Why Matt Campbell’s Extension Is a Big 12 Power Move for Iowa State

If you tried to tell the story of Iowa State football, it would be tough to tell it without mentioning Matt Campbell multiple times. After all, he is the winningest coach in school history and just so happens to be the current head coach right now.

When you have a special coach, you do whatever you can to make sure he remains at your school. That’s exactly what Iowa State did this month when they finalized a contract extension that runs through 2032.

Matt Campbell will earn $5 million per year in total compensation, with performance incentives available on top. Call me crazy, but that is relatively cheap considering there are coaches out there making more than double what he does every single year.

When Campbell took over back in 2016, the program looked a lot different. Back then, making a bowl game was a big deal, and Matt accomplished that in his second year on the job, including a bowl win for the first time in seven years.

Little did we know then that making a bowl game would be the new norm for Iowa State football. In fact, since 2017, Iowa State has made a bowl game every single year outside of the 2022 season.

If you look at the last five years, things have only gone up. Back in 2020, Iowa State made it all the way to its first-ever Big 12 title game appearance and won a New Year’s Six bowl for the first time in program history.

That wouldn’t be the only time Matt Campbell made history in Ames. Just last season, Iowa State won 11 games for the first time in school history and once again made it to Arlington, where they found themselves playing for a conference championship.

As a three-time Big 12 coach of the year, Matt Campbell is worth every penny of his contract and then some. He has completely transformed that program into a winner. From the culture to the plays on the field, there is a different feel in Ames than there was 10 years ago.

In 2025, making a bowl game is no longer the standard at Iowa State; it’s expected. Now, Iowa State is expected to compete for Big 12 championships, and without Matt Campbell, I don’t think that would be the case.

And one day, there will be a statue outside of Jack Trice Stadium for the winningest coach in Iowa State history because you can’t tell the history of Iowa State football without him.