Cincinnati Bearcats Have Been the Kryptonite of Iowa State Cyclones This College Year

The Iowa State Cyclones have not gotten the job done against the Cincinnati Bearcats this collegiate year.

Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) guards Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) in the first half of the NCAA Big 12 basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Iowa State Cyclones at Fifth Third Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have had some excellent starts to their respective seasons in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball.

All of the teams were ranked inside the top 15 of their respective AP Polls, solidifying their standing as one of the best squads in each sport. Alas, after excellent starts to their seasons, a snag was hit at the midway point of the campaign.

On the gridiron, the Cyclones started 5-0 before experiencing their first loss. The women’s basketball team was 14-0 before suffering its first loss, while the men’s basketball team reached a historic 16-0, the longest winning streak in program history and best start ever.

Disappointingly, all three teams would go on losing streaks after their first loss. The football team lost four games in a row before ending the season on a three-game winning streak. On the hardwood, the women’s team is in the midst of a four-game losing streak, while the men’s team is riding a two-game skid.

Iowa State has been owned by Cincinnati this collegiate season

Nov 29, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; The Cincinnati Bearcats mascot as seen during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Bearcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

For all three teams, there is another unfortunate thing that they have in common: they were all defeated by an unranked Cincinnati Bearcats team, as that school has had Iowa State’s number throughout the 2025-26 collegiate year.

The football team’s first loss was on the road against Cincinnati. A normally stout defense was torn apart by Brendan Sorsby, falling behind 17-0 before the first quarter was over and trailing by 24 in the second quarter.

A comeback attempt fell short, with Iowa State ultimately losing 38-30 in what started their downfall that fall.

The women’s basketball team, which lost its first game of the year at home to the Baylor Bears, who were ranked No. 22, went on the road to face an unranked Bearcats team to get back on track.

Cincinnati has turned into house of horrors for Cyclones

Jan 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati students and fans rush the court after the Cincinnati Bearcats defeat the Iowa State Cyclones at Fifth Third Arena. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Another loss occurred, with the team spiraling downhill. The next AP Poll Top 25 will almost assuredly not include the Cyclones, who have lost four in a row, the last three of which have been against unranked opponents.

Fifth Third Arena proved to be a house of horrors for the men’s basketball team as well. After losing at Allen Fieldhouse against the Kansas Jayhawks for their first defeat of the season, their second loss in a row occurred on the road against Cincinnati.

That loss contributed to them dropping from No. 2 in the country to No. 9. The Iowa State men’s basketball team has to figure out a way to snap their brutal streak of slow starts, which they were able to overcome earlier in the season, but have not been able to do the last two outings.