Inside the Best Gameday Production in College Basketball at Iowa State

Hilton Coliseum, home of the Iowa State Cyclones. One of the best places in America when it comes to watching basketball.

It’s not in the most rural place, or the face of a big city, but rather a home for the passionate fans in Iowa. And when it comes to gameday production, it’s arguably the best of any school in college basketball.

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But this story starts back in early 2026, when I went to my first Iowa State basketball game. As a high school senior, I was committed to attending Iowa State, but I wanted to visit Ames at least once before officially deciding.

Luckily for me, I ended up picking the best weekend of them all. The Cyclones hosted their bitter archrivals, the Kansas Jayhawks, on Saturday at noon, as well as the Houston Cougars on Monday night.

Iowa State has great gameday crew

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Iowa State was ranked in the top 10, and so were both Kansas and Houston, which created a scenario for what could be a historic weekend for the Cyclones.

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On Saturday, I went to Hilton to watch Iowa State take on Kansas. Quickly, I realized I was at home. As a San Francisco Bay Area native, college sports weren’t a big thing in comparison to most places on the East Coast. Typically, games wouldn’t be packed, even on weekends. But Ames was a whole different ballgame.

Fans packed the stadium as soon as it opened, and quickly, it started to get loud. It wasn’t just a basketball game; it was a community.

The music was loud, and fans were clapping their hands while singing along. When head coach T.J. Otzelberger arrived, the roof almost blew off with cheers. My hands stung before the ball was even tipped off.

The Cyclones, of course, won in dominant fashion. A juicy wiggle and Mr. Brightside chant later, and I was out of the building.

I really took into account what…

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Publish date : 2026-06-19 12:00:00

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