The best ISU football traditions

Cyclone Weather Alert: who’s ready for kickoff

While Iowa State may not always have the best football team out there, that doesn’t mean that the fans don’t have fun. Iowa State has some long-standing football traditions, and a loyal fan base that sticks with them through thick and thin. While many football games turn into a giant party, win or lose, here are some important traditions to keep in mind for the beginning of the season.

Tailgating

Iowa State has a strong tailgating tradition with people always showing up hours before games, even when they start at 11am. For big games, such as the CyHawk game with the University of Iowa, people show up days beforehand to get the party started. There’s nothing like going into the game after tailgating all day (if you make it), but if you get the drunk munchies, the endless amounts of greasy food available is going to make you regret it later. Tailgating all day can make for a long day, but it is definitely worth it. Miles surrounding Jack Trice Stadium are packed with people, and it’s a giant cardinal and gold party.

Running up the steps

For almost every game, especially the big ones (such as in-state rivalries or games against highly ranked teams) students line up and wait to get the best seats. About 15 minutes before the gates actually open, the ticket operators at the student gates start scanning tickets and swiping ID cards so that the line outside thins out, and then people have to wait at the base of the steps instead of outside the gates. As soon as the gates are opened, there is a mad rush to get up the steps. If you’re in a group, its best to grab on to some part of your friends, whether it is their purse strap, their shirt or even their hand so you don’t get separated. It’s also important to move quickly so you don’t fall and get trampled. Running up the steps is a nice little adrenaline rush and is a long-standing football tradition.

The tornado siren

Before every football game, a “Cyclone Weather Alert” comes across the video boards in Jack Trice declaring that fans of the opposing teams should seek shelter. This message is followed by the tornado siren echoing through the stadium, which leads into the team’s entrance song and deafening cheers from the fans. There’s no telling if this tradition will stick with the new coach and leadership on the team, but as a diehard fan since birth, one can only hope that it does. The atmosphere when the “Cyclone Weather Alert” comes on brings chills to the crowd, and gets everyone pumped up.

Pre-kickoff key shaking

Before every kickoff, whether it is to start the game, or after every scoring play, Iowa State students take out their keys, or anything that makes noise and shake them. A pump-up song plays over the loud speakers before every kickoff and students know to make as much noise as possible. However, some students in an attempt to do something to fit in with the crowd even if they don’t have keys, take off their shoes and start shaking them with the keys, even though they obviously don’t make noise. Taking off your shoes at a football game is kind of a disaster waiting to happen, especially if you’ve had a little bit too much to drink while tailgating. Its usually so packed in the student section, its hard to get your shoes back on, and people are going to laugh at your drunken attempts.

The U-S-A chant

Iowa State usually honors a member of the military during an on field ceremony during a break in each home game. Following this, the member of the military gets a long standing ovation and the traditional U-S-A chant from the student section. The U-S-A chant also breaks out after the marching band’s performance of the National Anthem. Being a part of that really makes you feel a part of something that is good, especially with all of the bad things happening around the world in the last few years.

Sweet Caroline

When the team is winning going into the fourth quarter, or after a big victory, the song “Sweet Caroline” blasts from the speakers. The whole student section, and most of the stadium, sings along, and it’s something you have to experience firsthand to truly understand. The song was played after many of the biggest victories in school history, like the upset win over the number two team, Oklahoma State, in 2011.

Singing the fight song

The school fight song is sung many times throughout the course of the game. It’s sung and played by the band after every scoring play by the Cyclones. Along with that, the fight song and other pep songs are sung between quarters, during timeouts and during other various breaks in the game. However, singing the fight song is most fun after an Iowa State victory. The entire football team comes over to the student section and sings the song with the students, which is an exhilarating way to end a good game.

Football season kicks off on September 3 at Jack Trice Stadium against the University of Northern Iowa, and hopefully we’ll get to experience an Iowa State victory and participate in the victory traditions.

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