-win seasons. That’s uncharted territory for this program, and it speaks to the foundation Campbell has built.
But don’t mistake progress for complacency. Campbell made it clear: he’s not just chasing bowl wins - he’s chasing championships.
“I haven’t felt this way since the Fiesta Bowl,” Campbell said. “If we’re willing to align ourselves here, we can do special things.
And our expectation hasn’t wavered. We want to build championship-level football here, and the ability to do it year-in and year-out.”
That word - alignment - is at the center of Campbell’s vision for the next step. Because while the Cyclones have been consistently competitive, they haven’t yet cracked through to a Big 12 title or a College Football Playoff berth.
That’s the next frontier. And for Iowa State to make that leap, Campbell knows the entire program - from players to staff to administration - has to be pulling in the same direction.
The 2025 season didn’t end with a conference championship, but it did end with momentum. And now, the focus shifts to 2026 - a year that could be pivotal in Iowa State’s pursuit of national relevance.
Campbell’s offseason checklist is already taking shape. He knows what needs to happen to push this program from good to great. And if the Cyclones can keep climbing, that long-awaited breakthrough might not be far off.