When you ask any Iowa fan who the Hawkeyes’ biggest rival is on the gridiron, you’ll probably hear a couple of different responses.

Some may say Nebraska (though that rivalry has been very one-sided the past decade), others may say Minnesota or even Wisconsin. All of those Big Ten foes provide unique challenges for Iowa each season. But there’s one rival that hits even closer to home for many Iowa fans.

The annual Cy-Hawk game is important every year for people in the state of Iowa. It’s a chance to have bragging rights for the next year and makes for fun debates at the water cooler. But this year’s game is for more than just bragging rights. There’s a lot at stake for both teams.

The NCAA released its top 30 nonconference games of the 2025 season, and sure enough, Iowa vs Iowa State in week two is on the list. But why exactly is this game so important for both teams, outside of just the general rivalry?

The stakes for this year’s Cy-Hawk game

For the Cyclones, this game is big because of their week zero matchup. Iowa State plays Big 12 rival Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, in week zero to begin its season. If they pick up a win in that game and beat the Hawkeyes in week two, they’ll establish themselves as a top team in the conference and a threat to make the College Football Playoff. If they lose in Ireland, they’ll need to beat Iowa to avoid a 0-2 start to their season. Regardless of the week zero result, the Iowa game is huge for the Cyclones.

And for the Hawkeyes, it’s the first test of the 2025 season. They should take care of FCS Albany in week one (fingers crossed), but we won’t know a whole lot about this team until after they travel to Ames in week two. A win over Iowa State with a strong performance from Mark Gronowski will have Hawkeye fans over the moon excited entering conference play. A loss to Iowa State would bring lots of questions over just how good Iowa is in 2025.

For both teams, this is a pivotal swing game early in the season and could catapult or derail their season before it gets off the ground. When you add that to the bragging rights on the line, it’s easy to see why the NCAA labeled this as one of the best nonconference games of the 2025 season.

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