Should Iowa State inaugurate another traveling trophy? And with what rival?

May 07, 2024

AMES, Iowa — Resting inside a trophy case in Columbia, Mo., The Field Phone Trophy remains one of college football’s most obscure and little-known symbols of victory.

Black and gold splash one side of the receiver; cardinal red and gold cover the other side. Commonly, it’s referred to as The Telephone Trophy. Back in 1959, telephone wires were crossed up before a Big Eight game between Iowa State and Missouri in Ames. Opposing coaches could hear their counterparts’ conversations during pregame warmups. It was sorted out by kickoff, but the incident birthed a quaint trophy series that year between the longtime border foes.

It lasted until 2011 when the Tigers bolted the Big 12 for the SEC. Missouri won the final five meetings and has held the trophy since 2007. Neither school even lists it in its media guide.

A decade later, the Cyclones have just one traveling trophy — the Cy-Hawk — against nonconference rival Iowa. But with the dormant 104-game series with Missouri in the rearview mirror, is now the time for Iowa State to inaugurate another traveling trophy? Fans overwhelming say yes, the players agree, and one foe stands out most of all to Cyclone Nation.

According to a Twitter poll conducted this week, 77.4 percent of the 3,116 votes cast want the Cyclones to inaugurate an annual trophy with Kansas State. Nothing else even enters the conversation. Of the four choices, sticking with only the Cy-Hawk finished second (12.7 percent). Rating far behind was starting a trophy with another Big 12 opponent (5.9 percent) while forming beyond the scoreboard with Kansas football (4.0 percent) appears a non-starter.

I'm intrigued by what @ChrisMWilliams thinks about this. Since Mizzou left for the SEC a decade ago, Iowa State is down to a single traveling trophy. Is it time to add another? If so, which school?

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) August 14, 2022

“It would be cool to have K-State and Iowa State with like a corn-something type of trophy,” said Iowa State running back Jirehl Brock, who grew up in Quincy, Ill., along the Mississippi River. “I think it’d be good for both fan bases. All those Big Ten schools have a trophy for dang near every game that you play in the Big Ten. It’d be cool to have one of those over here, too.”

Options for a second trophy are limited unless it is contrived against a non-historic foe or upcoming Big 12 opponent. After Oklahoma leaves for the SEC, only four Big Eight members remain in the Big 12 — Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Iowa State has faced K-State every year since 1917 and the Jayhawks annually since 1932. The Cowboys didn’t join the Big Eight until 1958 and were in opposite divisions from ISU, KSU and Kansas from 1996 through 2010.

When it comes to football, the obvious answer for Iowa State to add a second rivalry trophy is Kansas State. From 2008 through 2017, the Wildcats and head coach Bill Snyder represented almost The Grim Reaper who annually stole the Cyclones’ souls. K-State won all 10 encounters, nine of which came by one score or less. Then in 2018, when trailing by 17 points at home with barely 10 minutes left in the game, the Cyclones rallied with three fourth-quarter touchdowns — including a pick-six — to topple the Wildcats and claim a program-record sixth conference win. Iowa State now has won three of the past four meetings.

Kansas State will become the Cyclones’ most-played opponent this fall at 106 games, passing current Big Ten member Nebraska (105) after inching beyond Missouri (104) last year. Historically, the Cyclones lead the Wildcats 52-49-4. Kansas holds a 50-45-6 advantage on Iowa State after 101 meetings, while Oklahoma State leads ISU 33-20-3.

Farmageddon needs a trophy

— Lincoln Sibbitt (@LSibbitt) August 14, 2022

I’m literally holding the #Farmageddon trophy in my profile pic. The fans created it. The schools need to recognize it.

— Brad Black (@BlackFarmsAg) August 15, 2022

The trophy should be a tractor and needs to be driven to the game…winner parks it outside of their stadium

— david (@davidhonathy) August 14, 2022

But there’s more than competitive football that unites Iowa State and Kansas State. Both were founded as land-grant institutions within five years of one another: Iowa State in 1858; Kansas State in 1863. Both are ranked among the top 16 global agricultural science universities by U.S. News and World Report. In 2009 and 2010, they christened their series “Farmageddon” and met at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

“In my time here the one trophy we have is the Cy-Hawk Trophy,” said offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford, a Newark, Ohio native. “It’d be kind of cool to have another one. Obviously, with K-State it’s a big farming thing.”

“That stuff’s fun,” said Iowa State offensive lineman Trevor Downing, a Creston, Iowa native. “As a player, you look at like a rivalry trophy game as a big deal. It just adds a little more hype to the game.”

Other schools receiving informal mentions on Twitter include Oklahoma State and West Virginia, with which the Cyclones enjoy a competitive series since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012.

Cant have a traveling trophy with Kansas because it would never leave Ames. I say West Virginia pic.twitter.com/waUBdsptos

— Carter Nelsen (@carter_nelsen) August 14, 2022

For now, Iowa State still has the Cy-Hawk Trophy with Iowa. That trophy saga dates to when the series resumed in 1977 following a 43-year layoff. They played for a homely trophy created by the Des Moines Athletic Club until it was retired in 2010. Iowa Corn gained series sponsorship in 2011 and created a farm family trophy that was panned universally by both fan bases. It was scrapped days after its unveiling and an interim trophy was put in place for 2011. A fan vote online created the current edition, which debuted in 2012.

If the Cyclones and Wildcats created their own trophy, it likely would need an agricultural tie-in. Multiple Twitter users suggested a tractor.

Another is a scythe that could serve as Paul Bunyan’s Axe of the Plains. Perhaps even name it “The Reaper.”

What about a new trophy for the Iowa State-Kansas State rivalry? (Courtesy of Braedyn Dochterman)

“I like that,” Hufford said after seeing an image. “That’s something nice.”

(Top photo: Courtesy of Missouri Athletics)

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