How Kickoff Times Impact Iowa State Football Attendance

Over the past few weeks, there has been a bit of an outrage regarding Iowa State Cyclone football and their lack of night games, and it’s completely valid.

Iowa State began its season at 12:00 pm local time, when it took on the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks. While it was unfortunate, it completely made sense given the level of the visiting team. That occurred once again when the Cyclones played the Bowling Green Falcons in game two of the year. That kick was at 11:00 am.

Home game three, though, was one of the most intriguing games of the season, where Iowa State took on the Utah Utes. Many expected a night game, but it ended up being a 2:30 p.m. local kick. Another letdown.

Finally, last week, people prayed that a matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers would be a night game. Nope, 11:00 am.

Iowa State fans show up more with later start times

"Cy" of the Iowa State Cyclones cheer squad warms up the fans before their game. — Sep 26, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; "Cy" of the Iowa State Cyclones cheer squad warms up the fans before their game with the Utah Utes at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It got me thinking: how much does a night game actually affect attendance numbers? So I took numbers from the last few seasons to determine whether there is actually more buzz from the fans when they are playing under the lights at Jack Trice Stadium.

Over the past four seasons, six home games have been in the morning, nine have been in the afternoon, and eight have been at night. To put it into perspective, of the past 23 home games, half of the morning games have happened just this season.

In the six morning games, there was just one sellout, with an average attendance of 55,993 people per game. That’s over five thousand fewer than a sellout on average.

The nine afternoon games definitely had better attendance. They averaged a total of 58,555 people per game, selling out four of the nine games. Clearly, there is a much bigger difference.

Night games create best atmosphere at Jack Trice Stadium

Former Iowa State football player AJ Kline cheers before Iowa State and BYU football. — Former Iowa State football player AJ Kline cheers before Iowa State and BYU football at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

However, the eight night games clearly show the best attendance. They average 59,643, less than 2,000 seats away from completely selling out, and have sold out five of the eight games they have played under the lights.

Over the last 10 home games, Iowa State has had just one night game at Jack Trice Stadium. This season, there have been zero.

Clearly, there is a statistical advantage that creates higher attendance based on what time the Cyclones play. So let’s have more night games in Ames, IA, and let the team in cardinal and gold play under the lights in front of their passionate fans at Jack Trice.

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