IOWA STATE – JACK TRICE STADIUM

Central Iowa is home to the beautiful state capitol, fields of corn, and Iowa State University. The surroundings along the twenty mile drive north of Des Moines offer little suggestion that college campus life lies just ahead. When cutting off toward Iowa State, it isn’t long before a stadium jumps into view. The campus is a few football tosses away. Lincoln Way is the main drag with the Campus Bookstore and several quaint hangouts. On gameday, parking lots are full and tailgating is in full force right from the highway exit. The party starts early as a flurry of activity permeates the perimeter of Jack Trice Stadium from first class tailgating to the team walk that attracts fans, the band, and Cy the Cyclone mascot.  The band scurries over to the Alumni Center to perform their Step Show – the fight song, chants, and cheerleaders continue the festivities as fans anticipate kickoff.

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KANSAS STATE – BILL SNYDER FAMILY STADIUM

Bill Snyder, head coach of Kansas State, holds the great honor of being the only head coach in FBS who is currently coaching in a stadium named after him. After his arrival in 1989, and subsequent turnaround of a dismal program, Wildcat games are a hot ticket and Bill Snyder Stadium is an intimidating place to play. The views encountered along the trek to Manhattan, cleverly nicknamed “The Little Apple,” offer a stark contrast from the concrete towers that litter “The Big Apple.” Skyscrapers and pedestrians are replaced with wheat fields and cattle.

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