Iowa Pork Renews NIL Partnership with Cyclones Moore, Bacon

Iowa Pork Renews NIL Partnership with Cyclones Moore, Bacon

September 23, 2025

The Iowa Pork Producers Association is proud to announce a renewed name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership with Iowa State University football standouts Tyler Moore and Caleb Bacon.

Building on the momentum of the national award-winning Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon campaign which went viral on social media, and gained national media attention two years ago, the new #MooreBacon initiative once again connects Iowa pig farmers, football fans, and pork lovers across the country.

A brand-new video featuring Moore and Bacon in intense game-day preparation, fueled by sizzling bacon as source of inspiration. Blending actual game footage from this season with audio clips from the Voice of the Cyclones John Walters, the ad captures the fun, flavor, and tradition of Iowa pork.

The ad debuted Tuesday, September 23 on Iowa Pork's social media platforms and is a component of the pork industry's national Taste What Pork Can Do™ campaign. The video and accompanying images will air throughout October in celebration of National Pork Month, aka Porktober.

"Iowa Pork is proud to team up with these outstanding young men who are great ambassadors for the whole state," said Aaron Juergens, a pig farmer from Carroll who serves as president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. "This collaboration has been a fantastic use of pork checkoff dollars, promoting our industry in a unique and entertaining way and boosting pork sales in grocery stores. We're thrilled to work with Tyler and Caleb again this season, and hope everyone will be inspired by #MooreBacon."

Tyler Moore is a senior tight end from Des Moines. Caleb Bacon is a senior linebacker from Lake Mills, Iowa. Both players dealt with serious injuries last season and have overcome significant hurdles to return to the football field and help the Cyclones to a 4-0 start and top 15 ranking this year.

In conjunction with this NIL partnership and in cohesion with the pork industry's We Care principles, the Iowa Pork Producers Association will donate $2,500 worth of pork to each players' food pantry of choice. Moore chose the Food Bank of Iowa and Bacon selected the Lake Mills Food Shelf. Last year, the Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon NIL partnership resulted in 50,000 servings of pork being donated food banks to help feed the hungry in the hometowns of 19 Cyclones student-athletes.

"I just appreciate everything farmers do for Iowa. They're the backbone of this state, and to see pig farmers' support for our program, support for local communities, and organizing this ad campaign has been awesome and I really appreciate it," said Caleb Bacon.

Giving back to their community is a priority Moore, Bacon, and Iowa pig farmers share.

"It's important because there are a lot of people struggling with hunger and need a little extra assistance with food, or with something to help them keep going," said Tyler Moore. "You never know what someone else is going through, so I think it's important to give back to the community around you that helped you become what you are today."

Prior to the start of this season, Moore and Bacon were honored with the 2025 Nick Bassett Perseverance Award, named after a longtime Cyclone fan. The award recognizes two Iowa State football players annually who exemplify the characteristics that Nick Bassett is remembered for: positive spirit, perseverance and selflessness.

Caleb Bacon was injured just five snaps into the season in 2024 and missed the rest of the year. Moore missed the final five games due to an injury. Despite the injuries, Moore and Bacon helped the Cyclones to a record-setting season by providing leadership from the sidelines. Bacon was named one of the Cyclones team captains for the 2025 season.

"That guy means so much to this team," said Tyler Moore. "He's been through so much, starting as a walk-on, and he worked all the way up to being a starter and one of our top tacklers. He missed almost all last year but turned that into a mentorship and coaching role and really helped those guys have an amazing season."

The groundbreaking Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon initiative that launched in September 2023 was the first major NIL deal tied to agriculture. It was named the Grand Champion at the National Agri-Marketing Association's awards ceremony in 2025, the Best of Show at the Public Relations Society of America's Iowa chapter awards ceremony in 2025, and Best NIL Deal of 2023 by the Sports Business Journal.

Game footage and audio for the new ad were provided by Cyclone Sports Properties.

"The partnership between Iowa Pork and Iowa State has continued to be a shining example of using NIL for good," said Brent Blum, director of NIL development for Cyclone Sports Properties. "It's the true definition of a win/win for all involved and showcased the best of our state in so many ways."

Iowa is the number one state in the U.S. for pork production, providing approximately 1/3 of the nation's pork supply. More than 120,000 Iowa jobs are connected to the pork industry.