Cincinnati vs Iowa State
Definition
A phrase referring to an athletic competition between the University of Cincinnati Bearcats and the Iowa State University Cyclones, most commonly in NCAA Division I men's or women's basketball or football games within the Big 12 Conference.
Recently denotes specific high-profile matchups, such as Iowa State's women's basketball team dominating Cincinnati 93-68 on January 21, 2026, or Cincinnati's men's team upsetting No. 2 Iowa State 79-70 four days earlier.
Examples
I put my life savings on Cincinnati vs Iowa State, only for the Cyclones to turn it into a barnyard beatdown.
Cincinnati vs Iowa State was like a bear trying to outrun a herd of stampeding bikes – pure chaos.
Skipped dinner to watch Cincinnati vs Iowa State; now I'm hungry and bracketless.
In the battle of Cincinnati vs Iowa State, the underdogs clawed back just enough to make us all yell at our screens.