Start for Iowa State Football Opener Delayed by Weather

The Iowa State Cyclones are set to begin the 2026 college football season this afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium.

Originally, kickoff was set for 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT, but there is inclement weather heading toward Jack Trice Stadium, so there will be a delay in the start time. As shared by Iowa State Football on X, the start time has been pushed back at least a half hour to 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT.

The situation will continue to be monitored, as further delays could be caused by a storm that is moving through the area and creating high winds and lightning. The university is working alongside the Department of Public Safety to figure things out. Anyone in attendance has been advised to take safety precautions.

There will eventually be football in Ames this afternoon, but the start of the game will not occur for at least a half hour after the originally scheduled time.

Start of Iowa State vs. Southeast Missouri delayed

In consultation with the Department of Public Safety we are monitoring a storm that is heading in the direction of Jack Trice Stadium. The storm is producing high winds and lightning and projected to be in the area at 11:50. Please take appropriate safety precautions.
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 5, 2026

Hopefully this won’t put too much of a damper on the season opener at Jack Trice Stadium. This is the start of the Jimmy Rogers era for the Cyclones, who have a new head coach for the first time in a decade after Matt Campbell departed for the Penn State Nittany Lions after 10 seasons on the job.

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the program heading into the 2026 season, with zero starters returning from the 2025 squad. That has led to a lot of people projecting a tough season for Iowa State, but there is some underrated talent on the roster that is being overlooked.

Quarterback Jaylen Raynor has three years of starting experience from his time with the Arkansas State Red Wolves in the Sun Belt. While a jump to the Big 12 is significant, he has the talent to succeed under offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl.

Due to a storm approaching Jack Trice Stadium, kickoff has been delayed until 12:30 p.m. We will continue to monitor the situation.
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 5, 2026

The weather conditions could lead to a slight change in game plan, but Raynor is in position to hit the ground running against Southeast Missouri for a big debut.

On the defensive side of the ball, Caden Crawford is a player to watch. He was on the other side of the Cy-Hawk rivalry a few years ago as an Iowa Hawkeye. After transferring to the South Dakota Coyotes, he is back with a Power Four program and ready to prove he is capable of producing at this level.

Isaac Terrell is another talented defensive end who might be the best player on the team. He and Crawford are going to create some big plays defensively to keep the Redhawks quarterback Braylen Ragland in check.

Add us as a preferred source on Google