The Tailgater's Handbook

America's Official Site for College Football Fans

Our Fight Song Vote Results for 2007's most popular college fight song are as follows: (1). Auburn War Eagle 1899  (2) LSU Fight 1882 (3)  Yea Alabama 1211  (4)  Illinois Oskee  1207  (5) ECU Fight 975  (6) Florida Blue and Orange 897 (7) Arkansas Fight 674   (8) On Wisconsin 665 (9)Ohio State Buckeye Battle Cry 574  (10) Tennessee Rocky Top 556

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IOWA STATE

The campus entrance

Origin of "Cy"

In 1954, a group of students that included pep council president Chuck Duncan, brainstorming on how to build more school spirit, approached Collegiate Manufacturing of Ames on creating a school mascot. Since the consensus was that you "couldn’t stuff a Cyclone," a bird figure using the school colors (cardinal and gold) was the eventual choice. Duncan and the Pep Council then got a green light from ISU alumni director "Red" Baron, sports information Director Harry Burrell and Cyclone Club director Ray Donals.

A cardinal-like bird was introduced at the 1954 Homecoming pep rally. A contest was held to determine the cardinal’s name. The entry "Cy" won. Cy is short for Cyclones, and the cardinal figure represents the school colors as well as the original Iowa State nickname.

In 1894, a terrible tornado hit the Iowa town of Grinnell. During the summer and early fall of 1895, a number of "Cyclones" continued to wreak havoc on the state of Iowa. Hence, when Iowa State's (then called Iowa Agricultural College) football team blew away highly-touted Northwestern that fall, the winners were likened to a cyclone. The name stuck as this group of Cyclones helped propel Iowa State into the world of big-time football.

Please let the music load.......

ISU tailgaters are on TV with Drozda            

Alpha Sigs fire the big gun!

He's really an Iowa grad, but he's for ISU now!

"The Cyclone's have a huge parking lot.  Maybe the

nicest in college football," said Drozda.

Click on the stadium for a closer look

Tents

Team Tiles

Thunder Mug