Matt Campbell considers how to get Iowa State over the hump

Matt Campbell is closing in on a decade in Ames. Still, at just a bit over .500 overall, a question stands regarding when Iowa State can take that next step as a program under him.

Campbell addressed that thought and the future of the Cyclone program during his appearance at Big 12 Media Days. To him, though, he rejected some of the thought about their lack of achievement as they’ve made a Big 12 title appearance before.

“It’s been an unbelievable ride here,” began Campbell. “This is going into my ninth football season here at Iowa State.”

“The first part of that question, I would say, is not only close. We’ve been there – we’ve been able to get to the Big 12 Championship game, we’ve been able to win the regular-season conference,” Campbell said. “We’ve been really close in a lot of other seasons.”

In total, Campbell is 53-48 through just over 100 games in eight seasons at Iowa State. That includes six seasons of seven or more wins with three at eight or more. 2020 was the best of the tenure at 9-3 after spending much of the season in the Top-25. That was the year where they made the Big 12 Championship and won the Fiesta Bowl.

In the three seasons since then, the Cycles are just 18-20, including a last-placed finish at 4-8 in 2022. Still, in 2023, Iowa State made him proud by bouncing back at 7-6.

“I think, as our young team coming off a rough year in 2022 and the way our team and football program responded last year, it was really fun to watch this football team come back to really the standard of who we are and what we’ve been and what we’ve been has been really special,” Campbell said.

“From that point? Really excited,” said Campbell.

Now, for 2024, Iowa State brings back a ton with 19 starters returning as part of 47 total. They also project as one of the better teams in the conference based on win-total along with predictions in the preseason plus power rankings.

Campbell is pleased with what he has built and led to this point with the Cyclones. Beyond that, it’s going to be an everyday approach to what they could accomplish from there.

“The future of it? You almost take every season one day at a time and one opportunity at a time,” said Campbell.

“Like I said at the beginning of this, just really grateful to be at one place for nine football seasons and the ability to lead something that I think has stood for something that’s really special for college football,” Campbell said.