When Iowa State opens the 2017 season next September against Northern Iowa, there will be a very noticeable difference. The Cyclones will no longer be on the east sideline.

That change was outlined in an email sent Thursday from Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard to season ticket holders. The Cyclones, who already enter the field from the northwest corner, will now be located on the west sideline per the request of head coach Matt Campbell.

Here's an excerpt of Pollard's email to fans.

Due to several signifiant competitive and operational issues, Coach Campbell has requested that we switch sidelines with the visiting team. Although that may not appear to be a significant change, we do not take this change lightly as we recognize many of you have chosen your seat location based on our football team using the east sidelines. We have spent considerable time analyzing this situation and developed a plan to accommodate this change beginning next fall. We will be relocating seating areas for visiting teams, visiting band, recruits and guests of our football players. However, it will not change where our band and the Iowa State University students sit in Jack Trice Stadium.

The change presumably limits the glaring sun during some games and also prevents Iowa State and the visiting team from crossing each other at halftime to go to their respective locker rooms. Most likely from Campbell's perspective, it also puts Iowa State on the same side as the pressbox, where opposing coaches sit during games and thus likely limits their ability to see offensive and defensive signals.

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