AMES, Iowa —

Iowa State’s football program is heading into a major transition — and students say they’re still processing the news.

Shock spread across campus this weekend after longtime head coach Matt Campbell announced he’s leaving Ames to take over at Penn State . The change comes as the Cyclones also declined their postseason bowl invitation , citing a lack of healthy players to safely prepare and compete. The Big 12 has issued a $500,000 fine to ISU for the withdrawal.

Students told KCCI they "did not see it coming,” and called the changes "surprising" and “devastating.”

Campbell leaves as the winningest coach in Iowa State history, having delivered the program’s best season ever in 2024. Students say his decade in Ames reshaped how they saw Cyclone football.

“(Under Campbel

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