Illinois rated second best student section in NCAA

[Middle Buffalo]

10 years ago, both the football and basketball games at Illinois had little to no fan enthusiasm. What they have there now is a HUGE improvement. At least people stand and make some noise now. It used to be like watching a movie. I actually had people tell me to be quiet for cheering during a game.

[SnB]

10 years ago, both the football and basketball games at Illinois had little to no fan enthusiasm.  What they have there now is a HUGE improvement.  At least people stand and make some noise now.  It used to be like watching a movie.  I actually had people tell me to be quiet for cheering during a game.

It still happens unfortunately. For all those that don't know, the lowest circle to the court is called 'A section", those are all of the rich 80 year old alumni that still don't wear orange and actually complain about the krush standing up around the court.

 

The most logical thing to do would be to put ALL of the students in A section and not have all the students/krush split up.

 

But ya know..........money.

[Heads22]

Yeah, well we have great women's fans too.

 

[Heads22]

So, we're modeled somewhat after the Krush....

 

Fun measure of a good life: When the students at your ol' alma mater give a hoot who you are

 

By CHUCK OFFENBURGER

February 8, 2006

AMES, IOWA

 

In the 18 months I’ve spent shadowing Gary Thompson, interviewing and researching for his biography that I am writing, I have come across lots of reminders and measures of what a charmed life he has led.

 

That book, ''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is now scheduled for publication late next fall.

 

It will tell how Thompson became a genuine Iowa sports hero even before he had a driver’s license, starring for the Roland Rockets in the 1951 state high school basketball tournament, then becoming a three-year first-team All-Stater. He went on to lead a basketball and baseball renaissance at Iowa State College, as it was known in the mid 1950s, and became the Cyclones’ first two-sport All-American. He had a terrific career as a player and coach in the old AAU basketball with the Phillips 66ers. He built a very successful business here in Ames around gas, oil, convenience stores, car washes and investment properties. In a 34-year broadcasting career he ended last spring, he became one of the best basketball analysts on TV coverage of the college game. Besides all that, he married his high school sweetheart, and decades later their family may be the closest, most loving and let’s-have-fun-together bunch I’ve ever known.

 

One thing that continues to make the Gary Thompson story so appealing to so many people is the genuine gratitude of the man in the middle of it, for all that has come his way. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” he’s told me several times.

 

So anyway, one of my favorite stories about what a good life Gary Thompson has had, occurred just this past Sunday afternoon. He and his wife Janet were invited by the spirited students in “Cyclone Alley” at the Iowa State University basketball games to come be their guests of honor and sit with them for the game against Colorado at Hilton Coliseum here.

 

I told Gary Thompson that when you’re 70 years old, as he is, and the student body at your alma mater even knows who you are – let alone cares – you must indeed be someone special.

 

Gary and Janet, the first non-students ever invited into Cyclone Alley, arrived an hour before the 1 p.m. tip-off, pulled the special red T-shirts over their sweaters and started meeting their hosts in the section of seats just beyond the east end of the basketball floor.

 

“Hi, I’m Gary Thompson,” he said, sticking his hand out to freshmen Trevor Kruger, of Grimes, and Tom Danielson, of Johnston. They had the wackiest Cyclone outfits in the whole coliseum – long basketball shorts, knee socks, wild sports coats, loose neckties, Ivy-style caps – all in the Iowa State colors of cardinal and gold.

 

“Oh, we know who you are!” said a wide-eyed young Kruger. “We’ve followed Iowa State stuff long enough that we know all about you.”

 

They launched into a discussion about the new basketball movie “Glory Road.” Kruger and Danielson were fascinated with Thompson’s stories about personally knowing several of the people portrayed in this inspiring film, which recounts the run of the former Texas Western College, with its all-black starting line-up, to the national championship in 1966.

 

Later, Danielson told me “you walk in here at Hilton Coliseum all the time, see the banner up in the rafters with Gary’s jersey retired there with a few others, and then here he is right with us. You feel like you’re in the presence of greatness.”

 

About that time, here came another freshman Mitch Cline, also of Johnston, who asked Gary if they could have their picture taken together. I volunteered to be the shutterbug with Cline’s camera. After it flashed and we confirmed we had a good photo of the two of them, Cline gave a thumbs-up and said, “My dad is going to freak out! He’s been a Gary Thompson fan all his life!”

 

The Thompsons, who sat in the front row of Cyclone Alley, made legions of new fans among all those students. They autographed the backs of T-shirts, sang the Iowa State fight song with them (both Gary and Janet know all the words), joined them in waving the 3-foot-long cardinal and gold balloons that were handed out, obviously having a ball.

 

At one point, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy came walking past, stuck out his hand and said to Gary, “Who is this new student here?”

 

Gary told freshmen Kruger and Danielson that he “really thinks this Cyclone Alley is what college sports should be about,” Kruger said.

 

Indeed, it is a fun group, now in its third year and totaling about 2,500 students.

 

Co-chairs are seniors Jamie Harpenau, of Remsen, and Trevor Pearson, of Kansas City, Missouri, and they head a central committee of 13 members. The idea they began with was to better organize and facilitate student fans of both men’s and women’s Cyclone basketball. They made a scouting trip to the University of Illinois, to learn how students there manage their well-known “Orange Krush” cheering section. Then they came back and enlisted the support of the Iowa State University Alumni Association, and found several Ames businesses to make contributions and become sponsors.

 

Now, Cyclone Alley members pay $15 per year, and that gets them their Cyclone Alley T-shirts, premium seating in the special section nearest the basketball floor, a very creative program called “Alley Rally” written and printed for each game, and occasional visits with the coaches and players. All members are frequently reminded that “sportsmanship is the number one priority with Cyclone Alley,” as the “Alley Rally” put it, with loud sportsmanship especially encouraged.

 

They also have the opportunity for bus trips to a couple of Cyclone road games each season.

 

The day before the Thompsons joined Cyclone Alley, the students had filled two buses for an ISU women’s basketball game at Kansas, and earlier in the season they followed the men’s team to a game at Nebraska.

 

Part of the group’s mission statement – and you can read and see more at www.cyclonealley.org – is to “heighten Hilton Magic,” that electric atmosphere that through the years made the Cyclones’ home court such a tough place for opponents to play. That had slipped some this year, with several home losses.

 

So Sunday afternoon’s “Alley Rally” program outlined the “keys to a victory over Colorado” this way:

 

“Regain the Hilton Magic! There is no excuse to sit down while the game is going on! Rest during timeouts, but we need everyone on their feet to get these alumni excited and start winning at home again! This is a big game in terms of receiving a bid to the NCAA tournament! Be loud, dress up, go nuts, do whatever, but let them hear you!”

 

It worked: Iowa State 96, Colorado 79.

 

And Gary Thompson is a winner in Cyclone Alley, just like in almost every other area of his life.

[greasywheels121]

We have a pretty solid crowd at our games, and we allot the most tickets to students in the Big Ten. However, the catch-22 to that is we don't really have a true student section, with the exception of the bleachers behind the baskets.

[RockRaines]

I really think Basketball as a whole has a long way to go to match the enthusiasm of college football fans.

[greasywheels121]

I really think Basketball as a whole has a long way to go to match the enthusiasm of college football fans.

 

That just depends on the school. Obviously in your case football will trump basketball. In Indiana's it's basketball all the way, always has been and always will. Football has the advantage of having those insanely big stadiums and people being able to see the game. That's not realistic for a basketball court.

[Heads22]

Greasy is right. Team performance is a big factor as well.

[whitesoxfan99]

Illinois has a terrible student section, IMO.

 

They actually have people who try and stop cheers to keep the Krush's reputation as classy. So basically, all their cheers are boring and unoriginal.

It's a student section for christ sake. Let them do what they want.

 

The Big 10 doesn't allow teams to single out opposing players for chants. Limits some of the chants you can do. This is the Pierre Pierce/Steve Alford rule.

[illinilaw08]

It still happens unfortunately.  For all those that don't know, the lowest circle to the court is called 'A section", those are all of the rich 80 year old alumni that still don't wear orange and actually complain about the krush standing up around the court. 

 

The most logical thing to do would be to put ALL of the students in A section and not have all the students/krush split up.

 

But ya know..........money.

 

I have actually sat in those seats in A before and I can understand why those old alumni get upset with Krush because in the first 4 or 5 row, you cannot see the game period when the Krush stands up. Those alumni do have the right to sit and enjoy the game.

 

That being said, I agree with you that all the students in A would make the most sense from an atmosphere perspective.

[IlliniKrush]

But they b**** even when the crowd all should be standing up and making noise, including Krush. They never want to stand, cheer, or wear orange. It's pathetic.

[Chisoxfn]

But they b**** even when the crowd all should be standing up and making noise, including Krush. They never want to stand, cheer, or wear orange. It's pathetic.

Now thats sig work at its finest

[IlliniKrush]

Now thats sig work at its finest 

Or laziest.

[Chisoxfn]

Or laziest.

Sssshhhhh

[SnB]

Now thats sig work at its finest 

at least it has the best hair

[Rowand44]

I rate the Krush the worst student section since snb is in it.

[IlliniKrush]

I rate the Krush the worst student section since snb is in it.

Fair enough