Why are you an Iowa State Fan?

[HogueNation]

After reading all the meltdown posts from Hawkeye Nation and seeing all the posts on Facebook calling for Kirk's head I couldn't help but ask myself, are these people true Hawkeye fans? Obviously they haven't been routinely kicked in the balls as often as us State fans.

I'm sure this has been posted here before but I'm wondering what made you an Iowa State fan? Or even an Iowa Fan if there's trolls/lurkers that want to chime in? Was it a specific sporting event? Was it because you went to college there? Was it because your Mother/Father were ISU fans? Was it the environment inside Hilton or the tailgating at JT that sucked you in? (Surely it wasn't the environment inside Carver for you Hawk fans)

I'll hang up and listen...

 

[Clonefan32]

Passed on from the family. Never attended Iowa State, and actually hold a degree from U of I, but will always be an Iowa State fan.

 

[ISUCubswin]

Tough question...

My aunt and uncle bought my dad and I season tickets when I was 5 years old to basketball games (20 years ago) so I would say my family AND the gameday environment are my two biggest reasons.

Went to Iowa State for my bachelors and will likely never pay another dime towards to school again. The History program I was in was great, but the education program was pathetic, awful, in shambles, and did nothing to prepare students for the teaching world.

 

[3TrueFans]

All of the above.

 

[AgronAlum]

My family is not originally from IA so even after living and graduating HS in IA I didn't care much about any Iowa schools until I started attending ISU my junior year of college.

 

[chuckd4735]

Grew up in Eastern Iowa as a Hawk fan. Wanted to be an engineer, and applied to both Iowa and ISU. Got denied at Iowa (you had to be in the top 30% of your class). Opened my acceptance letter to ISU right before the 2001 Cy-Hawk game kickoff, and the rest is history.

 

[Cyched]

Passed on from the family. Was properly brainwashed from a young age.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Grew up in an Iowa State family and married into one as well. I also graduated from Iowa State.
Cyclones fans have always joked how so many Iowa "fans" have zero connection to the school. Ironically, Iowa States enrollment is growing at a rapid rate and in another 10 years or so the fan base gap is going to be much closer. Most Hawkeye fans I know refuse to acknowledge this even though our enrollment continues to out pace Western Chicago.

 

[Tailg8er]

Never was much of a college sports fan growing up, just knew I hated anything Nebraska related (lived in Omaha/CB).

Right when I got to Ames for college, though, I became a diehard Cyclone. My fandom for ISU is deeper & more intense than anything else I've ever cheered for, on a whole other level than any professional team.

 

[ca4cy]

Because it's so easy.

 

[CYCLNST8]

I was raised to be a hawkeye, but we also cheered for Iowa State. When they played each other I cheered for the Cyclones (even during the dark ages of Jim Walden). Hilton was always way cooler than Carver.

It wasn't until I attended college at Iowa State & had to deal with hawkeye smugness that I learned to hate. My level of hatred is probably unhealthy. Part of the problem is I married into a hawkeye family and my dad and brother are still hawkeye tools. I used to have an unhealthy hatred for Nebraska, but what's the point now? I'm also sick to death of losing to Oklahoma & Kansas State.

 

[jcyclonee]

To paraphrase CW, "Because I'm Awesome!"

 

[ca4cy]

I was raised to be a hawkeye, but we also cheered for Iowa State. When they played each other I cheered for the Cyclones (even during the dark ages of Jim Walden). Hilton was always way cooler than Carver.

It wasn't until I attended college at Iowa State & had to deal with hawkeye smugness that I learned to hate. My level of hatred is probably unhealthy. Part of the problem is I married into a hawkeye family and my dad and brother are still hawkeye tools. I used to have an unhealthy hatred for Nebraska, but what's the point now? I'm also sick to death of losing to Oklahoma & Kansas State.

A lot of similarities to what you said for me. I was raised in NE Iowa and Iowa State athletics was a non entity up there at that time so I was a Hawk fan in a Hawk family in my formative sports years. I started paying attention, as much as possible, in the later 80s when I figured out that I was probably going to ISU. Once I went to ISU and fully pledged my sports allegiance to the Clones was the time I finally realized the smugness of Hawk fans that you speak of. The ones that love to tell you how much everything Iowa State sucks while having no actual ties to the teams they root for, which is about 90% of them, are the reason I can never root for Iowa in anything. My hatred was unhealthy and I've worked hard to move it more toward indifference but I still have my days.

As for the reasons I'm a fan...I'm a very proud ISU alum and I love everything about my university. The campus is amazing and while the athletics are not always where we'd like them to be, the game day experience is something I still enjoy getting back for. Fortunately ISU athletics are much more accessible than when I was a kid so my children have been given the opportunity (who am I kidding, they're brainwashed) to be ISU fans since birth...for better or worse.

 

[Cybyassociation]

Brother played football here. I'm not necessarily a fan as much as I am a follower of ISU athletics and a staunch Hawkeye hater.

 

[StratCY]

Dad passed it down when we lived in Michigan, but then we moved to Iowa so it was easy! I'm now an alumni.

 

[Bryce7]

After going to ISU, I just want them to turn it around and win something after decades of frustration.

 

[SoapyCy]

didn't even know ISU existed until I was really looking for colleges. then i came for a visit and here I am, planted roots and grew a family here in central iowa.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I was raised to be a hawkeye, but we also cheered for Iowa State. When they played each other I cheered for the Cyclones (even during the dark ages of Jim Walden). Hilton was always way cooler than Carver.

It wasn't until I attended college at Iowa State & had to deal with hawkeye smugness that I learned to hate. My level of hatred is probably unhealthy. Part of the problem is I married into a hawkeye family and my dad and brother are still hawkeye tools. I used to have an unhealthy hatred for Nebraska, but what's the point now? I'm also sick to death of losing to Oklahoma & Kansas State.

I discovered the Hawkeye smugness at a much younger age. Growing up in the 80's as a Cyclone fan wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't "cool." I can remember going to Sunday school the morning after the Hawkeyes beat the likes of Maryland Eastern Shore and William and Mary to secure another Amana Hawkeye Classic title. My douchey Hawkeye friends/classmates were slapping fives and celebrating like they just won the national title. I knew then and there that my lord and savior was sending me a message that memorable morning.

 

[Al_4_State]

All of the above.

 

[Cyballzz]

Doctors said I medically shouldn't punch myself in the the testicles anymore so I watched a basketball game on March 25, 2000 and I found my replacement.