NCAA Visits ISU To Prep For Women's Hoops Championship

AMES, Iowa - The 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship may still be two months away, but the preparations are well underway at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones will play host to the first and second rounds March 21 and 23, but the NCAA made a visit to Ames to check up on the progress this week.

Sue Donohoe, the NCAA Division I Vice President for Women's Basketball, and Meredith Miles, Coordinator of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship, made a trip to Ames Wednesday to catch the Iowa State-Kansas game. The pair stayed over and met with ISU staff to discuss the upcoming NCAA Championships on Thursday.

Iowa State has played host to seven NCAA Women's Basketball events and has the routine down to a science. The Cyclones last hosted NCAA first and second round in 2008, in Des Moines. Attendance at ISU's NCAA events has ranked among the best in the history of the women's basketball championship.

Donohoe noted that Iowa State is always an easy choice to host NCAA Women's Basketball Championship events.

“You've got a great facility here, and you've got a staff here that understands how to host a championship,” Donohoe said. “We realize at the NCAA that it's about the student-athlete experience, and the Iowa State athletics department staff really understands what it means to make a championship experience, and what it should be for the student-athletes. Last, but not least is certainly the fan-base here at Iowa State. You've got wonderful women's basketball fans. You've got very knowledgeable women's basketball fans and they appreciate good women's basketball. So we know when we're here March 21 and 23, whether Iowa State is playing or two other teams are playing, whoever is out on the court here, the fans of Iowa State are going to come and be great fans of women's basketball.”

While the ISU athletics department continues to prepare for the big event, the Cyclones women's basketball staff continues to prepare its team to be one of the 64 teams invited to the “Big Dance.” Iowa State is 14-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 Conference. ISU head coach Bill Fennelly has taken the Cyclones to 10 NCAA Championships, including the last three straight, during his tenure at Iowa State.

While the NCAA representatives were in town, it was also learned that the NCAA games at Hilton Coliseum on March 21 will begin at 6 p.m., while the game on March 23 is slated to begin at 8:30 p.m. Exact tip times will be determined by ESPN after the field is announced. The Women's Basketball Selection Show will air on ESPN at 6 p.m. (Central) on March 15.

To see a full interview with Donohoe, click on the video slide-out tab in the photo above.

Iowa State University Athletics

NCAA Visits ISU To Prep For Women's Hoops Championship

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