Why We Should Care That Athletics Thrive at Iowa State
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FIELD CAMP OF DREAMS | PG. 18 Geology alumni dig deep for future students IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION FALL 2013 FALL | VOL.2 NO.3 VOL.2 Why we should care that athletics thrive at Iowa State THE BIG PICTURE These magic moments Fans and players alike roar as the Cyclone men’s basketball team seals its 17th straight victory at the James H. Hilton Coliseum with a 69-67 win over West Virginia in January. Over its 40-year history, the coliseum has been the scene of countless such “Hilton Magic” moments in Cyclone athletics history. Why we should care that In a climate where collegiate athletics can be the tail that wags the dog, ATHLETICS THRIVE Iowa State is building a culture in AT IOWA STATE which everyone wins, both on By Chuck Schoffner and off the playing field. Photo: KL6 Photo 2 / FALL 2013 FALL 2013 / 3 HISTORY THAT MATTERS THE BIG PICTURE IOWA STATE HISTORY Memorable moments in Cyclone athletics PHOTOGRAPH SNAPPED matched by coach Bill Fennelly’s SEPTEMBER 28, 1895 1890 OCTOBER 8, 1923 on a November Friday Lean and mean: women’s basketball team. Coach Fred It’s a State-nado! Remembering Jack night two years ago tells a Iowa State’s huge Hoiberg, who re-ignited excitement for After Iowa State routs Northwestern Jack Trice, Iowa State’s first African- 36-0 in football, a newspaper headline American football player, dies from compelling story about gains in overall athletics men’s basketball the day he was hired, proclaims that Northwestern was 1900 injuries suffered in a game two days A success are being has guided his team to the last two Iowa State University athletics. “Struck by a Cyclone.” The name, of earlier. Seventy-five years later his accomplished on a It shows a mass of Iowa State fans NCAA tournaments. Rhoads led the course, sticks. story inspired a movement to attach budget that’s the his name to the university’s football blanketing every square inch of the Cyclones to bowl games in three of his smallest in the Big 12. stadium, built in 1975 with private football field at Jack Trice Stadium, first four seasons. MARCH 27, 1965 1910 support. Cyclone Stadium was trying to extend their euphoria as long Since Jamie Pollard became athletics Grappler glory renamed Jack Trice Stadium in 1997. as possible as they celebrate the biggest director in 2005, Iowa State has risen Wrestlers Veryl Long and Tom Peckham win individual championships to help DECEMBER 2, 1971 victory in school history, a double- from an average finish of 115th in the Iowa State claim the first of six NCAA 1920 Home court rules overtime win over No. 2-ranked Directors’ Cup standings, a measure team titles it would capture under James H. Hilton Coliseum opens with a men’s basket- Oklahoma State. of overall athletics success, to 41st wrestling coach Harold Nichols, who ball win over Arizona. The 14,000-seat arena is named led the Cyclones to unprecedented for the Iowa State president who envisioned the project It was just one game, a single last year. Iowa State made those success in his 32 seasons. and was built with the help of more than 11,000 donors. moment in time. But it depicts in one gains with the smallest budget in 1930 Since then, Hilton has seen numerable memorable snapshot the excitement sweeping the Big 12 Conference. moments, including Johnny Orr turning it into one of AUGUST 1971 the nation’s most formidable home courts, creating an through Iowa State’s fan base – and Does this type of success matter? A Tracking success electric atmosphere known as “Hilton Magic,” and Fred what can happen when the right 2012 University of California–Berkeley Bill Bergan joins the staff as cross- 1940 Hoiberg rocketing from ball boy to All-American to Big coaches, the right student-athletes, and study concludes that it does, particularly country coach and is named track- 12 Coach of the Year. the right foundation are in place. in football. The study found that winning and-field coach in 1976. In 23 years, Bergan’s teams won two NCAA Interest in Iowa State athletics has $163.3M $106.5M $84.1M $80.0M $79.2M $68.1M $67.8M $63.6M $60.0M $55.2M football games leads to increases in championships and 25 Big Eight AUGUST 8, 1984 1950 never been higher. And the university’s TCU alumni donations to athletics, enhances Conference titles. Today, the track at In the footsteps of greatness TEXAS KANSAS BAYLORK STATE the Cyclone Sports Complex bears the Iowa State’s Nawal El Moutawakel exposure through athletics has never OK STATE a school’s academic reputation, sparks OKLAHOMA W. VIRGINIA TEXAS IOWATECH STATE name of Bergan and his wife, Karen. becomes the first athlete from been greater. an increase in student applications, and Morocco and first Muslim woman Athletics commands a reach no other For FY12 - Source USA Today triggers a rise in incoming SAT scores. MARCH 20, 1999 1960 to win an Olympic gold medal entity in the university can match. Fennelly notes that often, someone’s Twister sisters persist when she sets an Olympic record Network telecasts of games, Cyclones.tv, first contact with Iowa State is through Iowa State upsets fourth-ranked Connecticut in the 400-meter hurdles in Los 64-58 in the NCAA women’s basketball Angeles. El Moutawakel continues print stories, social media and radio athletics. They see thousands of fans tournament to reach the Elite Eight for the a legacy of outstanding runners in showcase the Iowa State name to millions. …And self-supporting tailgating before a football game or feel first time and establish coach Bill Fennelly’s 1970 women’s track started by Peg Football Coach Paul Rhoads has become Since 2011, Iowa State the energy at a basketball game in program as a player on the national stage. Neppel and Debbie Esser in the 1970s and extending to today Athletics has received a YouTube sensation via his postgame Hilton Coliseum. with NCAA champions Lisa Koll no public funds. “They’re like, ‘Wow!’” he said. DECEMBER 12, 2008 victory speeches. And when a school’s 1980 and Betsy Saina. highest profile teams are winning, as “The people, the environment, the NCAA aces Iowa State defeats No. 7 Oregon in MARCH 23, 2002 they are at Iowa State, those viewers, enthusiasm. Well, that probably five games in the NCAA women’s Gold pins readers and listeners link that name $ translates to academics: chemistry, volleyball tournament to reach the Wrestler Cael Sanderson defeats Jon with achievement. 0 engineering, vet med, dietetics. I think Elite Eight for the first time. It’s the 1990 Trenge 12-4 in the NCAA finals to finish third in what becomes a run of “Students and their parents want to they all play off of each other.” his Iowa State career 159-0, the first seven consecutive appearances in unbeaten four-time national champion be associated with successful people,” Iowa State fans certainly are energized. the NCAAs for coach Christy in NCAA history. Two years later, said Women’s Volleyball Coach Christy The Cyclones ended the 2012 season Johnson-Lynch’s program. Sanderson earns one of the nine 2000 Johnson-Lynch. “So when they see Iowa with a record run of 13 straight football NOVEMBER 18, 2011 Olympic gold medals won by ‘So proud!’ Iowa State wrestlers, a list that State athletics doing well, when you see crowds of 50,000-plus; the 2013 Iowa State’s football team stuns No. 2 includes Dan Gable and Cyclones good publicity surrounding athletics, season ticket allotment is sold out. Oklahoma State 37-31 in two coach Kevin Jackson. people want to be associated with that.” Attendance for men’s basketball last overtimes in a nationally televised 2010 Friday night game, bringing Volleyball has thrived under Johnson- season averaged 93 percent of capacity, unprecedented attention and What’s your most memorable Lynch, making seven straight appearances and athletics recently confirmed that exposure to coach Paul Rhoads’ moment in Cyclone sports? Weigh in in the NCAA tournament, a string more than 11,000 season tickets have team and the university. at www.facebook.com/isufoundation. 4 / FALL 2013 FALL 2013 / 5 THE BIG PICTURE been sold for the first time ever. Iowa Pollard, with support from Iowa State finished second nationally in State University President Steven Leath Earning and scoring women’s basketball attendance, sixth points: Iowa State and his predecessor, Gregory Geoffroy, in wrestling attendance, and 11th student-athletes has set that tone while raising the profile in women’s volleyball attendance. have built a reputation of Iowa State athletics. Private revenue, Membership in the Cyclone Club last for dedication and including donations, has fueled more year alone resulted in $8.3 million in excellence both on and than $100 million in building projects off the playing field. fundraising, an all-time high. And the since 2005, involving several sports. athletics department no longer relies 4.0 Improvements at Jack Trice Stadium on state money, which comprised 12 3.5 have enhanced the game-day experience percent of the budget in 2005. for fans. There are new practice and 3.0 Some 25,000 fans followed the football competition facilities such as the 2.5 team to the Liberty Bowl last December, Bergstrom Football Complex, the descending en masse on Memphis for a 2.0 Sukup Basketball Complex, the Golf team that was just 6-6. Pollard called it 1.5 Performance Center, and the Cyclone one huge Iowa State infomercial.