AMES, Iowa (AP) - Paul Rhoads and Iowa State are thrilled to have each other.

The Cyclones have blossomed in his three seasons as coach and he got a 10-year, $20 million contract in the offseason.

Now comes the hard part.

Iowa State has gone 18-20 under Rhoads, with a pair of bowl trips and a program-defining upset of then-No. 2 Oklahoma State last November.

The Cyclones enter the 2012 season optimistic that they're poised to take another step forward in their seemingly never-ending quest to become a serious threat in the Big 12. They open the season Sept. 1 against Tulsa.