Breaking Down Iowa State Basketball's March Madness History

How have the Iowa State Cyclones done in March Madness through their program's history?

Feb 24, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger looks on during the game against the Utah Utes during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

As the Iowa State Cyclones get set for March Madness, they will be hoping that this can be one of the best in the history of the program. 

The 2025-26 campaign has already been a special one for the Cyclones, and this could just be the tip of the iceberg. To begin the campaign, Iowa State was expected to be a strong team in what was going to be a loaded Big 12 conference. The conference certainly has lived up to expectations, but the Cyclones were able to exceed them. 

Iowa State started things off with a 16-0 beginning to the season. That record included an impressive showing in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas with a win over the St. John’s Red Storm, and also a road win against the Purdue Boilermakers. 

Even though they might not have performed as well during conference play, they did pick up some signature wins along the way and were one of the best teams in the country at home. Now, while it has been a very successful campaign, they are set out to accomplish much more in the NCAA tournament. 

March Madness History

Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Iowa State has been a very successful program of late under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, and now they have to be thinking about what this season could mean for the program. 

In the long history of the Cyclones, they have only made the Final Four one time, way back in 1944. That is a significant drought and one that they hope will end this year. This will be the 25th time that Iowa State has made the NCAA tournament, and it is also the fifth straight appearance. 

The Otzelberger era has been a really successful one since he took over the program, and this feels like it is the best team yet with him on the sidelines. While the defense has also been top-notch for the Cyclones, it is the offense that has really taken a step forward this year. 

With Iowa State being elite on both sides of the court, they are prepared to take on any opponent they might face. Fortunately, the Midwest region doesn’t appear to be overly hard compared to some of the others, and that could greatly benefit the Cyclones. Even though they have had a lot of good teams in recent years, this is the one that really feels like it could be their chance to accomplish something special.