Cyclones.tv Offers Continued Momentum

In the past few months Iowa State announced the creation of Cyclones.tv, a revamped and improved online source for Cyclone athletic events, interviews, highlights and shows.  Streaming live HD picture with Iowa State run cameras offered a better way to watch the game.  Shortly after announcing this, ISU turned around and hired John Walters, the voice of the Cyclones, to work for Cyclones.tv full-time as their lead reporter.  With the Big XII agreement, all schools are allowed to pursue their own outlets for third-tier rights, ex: Longhorn Network.  Cyclones.tv provided an outlet for these rights, but not everyone was happy.

Cyclones.tv is a nice product.  It is much improved over the old CloneZone and offers video synced with the radio play-by-play.  It has already grown tremendously this season.  This is great if you enjoy watching events on your computer.  Not everyone does.  Enter Mediacom.  While there isn't a single cable company out there that gets great reviews, Mediacom's approval rating is generally pretty low.  However, it is by far the leading cable company in the state of Iowa.  With all of the resources for video's, interviews and shows already in place it was an easy choice.  Iowa State needed to agree with a cable company to start getting the feed out to more people.  That is just what Jamie Pollard did.

Starting in early 2013 Iowa State will have a channel on all Mediacom packages directly related to Cyclone athletics.  Iowa State will become just the third school in the entire nation to have such an outlet.  They join BYU and Texas.  Although Iowa State's deal isn't worth over 200 million with ESPN it still provides a step forward.  More exposure for the university in the state of Iowa isn't a good thing, its a great thing.  In short, this agreement is huge.

The Cyclones had to start somewhere.  Many were calling for an agreement with Fox Sports.  Although this would have been great and allowed Cyclone fans outside of the state to purchase the channel via satellite this agreement will do for now.  Also, anyone with Internet access will be able to sign up for Cylones.tv and access all of the same programming.  Some with Mediacom may prefer to watch on the computer to get the product in HD, but it is there if they want it.  At some point down the road the signal should switch to HD.

What this deal really represents and offers for the Cyclones is continued momentum in the state of Iowa and the midwest.  Iowa has the Big Ten Network, but starting in 2014 will only get 1/14th of the programming, and the money.  This announcement is truly a difference maker.  What outcomes will appear?  Who knows?  The one thing that we do know is that under Jamie Pollard Iowa State is not going away.  They are making moves to expand their fan-base within the state and hopefully make themselves a player on the national level.  Several years ago Iowa State was having a hard time drawing 30,000 fans for a home football game and their basketball program was in the dump.  Today we look at Iowa State as one of the most productive athletic programs in that nation.  Iowa State looks forward to earning your interest in the very near future.  As Iowa State assistant football coach Shane Burnham likes to say, "this isn't your father's Iowa State."