Iowa State’s 2027 football opener has been moved up, and the Cyclones will now start the season on August 28 against South Dakota State instead of September 4.
That change lines up with the NCAA’s recent approval of legislation that allows schools to begin the season a week earlier than usual. The Cyclones and Jackrabbits will play on what has traditionally been Week Zero Saturday, though Week Zero competition is going away starting in 2027.
The current 2027 slate now shows South Dakota State on August 28, followed by an open date on September 4, then Iowa on September 11 and Bowling Green on September 18.
It remains to be seen whether Iowa State leaves that September 4 opening in place or tries to move the Iowa and Bowling Green games forward. Any adjustment would still depend on whether those schools can make their own scheduling changes work.
The Big 12 dates for 2027 still aren’t set, but Iowa State does know which league opponents will be at home and which will be on the road. The home list includes Colorado, Houston, TCU and UCF, while the road trips will go to Arizona State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
The South Dakota State matchup also gives Jimmy Rogers a chance to coach against his alma mater for the first time. Rogers led the Jackrabbits to a national title in 2023 in his first year as their head coach.
Elsewhere in Cyclone news, Iowa State took another hit in the Cy-Hawk rivalry on Tuesday night. After the women’s soccer team lost to Iowa 2-0 in Ames earlier this fall, the volleyball team fell to the Hawkeyes 3-0 and dropped to 4-2 on the season.
The set scores were 25-20, 25-21 and 25-23. Iowa hit .287 in the match and finished with seven blocks, while Iowa State hit .230 and had just three blocks.
That loss put Iowa ahead 2-0 in the early Cy-Hawk count for 2026-27. Iowa State had won the overall series 16-9 in 2025-26, taking the Cy-Hawk title for the fourth time in five years. That run included wins in the biggest sports, football and men’s basketball, for the second straight year.
The next major entry on the rivalry calendar is Saturday’s football game between Iowa State and Iowa, with cross country following in mid-November.
On the NFL front, 14 former Cyclones are set to be on active 53-man rosters when Week 1 begins in the 2026-27 season. That total ranks fourth among Big 12 programs, behind TCU with 19, Texas Tech with 18 and Utah with 16.
There are 19 former Cyclones with NFL teams heading into the season, with five on injured reserve or practice squads.
Brock Purdy opens the week for the Cyclones in the league, starting at quarterback for the 49ers on Thursday night against the Rams in Australia. The game is set for 7:35 p.m. CT on FOX.
David Montgomery enters his eighth NFL season in 2026, and his Texans will face Buffalo on Sunday at noon. Houston also has Jake Hummel, now in his fifth year, and Xavier Hutchinson, who is looking for a bigger role with former Iowa State star Jayden Higgins out for the season with a torn ACL.
Jaylin Noel is another Houston receiver who could see more targets from C.J. Stroud.
Kene Nwangwu, now in his sixth year, remains a major piece for the Jets as a return man. He leads all active NFL players with five kickoff return touchdowns, and New York plays Tennessee at noon Sunday. Breece Hall is also with the Jets after signing a three-year deal worth about $45 million in the offseason.
T.J. Tampa is with Baltimore after being a fourth-round pick in 2024, while former Iowa State left tackle Jalen Travis is with the Colts and is on track to start on the right side of the line. Baltimore opens against the Cults at noon Sunday.
Charlie Kolar, now in his fifth NFL season, is with the Chargers after signing a contract that neared $25 million in value. The newly married tight end and his team face Arizona in the mid-afternoon window.
Darien Porter is listed as one of three starters at corner for the Raiders and should get a bigger opportunity, while the Raiders will not face No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza on Sunday when they take on the Dolphins.
Domonique Orange is set to make his NFL debut for the Vikings on Sunday against Green Bay after going in the third round in April.
Enyi Uwazurike, an All-Big 12 selection in 2021, is entering his fifth NFL season and will open with the Broncos on ESPN’s Monday Night Football against Kansas City.
In Other News...
Jaylen Raynor Faces A Bigger Iowa Test Than Fans Wanted
Jaylen Raynors first game for Iowa State gave a little of everything: two touchdown passes, two more scores on the ground and some encouraging signs with the ball pushed downfield. It also came with the kind of uneven passing day that usually gets noticed quickly in this state, as he finished 8 of 16 for 184 yards against Southeast Missouri State.
The bigger test now is Iowa, where the Cyclones may need their run game to do some heavy lifting if Raynor is going to keep building off that debut. He looked more comfortable off play-action and showed some progress throwing deeper, but a cleaner, more balanced attack figures to matter even more with the Hawkeyes waiting. [Read more 🡒]
Cy-Hawk Just Got More Tense For Iowa State's 2028 Recruiting Push
Jimmy Rogers and his staff at Iowa State are still in the early stages of rebuilding the programs recruiting board after the wave of decommitments that followed Matt Campbells departure, and the 2027 class is starting to take shape. That group sits No. 43 nationally with 24 commits, a workable foundation that includes names such as Isaiah Hansen and Will Slagle, while the next cycle is already becoming part of the conversation as the staff works to reestablish its footprint.
The more immediate concern may be 2028, where Iowa State has already brought in several prospects and tried to get ahead of the competition. Defensive lineman Hunter Mosolino and quarterback Chase Grove are among the recruits who have been on campus, but both are headed to visit rival Iowa this weekend, a reminder that even the earliest stages of this recruiting battle can carry real weight for the Cyclones. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Has One Backcourt Challenge Before Big 12 Play Arrives
Iowa State still has the look of a program that should stay in the national conversation next season, even with some significant roster turnover ahead. T.J. Otzelberger has built enough credibility in Ames that the Cyclones are already drawing early top-25 attention, a sign that the foundation remains sturdy as the roster keeps evolving.
The wrinkle is in the backcourt, where the team will have to sort out ball-handling and tempo without one of its key pieces right away. With Killyan Toure recovering from a shoulder procedure and not expected back until January, Iowa State will need returning guards and transfers to steady things while the Big 12 season looms. [Read more 🡒]