Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell speaks during Iowa State football media day at Stark Performance Center on July 25, 2025, in Ames. Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa State Matt Campbell's Grateful for 'Opportunity' to Play in Dublin

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Evan Dammarell | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 11:21 AM ET

To kick off the college football season all eyes will be on Matt Campbell and the Iowa State Cyclones.

As part of Week 0 festivities, the AP's No. 22 Cyclones will face the No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats as the first game of the season. However, instead of the game taking place in Ames or Manhattan, this matchup will be an international affair.

Iowa State and Kansas State will face off in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, Aug. 23. It'll be a new, unfamiliar way for the Cyclones to kick off their season. However, according to Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, instead it's a new opportunity.

“As uniquely challenging as this opportunity is, the word ‘opportunity’ is right and I think…both programs, both teams, college football,” Campbell said. “The opportunity to take your program over to Ireland, what a great experience for the fan bases, the universities, the schools.

“And to play in this kind of setting, I still think it’s really special, and I’m really grateful to be a part of that.”

Plenty will be on the line in Dublin between Kansas State and Iowa State

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Although this will be the first time Iowa State faces Kansas State internationally, it'll be another chapter in the storied Farmageddon rivalry. However, based on recent history, the Cyclones won't need the luck of the Irish on their side against the Wildcats.

The Cyclones have won four of the previous five contests and have earned back-to-back victories in 2023 and 2024. Campbell’s last loss to the Wildcats came in 2022, when Kansas State defeated the Cyclones, 10-9.

“We’re really fortunate here that we have been able to get our program to a place where we can play really meaningful rivalry games,” Campbell said. “What K-State has done in this conference, the type of opponent they are, the success that they’ve had, when you get the opportunity to measure yourself as a football program…those are powerful things.”

Iowa State played for the Big 12 Championship last season, and Kansas State was in the running until late. This year, they're both true contenders to win the conference title and get to the College Football Playoff, but in a dead-even Big 12, one loss,especially one before the season really gets going, could make the difference.

Hopefully, Campbell and the Cyclones make the most of this opportunity and set off their season on the right foot.

This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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