The 2024 season is officially in the books after Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night.
That means college football fans can start the countdown to the 2025 season, and luckily for Big 12 fans, the next game coming up is a big one for the conference.
Last spring, Big 12 football fans learned that Kansas State and Iowa State would kick off the 2025 season in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic.
Farmageddon 2025: Kansas State vs. Iowa State Kicks Off in Ireland with Wildcats Favored
Nov. 25, 2023; Manhattan, KS: Iowa State’s Abu Sama III is tackled by Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Big 12 football roars back on August 23, 2025, with Farmageddon—Kansas State vs. Iowa State—in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, the first college football game of the 2025 season, per. With Ohio State’s 34-23 National Championship win over Notre Dame on January 20, 2025, closing the 2024 season, the countdown to this historic Ireland clash is on, per original post. Big12sportz dives into the game’s betting line, team outlooks, and why Big 12 fans are buzzing for this global showdown.
Farmageddon Goes Global: Dublin’s Big 12 Stage
Announced April 24, 2024, the 109th Farmageddon matchup marks the 10th college football game in Ireland and the first Big 12 clash there, per. Set for Week 0 at the 47,000-seat Aviva Stadium, it’s Iowa State’s first international game and Kansas State’s second after a 1992 Tokyo matchup vs. Nebraska, per. The game, a Kansas State home contest, is the first season-opener between these rivals and the earliest Iowa State kickoff ever, per. @cfbireland on X hyped: “K-State vs. ISU is the first Big 12 matchup in Ireland, bringing Farmageddon to Dublin!” per.
Both schools expect 30,000 combined ticket sales, with 25,000 U.S. fans traveling, per. Iowa State’s Jamie Pollard said, “Our fans follow the Cyclones everywhere, and Dublin will be no different,” per. K-State’s Gene Taylor added, “Showcasing our brand globally was a no-brainer,” per. Tickets, available via Cyclones2Ireland.com and Cats2Ireland.com, sold 18,000 by February 2025, with hospitality packages on the 40-50 yard line, per,. @CycloneFB on X noted: “Cyclone Nation’s packing Dublin—18,000 tickets gone!” per X posts.
Critical Analysis: The Dublin game, with ESPN’s College GameDay broadcasting live, mirrors Georgia Tech-Florida State’s 5 million viewers in 2024, per. However, designating it a K-State home game risks fan backlash, as Manhattan’s Bill Snyder Family Stadium averages 50,000 fans, per. The 3,500-mile trip may disrupt team prep, especially for Iowa State’s inexperienced roster, per espn.com. Yet, the cultural experience—Dublin’s 7-night fan stays boosting Ireland’s economy—enhances recruiting, per. Neutral-site history (K-State’s 2009-10 Arrowhead wins) favors the Wildcats, per.
Betting Line: Why K-State’s Favored
Despite Iowa State’s 11-3 2024 season and No. 16 AP ranking vs. Kansas State’s 9-4 and No. 24, FanDuel lists K-State as a -1.5 favorite with a 48.5 over/under, per. @Cole_Manbeck on X reported: “K-State opens as a -1.5 favorite over ISU in Dublin,” per. Iowa State’s 54-50-4 all-time edge and 29-21 win in Ames on November 30, 2024, make the line surprising, per original post. K-State’s Chris Klieman, 2-3 vs. ISU since 2019, faces Matt Campbell, who’s won three of the last four, per.
K-State’s edge stems from quarterback Avery Johnson (2,398 yards, 19 TDs in 2024) and a veteran defense returning 7 starters, including linebacker Austin Romaine (88 tackles), per espn.com. Iowa State loses RB Abu Sama III (1,172 yards, 11 TDs) and QB Rocco Becht to the NFL Draft, with JJ Kohl (247 yards, 2 TDs) unproven, per cbssports.com. K-State’s 44-41 Rate Bowl win over Rutgers and +250 Big 12 title odds outweigh ISU’s 42-41 Pop-Tarts Bowl thriller over Miami, per espn.com.
Critical Analysis: The -1.5 line favoring K-State ignores Iowa State’s 2024 momentum (11-3, CFP berth) and Campbell’s 3-1 Farmageddon run, per espn.com. K-State’s 9-4 record, with losses to BYU and ASU, suggests inconsistency, while ISU’s 4th-ranked Big 12 defense (317.6 ypg) could stifle Johnson, per cbssports.com. Oddsmakers likely value K-State’s 6-1 neutral-site record since 2019 and Johnson’s dual-threat edge (612 rushing yards), per espn.com. However, Kohl’s inexperience and ISU’s 2.5-point underdog win probability (48%) make the line debatable, per. FanDuel’s odds may shift by August, per.
2025 Outlooks: Rosters and Stakes
Kansas State (9-4 in 2024) returns 14 starters, including Johnson and RB DJ Giddens (1,343 yards, 10 TDs), but loses 4 offensive linemen, per espn.com. Their 2025 schedule—North Dakota, Army, at Arizona—sets up a 4-0 start before TCU, per. Iowa State (11-3, Big 12 title game) retains LB Beau Freyler (97 tackles) but faces roster turnover, with 8 starters gone, per cbssports.com. Their post-Dublin slate—Iowa, Arkansas State, Arizona—tests Kohl early, per. Both teams aim for a Big 12 title, with K-State at +250 and ISU at +350, per espn.com.
The Dublin game, a K-State home contest, impacts Big 12 standings, with the winner gaining a tiebreaker edge, per. @Big12Conference on X hyped: “Farmageddon in Ireland kicks off Big 12’s 2025 title race!” per X posts. K-State’s 2-0 Arrowhead wins (2009-10) and ISU’s 3-1 recent streak add intrigue, per. The game’s 48.5 over/under suggests a close, low-scoring battle, like ISU’s 29-21 2024 win, per espn.com.
Critical Analysis: K-State’s veteran core gives them a slight edge, but losing linemen risks Johnson’s pocket (sacked 22 times in 2024), per espn.com. Iowa State’s defensive strength (No. 4 in Big 12, 21.4 ppg allowed) could exploit K-State’s 114th-ranked pass protection, per cbssports.com. ISU’s roster losses, especially Sama and Becht, lower their ceiling, but Campbell’s 64-51 record and 4-2 bowl mark suggest adaptability, per. The neutral Dublin site, with jet lag and 47,000 fans, may favor K-State’s experience, but ISU’s 48% win probability keeps it tight, per espn.com.
Big 12’s Global Spotlight
Farmageddon’s Dublin kickoff highlights Big 12 football’s reach, with 4 CFP bids in 2024 (ASU, ISU, BYU, Colorado) and a 6-5 bowl record, per cbssports.com. Iowa State’s 11-3 and K-State’s 9-4 seasons, plus Kansas-Missouri’s 2025 Border War revival, fuel the conference’s buzz, per. @RedditCFB on X noted: “Big 12’s Farmageddon in Ireland rivals Ohio State’s title—K-State and ISU are must-watch,” per X posts. The conference’s $450M TV deal and 1.5 million social media impressions amplify Dublin’s stage, per cbssports.com.
Critical Analysis: The Big 12’s 9.8 NET ranking and 8 NCAA basketball bids show a conference thriving in chaos, like K-State’s 44-41 Rate Bowl comeback, per cbssports.com. Farmageddon’s 5 million expected viewers, matching Georgia Tech-FSU, boost recruiting, but the 3,500-mile trip risks early-season fatigue, per. Ohio State’s 13-2 Big Ten title, with 5 Top-5 wins, sets a bar K-State and ISU chase, per espn.com. The Big 12’s parity—7 teams with 8+ wins in 2024—makes Dublin a title-race spark, per.
What’s Next for K-State and Iowa State?
Kansas State faces North Dakota (August 30, 2025), Army, and Arizona, eyeing a 4-0 start, per. Iowa State hosts Iowa (September 6, 2025) in the Cy-Hawk rivalry, with Kohl facing pressure, per. The Big 12 title game (December 6, 2025) looms, with K-State (+250) and ISU (+350) behind ASU (+200), per espn.com. @CFBHome on X predicted: “Farmageddon’s Dublin clash—K-State 27, ISU 24—sets the Big 12 tone,” per X posts. Ticket sales hit 18,000, with 12,000 left, per. The CFP first round starts December 20, 2025, per cbssports.com.
Critical Analysis: K-State’s easier non-conference slate (North Dakota, Army) vs. ISU’s Iowa and Arkansas State favors the Wildcats’ early momentum, per espn.com. ISU’s 2024 CFP loss to Ohio State (34-17) exposed offensive gaps Kohl must fill, per cbssports.com. Dublin’s neutral site, with 47,000 fans and $20M economic impact, levels the field, but K-State’s 6-1 neutral-site record since 2019 edges out ISU’s 3-3, per espn.com. The -1.5 line may shift if ISU’s Kohl shines in spring, per. Both teams’ $5M NIL pools ensure talent, but K-State’s No. 18 recruiting class tops ISU’s No. 22, per cbssports.com.
Why This Matters
Farmageddon’s Dublin kickoff, with 1.4 million X views via @cfbireland, electrifies Big 12 fans, per. K-State’s -1.5 favorite status over ISU, despite a 9-4 vs. 11-3 2024, fuels debate, per. The 109th meeting of this 54-50-4 rivalry, the longest uninterrupted in college football, goes global, per. @Big12Conference on X declared: “Farmageddon in Ireland puts Big 12 on the world stage,” per X posts. With 18,000 tickets sold and 5 million viewers expected, Dublin’s clash is a cultural and athletic milestone, per.
What’s Next?
Farmageddon tips off August 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium (1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN), with K-State -1.5, per. K-State hosts North Dakota (August 30), while ISU faces Iowa (September 6), per. The Big 12 title race heats up October 4, with K-State at Baylor and ISU vs. Arizona, per. Follow ticket updates at Cyclones2Ireland.com and Cats2Ireland.com, per. Big12sportz will track Farmageddon’s buildup and Big 12’s CFP push—stay locked in
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Wildcats and Cyclones fans will swarm Dublin, Ireland, on August 23, 2025, marking just the 10th college football game ever played in the country.
While there are still months until the game, there is officially a line on the game, and the favorite might surprise you.
It’s Kansas State that actually opens as a 1.5-point favorite, despite Iowa State ending the season ranked higher and with a greater win total.
The Wildcats finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record and a 44-41 win over Rutgers in the Rate Bowl. Meanwhile, Iowa State wrapped its season with an 11-3 overall record and a 42-41 win over Miami (FL) in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
The Wildcats and Cyclones have met a total of 108 times in consecutive years, making the series one of the longest-tenured rivalries in college football. Iowa State holds a 54-50-4 edge in the all-time series and has won the last two meetings, including a 29-21 win in Ames this season.
