Why is Iowa State called the Cyclones? How a newspaper coined program's nickname in the 1800s
Iowa State basketball is back in the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in program history, as it prepares to face 3 seed Illinois on Thursday.
2 seed Iowa State is one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning its last five games, which includes a 69-41 win over now-1-seed Houston in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. It's safe to say that Iowa State is cyclone-ing through its opponents at the right time.
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With Iowa State geared for a deep NCAA Tournament run, those outside of Iowa may ask why Iowa State is called the Cyclones.
Here's why Iowa State was given the nickname, and the origin of the mascot:
Why is Iowa State called the Cyclones?
Iowa State's nickname was coined back in 1895 after the then-Cardinals defeated Northwestern 36-0 in football.
In addition to a series of tornadoes in Iowa in 1895, The Chicago Tribune wrote, "Northwestern might as well have tried to play football with an Iowa cyclone as with the Iowa team it met yesterday," after the game, which has stuck as Iowa State's nickname since.
Iowa State's Cyclones nickname makes sense in accordance with its location, as the state of Iowa is known for being a part of Tornado Alley.
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Why is Iowa State's mascot a Cardinal?
Iowa State went without a mascot until 1954, when Chev Adams, the president of Collegiate Manufacturing, a supplier of college souvenirs, contacted Iowa State sports information director Harry Burrell suggesting the program should create a mascot to complement its nickname of the Cyclones.
The school's Pep Council was tasked with holding a contest on what the mascot would be, which was decided on a Cardinal, as the school's colors are cardinal and gold. The mascot was later named Cy, which was suggested by Ames resident Wilma Beckman Ohlson in a national contest for the mascot name.
The mascot became something other than a Cyclone, due to the difficulties of creating a costume that resembled the nickname.
Collegiate Manufacturing then designed a new costume, which was unveiled at homecoming on October 16, 1954, according to Iowa State's records.
Where is Iowa State located?
Iowa State is, of course, located in the state of Iowa, specifically in Ames.
Ames, which has a population of nearly 67,000 according to the 2022 census, is located approximately 30 miles from Des Moines, the capital of Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why is Iowa State called the Cyclones?
