Road Trippin with Robert: Ames, Iowa

by | Oct 24, 2024 | 0 comments

Home E Big 12 E Road Trippin with Robert: Ames, Iowa

Is this heaven? No, It’s Iowa

This memorable question and response was made famous in the Kevin Coster movie, “Field of Dreams.”  One might easily dismiss such a silly statement as something only possible in a work of fiction, but I can tell that after spending a weekend in Ames, Iowa, experiencing a game day at an Iowa State University football game, I started to ask myself this question about the few square miles that surrounds Jack Trice Stadium.  

In my reviews of the tailgates and game day experiences in places where the UCF Knights visit on Saturdays, I always strive to be honest and thorough, while looking for the positive and unique aspects of each location. I can tell you that finding something positive to write about is not difficult when it comes to the experience at Iowa State University.  In fact, I have tried to be super critical to prevent this column from being seen as one that might have been written by the Chamber of Commerce office in Ames, Iowa.  Alas, there is not much that one can write about, of a critical or negative manner, when it comes to the local vibes, the tailgating or the game day experiences on this particular Saturday.

The Local Vibe

To be completely transparent, when talking about the local vibes, I had to extend the definition of “local” to include the city of Des Moines and the surrounding region.  Yes, I know that the Iowa capitol is a 45 minute drive to Ames, but this is the place that most people will fly in and out of when visiting from UCF.  They will often also stay at hotels in Des Moines, as there is a bigger selection of options with better prices on game weekends.

One thing that I enjoy experiencing about traveling to these places is the food.  Me and my travel companions eat our way through the culture.  In preparing for this trip, I put out a post on social media asking for recommendations for places to eat.  The most popular reply was “Whatcha Smokin’ Barbecue” in the nearby town of Luther that billed itself as a “Texas style” barbeque joint.  Being in Texas for the past decade and a half, I went there ready to be impressed, but I was blown away.  Every item that we tried was superior.  From the mains like brisket, pulled pork and sausage, to the sides like baked beans, cheese curds and life changing corn nuggets, I could not have been more pleased or impressed.  Additionally, as good as the food was, the service was just as on point.  The people in Iowa are an interesting mix of functional and nice.  There is not a whole lot of useless chit-chat, that I guess is born out of being an agrarian culture, where functionality and utility are prized. But they are pleasant and helpful and I found it easy to get them to open up and talk.  

Matt Murschel, Trace Trylko, and Robert Aronoff

The other memorable meal we had was the tenderloin sandwich.  I’m not sure what the official state bird, flower, song or motto is of Iowa, but I am pretty sure that the official state sandwich is the tenderloin sandwich.  This sandwich is a piece of pork tenderloin pounded thin and wide.  It is then breaded and fried until crispy. The result is a pork disk that extends beyond the mere bun that tries to hold it.  (Picture a frisbee in a hamburger bun.)  It is a sandwich that not only embodies comfort for Iowans, but also a great deal of pride.  It is a sandwich that can be found just about everywhere, and I am sure locals argue about where to get to the best one, like people from Philadelphia argue about cheesesteaks or New Yorkers argue about pizza joints. For our tenderloin sandwich we went with Smitty’s.  It’s an old diner that has been around since the early 1950’s.  It is a place that wears its age with pride, as the employees (some of whom are the third and fourth generation descendants of the original owner) seem ready to share the story of their establishment.  As for the sandwich itself, it was good.  I am not an Iowan, so I can neither provide expert comparisons, nor does the sandwich provide me with any nostalgia, but I can say that while being a little on the bland side, it was still tasty and enjoyable. 

The Tailgate

The tailgating scene at Iowa State is different from any other road trip I have taken this year. I have been to tailgate towns in the past, like a few weeks ago at the University of Florida, or last year at the University of Kansas, where for miles and miles around the stadium, people set up tailgate tents, barbecue grills and chairs on roadsides, front lawns and just about anywhere on the side of the road where they can fit.  Such is not the case at Iowa State University. All the tailgating that takes place seems to happen in the various, official parking lots that surround the stadium. When I say they surround the place, I mean that all the tailgate lots are within a 15 minute walk of the stadium.  This includes a new RV lot that is connected directly to the stadium with a multi-million dollar pedestrian bridge that makes getting to one’s seat an easy proposition.  

When I started my tour of the tailgate at Iowa State University, I had planned on visiting a number of nice people who had invited me, through social media interactions, to join them.  This plan was waylaid by the people that I met during my visit. I started my visit by taking a stroll around the RV lot, taking pictures and photos of the endless stretch of recreational vehicles tricked out busses and other assorted vehicles.  While I was doing this, I was approached by a woman who spotted my Sons of UCF shirt and asked me, “are you looking to find out what tailgating is all about here at Iowa State?” I said yes and accepted her invitation to join her group of about 30 people, primarily made up of former members of the Cyclones marching band.  I was treated to a huge spread of food, a delicious grilled pork tenderloin sandwich, and a quick history of their tailgate group.  From that initial first interaction, I was directed and pulled from one tailgate group to another by very friendly people who wanted to introduce me to their friends, and share their pride over their team, their school and their own tailgate prowess and history. 

Photo by Robert Aronoff

All told, I have to say that my review of the tailgating at Iowa State University was positive.  The people I met were friendly and welcoming.  They take on the tasks of tailgating with a joy and zeal that was truly impressive.  As one tailgater told me, “there are three phases to tailgating: the tailgate before the game, the game itself, and the post game tailgate, which means that tailgating is usually a 12 hour endeavor.” 

The In-Game Experience

The experience at the game itself begins with the way the stands fill early.  This is in great contrast to the fans at TCU, who seem to think the game starts at the beginning of the second quarter. The Iowa State faithful file into the stadium in mass, well before kickoff. (Especially the students, who filled their section a full hour before kickoff.) Part of this is due to the fact that the huge crowd of tailgaters can walk to the stadium within minutes.  Another interesting contrast with TCU is in how the seating is configured.  At Texas Christian University, the much smaller stadium is vertically steep and the fans seem to loom over the field.  At Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, the seating in both tiers of the have a much more gentle slope, robbing the Iowa State throng of the intimidation factor that TCU fans enjoy. 

Photo by Robert Aronoff

What the Iowa State crowd may lack with their seating arrangement, they more than make up for it with their passion and enthusiasm.  Maybe this is due to the fact that they are in the midst of an undefeated season, or maybe that Saturday game days in Ames are the only major events happening within any reasonable distance on a Saturday afternoon in that part of Iowa. Either way, they are a loud and passionate group that makes themselves heard on the field. 

The other thing that must be mentioned about the in-game experience is the professional and expert manner in which the Iowa State athletics department presents itself on game day. From the meticulous grooming of the turf, to the details of logoed items and signage, to the use of drones and the wide variety of food options (from walking tacos to… you guessed it, pork tenderloin sandwiches), everything about how they present the game of football is thoughtful and considerate.  It also needs to be mentioned that despite the stadium being 50 years old, it is in really good condition. You can tell that they take pride in maintaining the entire facility.  It is clean and wears its age better than a lot of stadiums I have visited.  In fact, as soon as the fans left the stadium, an army of people armed with trash bags and leaf blowers sprinted and marched through the stands like a SWAT team on a mission. 

Summary

Nobody knows when UCF will play in Ames, Iowa again, but short of some crazy future realignment of college football conferences, it stands to reason that these two teams will play again.  When that game happens on the Iowa State home field, I can tell you that the experience there is worth the effort of traveling to the game for Knight fans. Everything about the local vibe, the tailgate experience and the game day experience, represents the best of big time college football in a small town environment.  When that game happens in Orlando, I only hope that we in central Florida can be as good a host for visitors coming to the Bounce House from central Iowa.

Photo by Robert Aronoff
About Robert Aronoff
Robert Aronoff is a 1992 graduate of UCF, who's been a booster and season ticket holder for 30 years. His professional background includes working in the media and teaching communication at the collegiate level. Having run alumni chapter events in Tallahassee and Dallas, he's well versed in the comings and goings of UCF athletics over the years. (His first night on campus was actually spent on the couch in the office of UCF legend and hall of famer, Coach Gene McDowell.)

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