Iowa State University Athletics
ISU Athletics and Hy-Vee Launch New Initiatives in Renewal of 20-Year Partnership
08.27.2025 | Athletics
AMES, Iowa (Aug. 27, 2025) – Iowa State Athletics and Hy-Vee announced today a new era in their long-term collaboration, bringing together two of the state's premier brands to provide student-athlete NIL support and enhance the gameday experience for Cyclone fans.
The reimagined partnership, brought to life through a renewal facilitated by Cyclone Sports Properties, provides a multi-year extension to a more than 20-year relationship between Iowa State Athletics and Hy-Vee.
"We are incredibly proud of our longstanding relationship with Hy-Vee and are grateful for its continued support of the Cyclones," said Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. "Hy-Vee's investment in NIL opportunities for our student-athletes through brand ambassadorships coupled with its desire to help grow the sale of We Will Pizzas throughout the state will have a positive impact on our athletics program while providing opportunities for our loyal fans to directly support the We Will Fund.
"We also believe that Hy-Vee's innovative RV Village Pop-Up Shop will be a big hit with all of our fans as they tailgate this fall at Jack Trice Stadium," Pollard added.
Through the renewed partnership with ISU Athletics, Hy-Vee will provide student-athletes NIL opportunities to serve as brand ambassadors and enhance awareness of officially licensed products.
Beginning in September, Hy-Vee will also offer We Will Pizza in all its Iowa stores. Proceeds for each pizza sold will go to the We Will Fund benefitting Iowa State student-athletes and their relationships with local nonprofits. To celebrate the launch of We Will Pizza, Cyclone student-athletes will make in-store appearances at select Hy-Vee stores the week of Sept. 15 – 21.
For Cyclone fans, Hy-Vee is committed to enhancing the gameday experience through the opening of the Hy-Vee Pop-Up Shop. The shop will be open on home football gamedays starting when the parking lots open through the end of the game. For Saturday's home opener against South Dakota, the store will open at 8:30 a.m. so fans can grab their tailgate essentials – such as chips, snacks, ice, soda, beer, paper products, charcoal, sunscreen, bug spray and more – right in the heart of RV Village.
"We're proud to continue our support of student athletics at Iowa State," said Matt Nickell, Vice President of Sports Marketing at Hy-Vee. "ISU student-athletes display the same fundamentals as our Hy-Vee employees, like dedication and teamwork, and supporting them means we're investing in our future leaders and community builders who will keep the Midwest strong for years to come."
In addition to a vast inventory of brand placement assets, Hy-Vee will debut as the sponsor of the headsets worn on the field by the entire Iowa State football staff on gamedays throughout the 2025 season, providing incremental brand visibility during prime viewing windows on Saturdays.
"I am grateful for Hy-Vee and their leadership as we embark on a different partnership that benefits everyone," said Chris Andrews, Vice President & General Manager of Cyclone Sports Properties. "Hy-Vee will be backing our student-athletes with revenue opportunities at retail, serving fans on gamedays which will enhance the overall atmosphere and expanding their marketing to include the most visible asset we have on the sideline. They have more than paved the way for a new type of activation within the collegiate space and have shown a commitment to our athletic programs."
Cyclone Sports Properties, the locally based team of Learfield – the media and technology company powering college athletics – is the exclusive multimedia rights holder for Iowa State Athletics and oversees all sponsorship agreements on behalf of the Cyclones.
About Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 570 business units across nine Midwestern states with sales of more than $13 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee was recently named the No. 1 grocery store in America by USA TODAY. The company's more than 75,000 employees provide "A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle" to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
About Iowa State Athletics
A founding member of the Big 12 Conference, Iowa State University supports more than 400 student-athletes competing in 18 sports, seven men's and 11 women's teams, at the varsity level. The Cyclones have won 19 team national championships, 140 individual national crowns, and 162 conference team titles. ISU student-athletes also thrive in the classroom, having established a school-record Graduation Success Rate Score (GSR) for 10-straight years, as its 2024 mark equaled the school-record of the previous two years and its most-recent multi-year 990 institutional Academic Progress Rate (APR) was also a school-record. Iowa State's 92 percent GSR for its male student-athletes was a school record, ranked second in the Big 12 and improved for the 10th-straight year, while its female student-athletes GSR of 98 percent tied for third in the conference, matched the second-highest score in department history and marked the 19th-straight year it topped 90 percent. For more information on ISU Athletics, visit cyclones.com.
About Learfield
Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield's presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors' Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.
