Iowa State announces huge increase to be a Cyclone fan in 2025

Iowa State needs $20 million to cover costs of revenue sharing, contracts for Matt Campbell, TJ Otzelberger

Jamie Pollard, Iowa State's Director of Athletics, announced price increases for the athletic programs starting in 2025. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

It is going to cost more in 2025 to be an Iowa State athletics fan. 

Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced on Wednesday that the athletic department will “increase by over 20% in 2025,” which is expected to mean they need $20 million more to deal with the increase. 

Pollard, who sent out a letter via the official school website, stated that the need is due to a number of things.

“The financial pressure facing our athletics program is no different,” Pollard wrote. “Due to sharing revenues with our student-athletes, securing Coach (Matt) Campbell and (TJ) Otzelberger to long-term contracts, and changes to Big 12 Conference and College Football Playoff revenue distributions” the department needs the money.

He noted that all the successes for the Cyclones have not come without the needed revenue growth. That includes a win last month in the Pop-Tarts Bowl over Miami, a trip to the Big 12 title game and an appearance in the Maui Invitational by the men’s basketball program.

Here are a number of the things Pollard noted will change in 2025:

• Cyclone Club costs will be raised by 20% starting with the 2025 drive year. 
• Sales tax will be added to all ticket sales beginning in the fall of 2025, as those taxes are currently paid out of the ticket price. 
• Women’s basketball season ticket prices will increase from $199 to $249

“In addition, we are continuing to explore other opportunities to increase revenues and/or reduce expenses,” Pollard wrote. “Including asking our coaches and department heads to reduce their respective annual operating budgets by 10%.”