Iowa State Announces Replacement for Jack Trice Statue

Earlier this afternoon, the Cyclone athletic department announced that a replacement statue is being commissioned to fill the void left by the departure of the Jack Trice statue.

The statue of Jack Trice, which was positioned in a concourse area northeast of the stadium, has been relocated to central campus, its original home. The statue was initially located between Beardshear and Carver halls before it was moved to the stadium area in 1997. A state-of-the-art Student-Athlete Sports Performance Center, a two-year construction project with a $90 million dollar price tag, has forced the relocation of this iconic statue.

This move was met with some outrage by Cyclone fans who did not wish for Jack Trice’s silent vigil over only one of the stadium’s five entrances to cease.

Many of such fans took to social media to vent their frustration with the decision, lambasting Jaime Pollard, the athletic department, alumni association, and university for not including them in the decision process.

A panel of student and administrative leaders decided that placing the statue on central campus, where it once resided, would help shed light on the non-football aspects of the amazing story of Jack Trice’s short time at Iowa State.

In response to the criticism from a segment of the fan base, the panel reconvened to explore strategies for adding a monument to the stadium area to replace the Jack Trice Statue.

“Construction will immediately begin on a replacement”, a member of the panel was quoted saying Monday afternoon. “A monument will be added to the south end of Jack Trice Stadium, a monument that will bring all members of the Cyclone fan base and Iowans in general together.”

It was the panels consensus that the popularity of the past design for the CyHawk Trophy had grown over time, and that it represented the best of Iowans and Iowa State University.

The official statement from the panel is that the “classic and beloved CyHawk game trophy featuring a family huddled around a bushel basket will be recreated in the form of a 15-foot tall solid lead statue, which will be the visual focus point of the new south entrance. It will serve as a gathering point for Cyclone fans on game day, and is something all Iowans can be proud of.”

The panel also explored other avenues both for moving the Jack Trice statue and choosing a replacement statue. The committee discussed moving the statue to other prominent, high traffic areas where crowds of people would get to interact with the statue daily. The list of options as the ISU cross country course, Reactor Woods, the tiers in Parks Library, and Sips on Welch Ave.

Additionally, it was rumored that Jamie Pollard was in favor of keeping the statue near the stadium and requiring Cyclone fans to purchase a monthly pass for $9.99 or a 24-hour pass for $1.99 to view the statue, but the committee refused to comment on the matter.

“I’m happy to have finally put this matter to rest”, said athletic director Jamie Pollard. “We will have a family of Iowans watching over fans streaming into Jack Trice Stadium, and Jack Trice will sit in a prominent position on central campus, watching over the many students who undoubtedly streak by every day.”