CARDINAL & GOLD FOREVER The Complete History of Iowa State Cyclones football — From Jack Trice to the Campbell Era and What Comes Next

CARDINAL & GOLD FOREVERThe Complete History of Iowa State Cyclones Football — From Jack Trice to the Campbell Era and What Comes NextBy Luke FarnstromFor more than a century, Iowa State Cyclones football has existed outside the traditional centers of college football power.No dynasties.No sustained dominance.No structural advantages.And yet—the program endured.CARDINAL & GOLD FOREVER is not just a history of wins and losses.It is a story about how a program survives, evolves, and ultimately redefines itself within a system built for others to succeed.From the legacy of Jack Trice to the long decades of struggle, from fleeting moments of promise to the structural transformation under Matt Campbell, this book traces the full arc of Iowa State football with clarity and depth.Inside, you’ll discover:The early formation of the program and the enduring impact of Jack TriceThe decades-long search for identity in a system stacked against itThe McCarney era and the first true signs of structural progressThe instability that followed—and what it revealedThe arrival of Matt Campbell and the building of a modern programThe 2020 season as a case study in peak alignmentThe post-peak challenge: sustaining success in a changing sportHow NIL, the transfer portal, and realignment are reshaping the futureWhat Iowa State’s journey reveals about building under constraintThis is not a nostalgic retelling.It is a clear-eyed, analytical examination of how programs actually work—how culture, development, and decision-making interact to produce results over time.For Iowa State fans, it is the most complete account of the program ever written.For college football fans, it is something broader:A study of what it takes to build something real—without shortcuts, without assumptions, and without guarantees.This is the story of Iowa State football.Not as it is remembered.But as it actually happened—and where it goes next. Read more