Iowa State-Kansas State may not be the sexiest rivalry in college football, but it’s one that has meant a lot to both fanbases and is one of the longest running rivalry games in the entire sport. It’s also acquired an awesome nickname that pays homage to the roots of both schools as Farmageddon.
But it’s a nickname that is apparently not enjoyed by the powers that be.
On the College GameDay Podcast published on ESPN’s YouTube channel, GameDay host Rece Davis talked about the rivalry game that headlined the Week 0 schedule. Kansas State and Iowa State took their game to Ireland in what was an exciting contest where the Cyclones came out on top 24-21.
But with the rare national spotlight given to the game, Davis says the Big 12 and the institutions involved did not want the “Farmageddon” moniker attached to it.
“We got a directive that some powers that be, I guess for the institutions and perhaps from the conference, that weren’t big fans of that moniker of Farmageddon,” Davis said. “And I don’t really understand why because when something, that’s not a rivalry historically that’s at the forefront of the college football consciousness. And you have a really cool name like that, it’s not meant in a derisive way. It’s a fun way. Because you just mentioned, that’s in their DNA. It’s part of their charter. And they’ve done wonderful and magnificent things in that field. And it becomes a fun way to identify the game. And, you know, hopefully people won’t send e-mails like that anymore and take away things that make it memorable.”
Iowa State and Kansas State have played every year since 1917. Incredibly, the Big 12 has chosen not to protect its rivalry status so the series could conceivably see that streak come to an end in 2027.
While that’s a hard enough of a decision to understand, why the schools and the conference don’t appreciate the nickname is impossible to conceive. It’s clear that both fanbases love it. It’s incredibly unique and catchy. And it can actually help lift the profile of a rivalry game that is not on a lot of peoples’ radars nationally speaking.
Farmageddon is something that is embraced. It means something. It’s not a joke or a meme like the $5 bits of broken chair trophy. It’s real. And it could be presented in a way that the game takes on increasing meaning and importance that aligns with its actual history that more fans could and should appreciate. But true to form for the folks that run college football, fans can’t enjoy nice things.
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