Insight Bowl Reps Tout Warmth of Arizona

AMES, Iowa ? That Insight Bowl game is looking better all the time. A group of Insight ambassadors were at Iowa State Friday, spreading the goodwill of their warm Arizona climate, if not upping the temperature itself. Thousands of Iowa State fans have already bought tickets for the Dec. 31 game that will feature the Cyclones against Big Ten foe and northern neighbor Minnesota.

At a news conference on Friday at the ISU Alumni Center, Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard expressed the high spirits of the Iowa State fans and the Cyclone football program.

“We're ecstatic about the week we have had selling tickets when you consider the week we have had,” said ISU athletics director Jamie Pollard.

Pollard was referring to the major winter storm that shut down the University and much of the state Wednesday.

“We are thrilled to be heading to the Insight Bowl,” Pollard said. “We know our fans will respond to this challenge with the memory of the thousands of Cyclone fans who went to the Insight Bowl in 2000.”

Thousands of Iowa State fans flooded into Arizona for the 2000 Insight.com Bowl, in which Iowa State beat Pittsburgh, 37-29.

“The game everyone talks about is the 2000 Iowa State-Pittsburgh game and all the fans who came to enjoy the sun,” said bowl representative Jay Fields. “I told our board after seeing this (Iowa State) team that this was a program going places.”

Iowa State president Dr. Gregory Geoffroy spoke of the great support alumni in Arizona have provided the University.

“We have at least one special event there every year,” Geoffroy said. “We have a large number of alumni there and we look forward to seeing them very soon.”

Iowa State head football coach Paul Rhoads kept it simple.

“The Insight Bowl is one of the best-run bowl games, period,” Rhoads said. “From personal experience, I can tell you what a great experience it is and I am thrilled that we are getting the opportunity to play in this great event.”

Pollard made a point on behalf of the bowl system by underscoring the single-digit temperatures outside the Alumni Center.

“Would we love to have a playoff game here now?” he asked. “Sure we would. That is why we have a bowl system not a playoff system.”