ESPN 2 and Mediacom have announced that both the men’s and women’s Cyclone basketball teams will play in the 2005 Mediacom Cyclone Capital Classic on Dec. 17. The event is a doubleheader to be played in the newly constructed Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The women will take on Northern Iowa in the first game at 4:30 p.m., and the men will cap off the night against Big-10 opponent Ohio State at 7 p.m.

Mediacom will air the women’s game, and ESPN 2 is providing the men’s game to a national audience.

“It’s been a two-year thing,” said Mike Green, associate media relations director.

“ESPN wanted to have Iowa State in a nationally televised game against a nationally recognized opponent. Mediacom saw this would be a great thing for Des Moines and central Iowa.”

Last season, the Cyclones took on Virginia in the event, but the game was played at Hilton because the Wells Fargo Arena was not finished.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to play against [Ohio State],” said Dave Edwards, director of basketball operations. “The fans will get to experience a great game between two great teams.”

It won’t be the first time the men’s team has faced Buckeye head coach Thad Matta, though. The Cyclones squared off against him when he was coach at Xavier two years ago.

“He is a great and wonderful coach,” Edwards said. “I promise you, he’ll have his team ready to play.”

Iowa State’s head women’s coach Bill Fennelly is excited to be a part of the Capital Classic.

“This is a great chance to showcase two in-state teams,” Fennelly said. “This is a positive thing, and hopefully, it’ll be something that will go well.”

Fennelly said it was an opportunity for the Panthers to play in the new Wells Fargo Arena before the Cyclones are one of the first teams to play in their new basketball facility.

“We told them if you come down here to play in this new arena, we’ll go up there and play in yours,” he said.

Now that the Wells Fargo Arena is finished, everyone is excited to be traveling to Des Moines for the games.

“I think it’s going to be a real treat,” Edwards said. “It’s a state of the art facility, and it’s going to be really exciting.

“Hopefully, we can get fans to come down there and really pack the place.”

“You hate to take a game away from Hilton, but to be playing in this new facility is a great opportunity,” Fennelly said.

The game is being promoted by Cyclone Sports Marketing, a partnership between Clear Channel Communications and ESPN Regional TV.