The battle for football supremacy in the state of Iowa has been a regular fall tradition, and that isn't going to change any time soon.
If you ask any college football fan in Iowa, they are either an Iowa or an Iowa State fan, with no room in between. The heated in-state rivalry first began on the gridiron in 1894, with the coveted Cy-Hawk Trophy being introduced in 1977 after a 43-year hiatus in the game. Every September, the battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy splits the state in two for the week leading up to and through the game, and both programs know how important the rivalry is to the state.
Iowa, Iowa State should reach an extension 'soon' for the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry
Kirk Ferentz and three Iowa football players aren't the only ones who spoke during the Big Ten Football Media Days in Chicago. Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz always weighed in on a range of topics, including the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry. The current contract is set to expire after the 2027 season, but don't worry, Hawkeye fans, the game isn't going anywhere.
Iowa and Iowa State are working toward an agreement to extend the Cy-Hawk football game through 2031 and keeping the game in week two.
— Ben Hutchens (@Ben_Hutchens_) July 28, 2026
Details in the story:https://t.co/cNZiU0FBwH
According to a report by the Quad City Times, Iowa and Iowa State are actively working on an extension for the Cy-Hawk rivalry through the 2031 season. The previous deal was signed by Iowa AD Gary Barta and Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard, with Goetz taking the reins in the current negotiations. During Big Ten Football Media Days, Goetz confirmed that an extension will be completed and that the details of the new contract will be released "soon." Goetz also confirmed that she and Pollard have had multiple conversations this summer, and there was never any doubt on either side that a deal would get done.
As conference realignment and expansion become more prevalent, and as scheduling complications increase with the inclusion of Week 0 games, both parties were adamant that the game must continue and made an extension a priority. It means a lot to fans on both sides of the rivalry, as it would be hard to imagine a college football season without it.
A potential Cy-Hawk extension is critical to the state and is easily a no-brainer
The ever-changing landscape of college football has eliminated some long-standing rivalries, including Michigan vs. Notre Dame and Nebraska vs. Oklahoma, among many others. The Hawkeyes are lucky to play four regular rivalry games with a trophy every year, and they need to keep it that way. Rivalry games are what college football fans live for, and regardless of expansion and conferences refusing to protect storied rivalries, they are good for the game. Some of those long-standing rivalries still exist outside of the game itself, and not having those games is a disservice to the game and to the fans of both teams.
Goetz and Pollard's aggressive push to keep the Cy-Hawk game signals how important it is to the people in the state, and that is music to both fan bases' ears. There was little doubt that a deal would eventually get done, but some conferences have shifted or tightened up scheduling practices, threatening similar games. Keeping it in Week 2 was also a very smart move by both sides, locking it into a familiar spot on the schedule. Fans, players, and coaches always circle the matchup early in the season, and Goetz and Pollard are making the right decision by pushing to keep the game on the schedule as an annual tradition.
Iowa and Iowa State fans live and die with their teams, and especially with no professional teams in the state, we all need this game to continue.
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