Iowa State University football standouts Tyler Moore and Caleb Bacon are back promoting “Moore Bacon.” The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) recently announced a renewed name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership with the pair.
Moore is a senior tight end from Des Moines. Bacon is a senior linebacker from Lake Mills, Iowa. Listen to Bacon’s conversation last season on The PORK Podcast here. 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.
“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,” IPPA said in a release.
Moore and Bacon are featured in a brand-new video in intense game-day preparation, fueled by sizzling bacon as the 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, IPPA explains.
The ad debuted Sept. 23 on Iowa Pork’s social media platforms and is a component of the pork industry’s national Taste What Pork Can Do campaign. You’ll see this video and accompanying images throughout October in celebration of National Pork Month.
“Iowa Pork is proud to team up with these outstanding young men who are great ambassadors for the whole state,” Aaron Juergens, a pig farmer from Carroll who serves as IPPA president, said in a release. “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.”
Giving Back
In conjunction with this NIL partnership and in cohesion with the pork industry’s We Care principles, IPPA plans to donate $2,500 worth of pork to each player’s food pantry of choice. Moore chose the Food Bank of Iowa and Bacon selected the Lake Mills Food Shelf. In 2024, the Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon NIL partnership resulted in 50,000 servings of pork being donated to food banks in the hometowns of 19 Cyclones student-athletes.
“I just appreciate everything farmers do for Iowa,” Bacon says. “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. I really appreciate it.”
Giving back to their community is a priority Moore, Bacon and Iowa pig farmers all 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,” Moore says. “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.”
Pushing Through
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. IPPA explains this award recognizes two Iowa State football players annually who exemplify the characteristics that Nick Bassett is remembered for: positive spirit, perseverance and selflessness.
After just five snaps into the season in 2024, Bacon was injured and missed the rest of the year. Moore had to miss 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,” Moore says. “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.”
IPPA says the Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon initiative that launched in September 2023 was the first major NIL deal tied to agriculture. Not only was it named the grand champion at the National Agri-Marketing Association’s awards ceremony in 2025, but it was also named 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.
“The partnership between Iowa Pork and Iowa State has continued to be a shining example of using NIL for good,” says 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.”
