How confident would you be if, say, due to "events" (whatever they may be) if our lineup for the first game looked something like:

QB - Rocco Becht, J. J. Kohl, JC guy
RB - Norton, Sanders, Harris
HB - Klotz
TE - Dean, Burkle, Keller, Moore
WR - Noel, Stanley, Higgins, Bitter, Gaines, Ngoyi, Adam's
OL - Miller, Hufford, Simmons, Peterson, Maro, Hastert, Neal, Sauser, Funto, Treiber

NG - Orange, Smith, Singleton
RE - Peterson, Ezeogu, Same
DE - Oneyedim, Jones, Late Tranfer
LB - Vaughn, McLaughlin, Lovett, Ellis, Willich, Imming, Ralph
CB - Tampa, Purchase, Porter, Crosby
S - Freyler, Verdon, Cooper, McGhee, Howard

P - Perkins
PK - Gilbert
KO - Bittman

I didn't add any Freshmen who may make an impact. My major concern is QB based on this scenario.

Iowa State Media Relations

AMES, Iowa – Fueled by the momentum generated from three-consecutive NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament appearances, including a run to the 2023 Elite Eight, Iowa State Athletics has unveiled plans for an indoor and outdoor tennis complex for the program, Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.

“It is truly amazing what our women’s tennis program has achieved over the last three seasons, especially in light of the fact that we do not have facilities that are comparable to other peer institutions, but we believe that this plan will allow us to build off our recent successes in a financially responsible manner while quickly addressing the program’s facility shortcomings,” Pollard said.

“We are grateful for Ames Racquet and Fitness Center and the ISU Research Park for agreeing to come alongside us to create a unique partnership that will help the department get this project to the finish line,” he added.

The Iowa State Research Park will purchase an existing four-court indoor tennis bubble, and expand it to six courts, construct six new outdoor courts on the property, and a team building to include amenities including a team room, locker room and training room. Pending Iowa Board of Regents approval in September, the completed facility will be leased to ISU Athletics. The six outdoor courts are scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2023 with the indoor court expansion and team facility slated for a fall 2024 completion.

“The success of our entire Athletics Department, embodied most-recently by the 2023 women’s tennis campaign, is important to all of us who wear Cardinal and Gold.,” said Iowa State Research Park President Rick Sanders. “The ISURP is excited to be the future home of Cyclone Tennis for many years to come.”

Iowa State’s women’s tennis team currently utilizes the Bruce McKee Indoor Tennis Complex, which opened in 2017 adjacent to the Sukup Basketball Complex, features two practice courts for the Cyclones to use as well as a team room and locker room. Once the tennis program vacates the McKee Complex, the facility will be converted into a practice facility for the Cyclone volleyball team.

In the event of inclement weather, the Cyclones currently travel to Urbandale to utilize the indoor facility at Life Time Fitness. ISU has played outdoors at the Ames High School facility for the past several years and hosted the first three rounds of the 2023 NCAA Tournament there.

The Cyclones finished the 2023 season 21-6 overall while going 7-2 in Big 12 action to finish in a tie for third place in the league standings. ISU advanced to the ITA National Indoor Championships and later reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships, both feats that have never been accomplished in program history.

The seven league victories were the most in school history and included the program's first-ever win against Oklahoma State and the first against Baylor in Waco in the series. Iowa State posted 12 wins against Top 50 opponents with wins against No. 18 UCLA, No. 10 Miami, No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 1 Texas to reach the semifinals at the ITA National Indoor Championships. The win against the top-ranked Longhorns was the first against UT and the first against a No. 1 team in school history.

In its third-straight NCAA Tournament, Iowa State rolled past Drake (4-0), No. 22 Wisconsin (4-1) and No. 20 UCLA (4-1) to reach the final site. The Cyclones fell in the quarterfinals to eventual runner-up, No. 4 NC State, 4-3.

Brilliant! Bet it was Jamie's idea! 😉

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Cyclone coaches get extended camp look at 2025 QB

LSU transfer Alisa Williams, a 6-2 Guard/forward, is joining the Twister Sisters. She was a freshman last year from Denton, Texas.

Last few years, we were guard heavy. It appears we will be forward/post heavy going forward.

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2025 3-star recaps recent ISU prospect camp visit

No other explanation why that phantom foul on Denver against Butler would be upheld. As in college football, why bother with replay if you're not going believe what you see.

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ISU makes solid first impression, says 2024 Florida DB

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Iowa State pitches versatile role to 2024 Georgia DE

Anybody going to it?

We've heard that this is likely to be a smaller class. Here's how I think it could go:

QB: 1 - Moberly is it. I guess depending on gambling suspensions, they could grab another or someone in the portal, but it isn't likely.
RB: 1 - Robinson is clearly their top choice. But, the competition is stiff with the in-state Sooners plus ND. ISU has a ton to sell, but man, is that a tall ask. If they miss on Robinson, then I think that they'll look at Dylan Lee and Adam Muhammed.
WR: 2 - Surprisingly, they're still in on VanderZee. Rock Rapids is usually a hok stronghold. We do use WRs more than they do, so maybe we have a legit shot. Other possibilities are Rigby from FL and Gonzales from PA. IMO their top target was Jalen Smith from Mankato, who committed to MN immediately when they offered.
TE: 1-2 - They really seem to like Roskop. I feel like he's kind of an H-Back type who could be a lead blocker but also play attached or even split out. There's a little bit of (shorter) Chase Allen to him. I don't think that they're set on 2 given who they've signed in the last few classes, but if the right guy is there, they will. Cooper Alexander would be that guy, but he's got an in-state Sooner offer and I think his parents went there.
OL: 3-5 - They already have Holt on board, who is going to be a really good OG. They're hard after the Helton twins. Question will be whether the staff can pull them from the west coast. I expect Aisosa to set up an OV soon. You never know on Brix...I don't think that the staff will waste much time on him if he's set on going to hok. Other names are Parrott, Rakers, Burton, Mandell. We'll get a read on how they slot those guys by when/if they have OVs set up. Could be a really good OL class if they get the guys they want.
DE: 2-3 - I feel like Witt Edwards is easily their #1 target at RE. Having McDonald go in the first round can't hurt here. Fallback here would be Ryan Jenkins from GA. At SDE, they have their guy in Gilbert. Although, they could try to bring in a guy like Terrell Spruill as well. I just think that getting Okoli in the portal maybe takes some of the need away from signing 2.
DT/NG: 1 - An important spot, as they lose Lee. Orange has one year left after that and he's going to be an NIL target for a lot of teams IMO. They got Hawk last year and he could well be good, but he wasn't highly recruited. I feel like their #1 target is Leroy Jackson out of GA.
LB: 2-3 - I think that they have two good ones in Miller and Inglis. If they can add Brezina, that is a great LB class...stacked on top of two prior great LB classes. Exactly how you want to do it.
S: 2 - DBs are always so hard to predict since most of the time, these kids are coming from a ways away and haven't been able to visit ISU much. I thought that they did really well in 2022 getting Howard and Cooper and following that up with Davis, Smith, James and Patton in 2023. Not as big of a need in 2024. They already have Quentin Taylor, who was one of their top targets. The other one is probably Sammie Hunter.
CB: 2 - They're going to lose Tampa and Porter after this year and Purchase only has one year after that. Everyone else is unproven, although we've heard good things about Crosby. Assuming Sama stays at RB, they signed zero in 2023. So, this is an important class at CB. No idea where they go here. I guess they have a shot at Austin Alexander from IL. No OVs set up yet, which is maybe a little concerning.

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Cyclones strengthen their position with Oklahoma HS recruit

Johnny's stories never get old.

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Here's one of the prospects I liked out of last week's camp. With a strong senior season, I could see him potentially getting a more serious look from the Cyclones. To what extent, I'm not sure just yet.

Central Iowa rising senior showcases self at prospect camp

At this one….this is not intended to offend anyone.

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Of course this is unprecedented for ISU but maybe for any team in history. Having 4 representatives on this team is amazing!

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2024 Oklahoma TE looks ahead to third ISU trip

I've started a running feature on the front page with comments from the seven recruits that were committed prior to their officials this past weekend. I'll be updating as I get more of these in.

LINK

Iowa State Media Relations

ORLANDO – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and the Fiesta Bowl announced Iowa State University (ISU) as the winner of the 2023 Community Service Award today during the 2023 NACDA & Affiliates Convention. Iowa State received the award for its Cyclones Serve initiative.

The Community Service Award will be formally presented to Iowa State on Saturday, Oct. 7 during its Big 12 football matchup against TCU on MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium.

“It is truly an honor for Iowa State Athletics to be recognized for its Cyclones Serve program with the Community Service Award from NACDA and the Fiesta Bowl,” said Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. “We have a group of selfless student-athletes, coaches and staff who are engaged and committed to making our community a better place while impacting the lives of others in a positive way, and it is humbling to see their incredible work recognized with this special honor.”

Now in its seventh year, the Fiesta Bowl Community Service award was designed to recognize NACDA member institutions in Division I honoring exceptional athletics departments that make volunteerism and community service a way of life. A five-person committee consisting of athletics directors across the country and representatives from the Fiesta Bowl and NACDA aided in selecting Iowa State as this year's award winner. The Iowa State athletics department will receive a trophy from the Fiesta Bowl for permanent display on campus.

Iowa State is the first Big 12 school in the award’s seven-year history to be honored by NACDA and the Fiesta Bowl, following Ohio State (2022), Georgia Tech (2021), Vanderbilt (2020), Boston College (2019), Southern Cal (2018) and Maryland (2017).

“Commitment to community service has been embraced by colleges and universities across the nation, including by their athletic departments as a meaningful part of the student-athlete experience. Iowa State’s impressive array of community service activities stood above the rest,” said Erik Moses, Fiesta Bowl Executive Director & CEO. “We know that Jamie Pollard devotes himself to developing an environment that is inclusive, caring and dedicated to mentoring the next generation. Those tenets shine throughout the Cyclones Serve activities which consistently prove that personal development includes selfless actions to help those in need.”

“The Fiesta Bowl Community Service Award has become one of the most inspiring annual recognitions for NACDA member institutions, as it truly captures the positive storytelling aspect of college athletics,” said NACDA Chief Executive Officer Pat Manak. “This is a well-deserved honor for NACDA Past President Jamie Pollard and the Iowa State student-athletes for having a lasting meaningful impact in the lives of so many individuals in the Ames community.”

The Iowa State Student-Athlete Engagement Team oversees the school’s Cyclones Serve program, annually coordinating community outreach activities that stretch throughout central Iowa and touch a multitude of lives. The goal of Cyclones Serve is to encourage student-athletes to volunteer their time while using their platform to build “Community” through sports.

Participation in Cyclones Serve programs includes all 18 Iowa State Athletics sport teams. Teams also compete for the Cyclones Serve Award, which is given annually at the school’s Student-Athlete Awards program (O.S.C.A.R.S.) for the team that volunteers the most hours. Competition is fierce, as the spirit of giving back is vibrant throughout the season. There is also an award for the individual athlete who accrues the most hours of community service work. This past year, Cyclone women’s golfer Ruby Chou set a record by participating in 164 hours of benevolent activities.

This past season, Cyclones Serve was a major success, as Iowa State student-athletes volunteered over 4,500 hours of service work in the community. Cyclone athletes don’t just show up, they also learn WHY they are there to serve. The Iowa State athletics department has made a concerted effort to provide background to the volunteers, so they have a better understanding of the needs of the people they are serving. The true work of service isn’t done to be recognized. The joy comes through the meaningful experience of a service-learning model, which increases engagement levels, confidence, and the overall experience. Iowa State athletes truly make a difference in the lives of others.

About the Fiesta Bowl: The Fiesta Bowl's vision is to be a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans. As a nonprofit organization, it believes in the importance of community outreach and service. Through charitable giving, the organization strives to enhance Arizona nonprofit organizations that contribute to the success of communities through youth, sports and education. Since 1971, the Fiesta Bowl has worked to increase its footprint across the state and work to benefit Arizonans year-round, during and outside of bowl season. For more information about its local impact and how to get involved, visit FiestaBowl.org.

About NACDA: NACDA, now in its 56th year, is the professional and educational Association for more than 22,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,200 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. More than 6,500 athletics administrators annually attend NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. Additionally, NACDA manages 18 professional associations and four foundations. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.

Our host for Tama just backed out and I’m wondering if anyone would host our team or know of someone willing to host. We are an older group and very low maintenance. Thanks

Over the past 10 days, Fox News has been running with a story on no less than 15 different programs that talks about homeless veterans being kicked out of hotels in the New York area to make room for busloads of illegal immigrants. Imagine their shock and outrage at this injustice! They even said they independently confirmed the story through other sources. Ummm, not so fast there, bubba.

Turns out the story was manufactured and made out of whole cloth. In other words, it never happened. The perpetrators had fake receipts and recruited homeless men to say they were veterans and had been kicked out of the hotel, promising to feed them, provide them booze, and pay them $200, then never paid them anything. You'd think after paying off the huge settlement to Dominion, they would be more careful when they "confirm" their stories, but no. Instead, the fire their investigative department to save money because of the settlement. Irony, anyone?

Does this elevate Kene? Or do they try and find someone else to back up presumed #1 Alexander Mattison?

Is tomorrow the date when all football players should be on hand? Or do some still wait for camp? Same for Basketball.

I saw a posting that the WBB frosh had arrived, which raised my curiosity.