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Can Iowa State Cyclones Handle Forecasted Extreme Weather Against Arkansas State?

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Can Iowa State Cyclones Handle Forecasted Extreme Weather Against Arkansas State?


The Iowa State Cyclones are going to be making history this weekend when they travel to take on the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference.

This will be the first time that a Big 12 school pays a visit to Centennial Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It is also the first time since 2022 that a ranked opponent will be visiting the Red Wolves. That year, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers played a conference game. The No. 14-ranked Iowa State team is the highest-ranked team to ever play at Centennial Stadium.

That alone will create a difficult environment to play in. Arkansas State fans will be rearing to go, cheering on their team against a premier opponent. Upsets of this magnitude are what Group of Five schools can use to catapult a program to the next level, especially when led by a player as talented as their starting quarterback, Jaylen Raynor. 

Matt Campbel

INPHO via Imagn Images

There have been plenty of instances of that occurring, and the Cyclones do not want to be the next program to suffer such a defeat. However, the atmosphere in Centennial Stadium won’t be the only thing Iowa State is fighting against. Along with the roaring fans, they have some extreme weather to combat.

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Temperatures for Saturday afternoon, when the teams kick off at 4 pm ET, are expected to be in the low 90s. Those conditions are incredibly strenuous for a team to prepare for. There is only so much that can be done in the days leading up to the game to have the players ready to go. Hydration before and during the game will be key to fighting off fatigue.

90+ degree days aren’t something the Cyclones are used to playing in, but head coach Matt Campbell doesn’t sound too worried. He knows the challenges his players will face, but believes his squad is prepared and ready to handle the elements.

Iowa State Cyclones football players celebrating after a win

Iowa State football team celebrates after winning 16-13 over Iowa in the Cy-Hawk football at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 6, 2025, in Ames, Iowa / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think that all those things are real, and all those things obviously would be an excuse if we didn’t get better this week,” he said, via Field Level Media on CBS Sports. “It’s going to be hot everywhere, not just in Jonesboro, right? The reality of it is, the last scrimmage we had was at four o’clock and 107 degrees real-feel temperature.”

While uncommon, having to play in extreme heat isn’t totally foreign to Iowa State football. They would almost certainly prefer the kind of weather normally existing with the calendar moving toward mid-September, but they will make do. One of the advantages they should have is the sheer depth of their roster.

Campbell is not afraid to dip into his depth chart when need be. Against the South Dakota Coyotes, 80 players registered a snap. It wasn’t just because of a blowout, either. Last week against the Iowa Hawkeyes, 62 players took the field. That number of players taking the field could certainly occur again against the Red Wolves, and they will all be ready to perform.

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“So, we’ve been there. We prepared for this, and you know what it takes, physically, to prepare yourself to do that,” Campbell added.



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Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs now available in Apple Wallet

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Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs now available in Apple Wallet


Arkansans can now present their driver’s licenses and state identification cards on mobile devices using Apple Wallet, state finance officials announced Wednesday.

The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security



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Your Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone

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Your Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone


IDEMIA Public Security North America and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles have launched Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, allowing residents to securely store and use their credentials on an iPhone or Apple Watch.

The new feature gives Arkansans the ability to present their identification at participating businesses and venues, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in more than 250 airports, and online or within apps when age or identity verification is required.

The launch builds on Arkansas’ ongoing efforts to expand digital identification options. In March 2025, the state introduced the Arkansas Mobile ID app, and officials say adding IDs to Apple Wallet offers residents another secure and convenient way to access their credentials.

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“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Arkansas DFA’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles, expanding on the launch of the Arkansas Mobile ID app in March 2025. The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in the state provides Arkansas residents a new, secure way to store and present their digital credentials, with transparency and control over how their information is shared at the forefront,” said Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity.

To add an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, users can tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the verification process.

Officials say privacy and security were central considerations in the rollout. Information stored in Apple Wallet is encrypted on a user’s device, and users control when and how their information is shared. When presenting an ID, only the information necessary to verify age or identity is provided.

Apple and the Arkansas Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles also do not receive information about when or where residents use their digital IDs.

The technology is also designed to make verification easier for businesses. Participating businesses can use IDEMIA’s Mobile ID Verify app to accept and verify mobile IDs directly from an iPhone without requiring customers to hand over their devices or use additional hardware.

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The launch marks another step toward broader adoption of digital credentials in Arkansas, giving residents a secure alternative to carrying a physical driver’s license or state ID while maintaining control over their personal information.

For information on the launch of IDs in Apple Wallet in Arkansas, click here.

READ ALSO: Adam O’Neal Stepping into Chancellor Role at UA-EACC



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Arkansas gymnatics coach Chris Brooks completes staff with hiring of Zan Jones | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Arkansas gymnatics coach Chris Brooks completes staff with hiring of Zan Jones | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


New Arkansas gymnastics coach Chris Brooks announced Monday the hiring of Zan Jones to complete his first staff, as well as the promotion of assistants Kyla Ross and Catelyn Branson.

Brooks succeeded his wife, Jordyn Wieber, on April 28 after Wieber stepped down.

Jones joins the Razorback after two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. The Pioneers won back-to-back Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championship titles in 2025 and 2026 with Jones on staff. He has been named a Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Division II assistant coach of the year three times, including this spring.

Jones also earned Midwest Independent Conference assistant coach of the year in both of his seasons at Texas Woman’s.

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Jones served as the Pioneers’ primary vault and uneven bars coach, and the team set a program record of 49.35 on the bars in March.

An Alabama alumnus, Jones served as a student manager for the Crimson Tide gymnastics team. He served a year at Talladega (Ala.) College in its inaugural season of gymnastics and spent time as a recreational and team coach at Trussville (Ala.) Academy of Gymnastics.

Brooks also promoted both Ross and Branson to the title of associate head coach. Ross, a former UCLA gymnast and Olympic gold medalist as part of Team USA in 2012, started at Arkansas as a volunteer assistant in 2022. Ross helped Arkansas produce program records on the balance beam in back-to-back years before taking over the vault squad, which set a program high 49.675 in 2026. 

The Razorbacks ranked as high as No. 2 on the vault last season and were never lower than No. 7. Senior transfer Morgan Price landed the first 10 in school history on the vault in February.

Branson returned to the Arkansas staff ahead of the 2025 season, helping lead the floor squad. In that time, Branson has led the Gymbacks to two of their top five best floor scores ever and Arkansas has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the country on floor in the last two seasons. In 2026, over 60% of the team’s scores on floor were 9.85 or better.

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Branson served as Lindenwood’s head coach from 2022-24, where she was named 2024 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association South Central Region Coach of the Year and the Midwest Independent Conference Coach of the Year. She led the Lions to their second consecutive and fifth overall USAG national championship and seventh MIC title in 2024.

Branson had a prior stint at Arkansas from 2020 to 2022, in which time the Gymbacks ranked as high as third on beam and second on floor.



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