Iowa State announces opponents for the 2024 season

Larkdight Studios Iowa State Cyclones' Program Rebuild (Season 1) July 1, 2025 3:00PM CST

The Iowa State Cyclones kick off Season 1 on July 2nd when they open the 2024 season at home against the Pitt Panthers. The Cyclones are slight favorites in that game, but with a new Head Coach you really can’t overlook any opponent in the first season.

Iowa State will host the Northern Illinois Huskies the following week, before going on the road for a big in-state rivalry game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. It will be an emotional return for the new HC Axel Armani, as he returns to his alma mater for the first time as the Head Coach of the rival Iowa State Cyclones. A lot of recruits will also be keeping an eye on that game when making their decision on which program to attend.

The Cyclones’ schedule is relatively mediocre, before it really intensifies at the end of the season with Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State to finish the regular season. Those final three games will most likely decide who will be playing in the Big 12 Championship game.

Dates and times for all games are below:

• Week 1 – Wed, Jul 2 11:00AM CST – vs Pitt (Season/Home Opener)

• Week 2 – Thu, Jul 3 1:00PM CST – vs Northern Illinois

• Week 3 – Fri, Jul 4 1:00PM CST – @ Iowa

• Week 4 – Bye Week

• Week 5 – Tue, Jul 8 5:00PM CST – @ Houston

• Week 6 - Wed, Jul 9 1:00PM CST – vs Baylor

• Week 7 – Thu, Jul 10 11:00AM CST – @ West Virginia

• Week 8 – Fri, Jul 11 11:00AM CST – vs UCF

• Week 9 – Bye Week

• Week 10 - Tue, Jul 15 5:00PM CST – vs Texas Tech (Homecoming)

• Week 11 – Wed, Jul 16 5:00PM CST – @ #10 Kansas

• Week 12 – Thu, Jul 17 1:00PM CST – vs Cincinnati

• Week 13 – Fri, Jul 18 7:00PM CST – @ Utah

• Week 14 – Mon, Jul 21 7:00PM CST – vs Kansas State (Senior Night)

The Iowa State Cyclones are expected to go 9-3 this season, which would most likely put them in a pretty good spot to make the Big 12 Championship game. And if they win that game, they have an automatic berth in the new 12-Team College Football Playoffs. Let’s see if HC Armani can build off what was being built already and take this program to new heights.

You can watch all of the games on my YouTube Channel, just click this link here!