DALLAS, TX – Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced Monday that the annual “Farmageddon” matchup between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Iowa State Cyclones will be played at pre-determined neutral sites for the next five years, starting in 2026.
The decision comes directly on the heels of the rivalry’s recent 24-21 contest in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, which was marred by highly publicized and unprecedented off-field violence involving supporters and, notably, family members of a star player.
The 2025 season opener in Dublin was intended to be a celebration, taking the longest uninterrupted rivalry in college football history—dating back to 1917—to an international stage. Instead, the close, hard-fought game resulted in a series of volatile incidents that drew negative international attention to the conference.
The most damaging incident occurred hours after the game concluded at Aviva Stadium. Viral video footage captured a physical altercation in the streets of Dublin involving Mark Johnson and Anthony Johnson, the father and older brother of Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson. The family members later released a joint statement apologizing for the “senseless bickering [that] escalated into an unnecessary fight.”
However, reports of other isolated fan scuffles between the two schools’ traveling contingents in the hours immediately following the game compounded the issue. While there were no on-field altercations involving players, Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark indicated that the overall atmosphere was a “flashpoint for unmanaged aggression.”
“What we witnessed in Dublin was a sobering reminder of the line between passionate rivalry and outright hostility,” Yormark said in an emergency conference call with reporters. “The Big 12 is committed to growing its brand globally, but that growth cannot come at the expense of safety, sportsmanship, and the reputation of our universities. The incidents in Ireland crossed a serious line.”
Under the new directive, which was unanimously supported by the Big 12 Board of Directors, all subsequent games between Kansas State and Iowa State through the 2030 season will be moved off the campuses in Manhattan, Kansas, and Ames, Iowa.
The first neutral site for the 2026 contest is expected to be a return to a familiar location: Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, which previously hosted the rivalry in 2009 and 2010 and is credited with coining the “Farmageddon” nickname. Future locations are rumored to include rotating sites such as Dallas (AT&T Stadium), Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium), and potentially a major stadium in the Southeast to leverage the Big 12’s expanding geographic footprint.
This move effectively makes the upcoming 2027 contest the first time since 1917 that the game will not be played in an on-campus atmosphere, marking a significant break from tradition. The rivalry was already facing disruption as the Big 12’s new scheduling matrix, established due to conference expansion, had slated the series to be played only every other year starting in 2027. This new mandate supersedes that plan to keep the annual game alive, albeit on neutral territory, for the next five years.
The decision has been met with mixed reaction. For the two athletic departments, the neutral site mandate offers a financial lifeline. Both schools earned substantial seven-figure payouts for the Dublin trip, and similar revenue is expected from future non-campus venues.
“While we regret the circumstances that led to this decision, the safety and well-being of our fans, student-athletes, and their families are paramount,” stated Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor. “The ability to keep this tradition alive, even if it’s not in Manhattan, while ensuring a secure environment and significant revenue stream, is the responsible path forward.”
However, fans and alumni have voiced disappointment that the soul of the rivalry—the home-and-home experience in the Midwest—is being sacrificed.
“This is purely a money grab disguised as a safety measure,” wrote one prominent fan on social media. “Farmageddon is about tailgating in the cornfields and showing up on a cold November day in Ames or Manhattan. Moving it to some sterile dome is an insult to the tradition.”
Iowa State’s head coach, Matt Campbell, was less concerned with the location, focusing instead on the future. “It doesn’t matter if we play in Ames, Manhattan, or on the moon,” Campbell said. “The Big 12 has made a firm decision, and our job is to continue representing our university with class and competitive fire, no matter the venue.”
The conference has indicated that security protocols will be significantly enhanced at all neutral-site contests. The ultimate goal, Yormark says, is to use this five-year window as a “cooling-off period” to re-establish the rivalry as one of mutual respect before considering a potential return to campus sites in the 2031 season.
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