ESPN College GameDay coming to Ames for Iowa-Iowa State game

AMES — For the first time ever, ESPN College GameDay is coming to Ames.

It was announced during the LSU-Texas game that the next location for the popular show will be Ames for the Cy-Hawk matchup between No. 20 Iowa and No. 25 Iowa State.

This is the most-anticipated season in recent Iowa State history, and while some of that simmered down with Iowa State's narrow win over Northern Iowa, the Cyclones are still ranked in the AP poll.

Hype and anticipation has surrounded Iowa, as well, as the Hawkeyes are expected to contend for the Big Ten West title. Iowa has done its part by easily handling both Miami (Ohio) and Rutgers in its first two games.

The Cy-Hawk schools got help from Maryland, which dismantled No. 21 Syracuse, 63-20. The prevailing thought was GameDay would go to Syracuse for its matchup against Clemson, had the Orange won Saturday.

GameDay is something Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard has been vying for since the Alamo Bowl in December, according to a tweet from ESPN liaison Ray Cole.

Worth mentioning: Cy-Hawk got GameDay, even though the game is being aired on FS1 at 3 p.m. next Saturday. GameDay begins every Saturday at 8 a.m. on ESPN.

Comments: benv43@gmail.com