Cyclones reach out to fans with social media, Internet

AMES - Tyler Rutherford's corner of Iowa State's athletics offices can be described as organized chaos.

Cameras, monitors, computer cords and papers take up desk and floor space inside his tiny cubicle, which doesn't do his vast responsibilities justice.

ISU's director of Web site services is responsible for the content, design and organizational upkeep of the department's communication with the outside world. In an age when fans are consuming so much online information at such a rapid rate, Rutherford's work on ISU's official athletics site (www.cyclones.com) has become more and more significant.

“It's a lot of work,” the former Cedar Rapids Kennedy athlete said.

It is what the job requires these days, and Rutherford and the school's athletics brain trust are approaching it with more urgency and creativity than many.

Iowa State is embracing the digital age and could even be considered a school that stands out from the pack in how it shares its athletics happenings and the lives of its main characters.

Men's and women's basketball coaches Greg McDermott and Bill Fennelly use Twitter after practices and games, or whenever the mood strikes.

Snapshots from a pre-game shootaround are posted on the men's basketball team's Facebook page.

Fresh ideas for original written and video content are hatched and produced for the Web site. How many programs and coaches would sign off on having their team's postgame locker room scene videotaped and available online? For free?

The now famous 1 minute, 59 second clip of ISU's celebration and head football coach Paul Rhoads' emotional address to his players after winning at Nebraska for the first time in 32 years was a smashing success.

“We aren't pioneers,” said Steve Malchow, associate athletics director for communications. “But we are probably ahead of the pace.”

ISU, under athletics director Jamie Pollard, has prided itself on being forthright and honest with the public. That approach has trickled down to the online product and sharing as much of what's going on as possible. Fans can see and hear it all if they choose.

“When you are operating behind closed doors people don't trust you,” Malchow said. “Transparency builds confidence. We believe that's important.”

Personal touch

Women's basketball player Whitney Williams hosts a “Weekly Word” Web segment that gives fans an up close and personal look at the program and its players.

Williams and team media relations contact Erin Smith brainstorm ideas and produce the piece. Williams, a sophomore guard, is a business major who enjoys being in front of the camera.

“I'm really glad to be a part of it. It's been fun,” Williams said. “We have so many fans. For them to get to see some of what goes on inside is great.”

It doesn't stop there.

Senior point guard Alison Lacey does a blog for the New York Times. After home games, one player is available for autographs on the Hilton Coliseum concourse.

“Anything we can do that gives our fans access to our team we are going to do it,” Fennelly said. “There is an emotional attachment from our fan base to our players. Part of it is that they see them as people. I think that is a great thing.”

It's successful, too.

Web traffic has seen a spike, as have “unique visitors,” a measure that tracks first-time visitors to the site. Rutherford said there were almost 500,000 more of them in 2009 compared with the previous year.

Page views are up almost 1.5 million from 2008.

“It used to be we were gripping and grinning and taking the kids places,” Fennelly said. “The web has created a whole other way of communicating with people.”