Tim Barnes drains a huge three-pointer to cap off a run, bringing Iowa State within one point of the opposing team. The Hilton Coliseum crowd erupts as the ball splashes through the net and Bobby Knight calls a timeout to calm down (or fire up) his team.

Out comes athletic director Bruce Van De Velde and Joe Blow from Company X as the title sponsor for tonight’s basketball game. He gets a ball, and Texas Tech increases its lead when play resumes.

Hilton Magic is gone — don’t be fooled. And one reason it’s gone is because of the presentations during dead balls. In the instance described above, you could feel the enthusiasm sucked out of the crowd as it quieted quickly to hear what the announcer would say about the people on the court. After the announcement was made, the crowd was reduced from the roar that preceded the presentation to a polite golf clap.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for recognizing the people that help out the athletic department and ISU athletics, but it seems to me there is a better way of doing it than a way that sacrifices the momentum the Cyclones have built. I assume most ISU fans would like to see the Hilton floor shake during those timeouts and have Bobby Knight realize that no matter how much he screams his lungs out, his team isn’t going to hear it over the crowd’s rumble.

Frankly, I could care less what company sponsored the game and I doubt any fan buys his or her ticket with a thought process of:

Friend: Texas Tech and Bobby Knight are coming to town, we should go check it out.

Other friend: I don’t know, tickets are kind of pricey.

Friend: Oh come on, it’s sponsored by Peepland!

Other friend: Why didn’t you tell me?! Lets get our tickets now!

OK, maybe that’s a bad example, but you get my drift.

As bad as that was, it was only a few minutes later that another loud atmosphere was wasted for the wailing of Faith Hill and the Kiss Cam. Now, I think the Kiss Cam is a pretty good bit, but the same rule applies. When it dulls the crowd, that’s a bad thing. This is a basketball game, not a tea party with 5-year-old girls. And the physical play of Big 12 hoops would cater more to Rage Against the Machine than Faith Hill.

I’ve got to admit though “This Kiss” does get me pretty pumped up. I bet that one is Jackson Vroman’s favorite.

Halftime is acceptable for those activities. So is a dead ball situation that doesn’t kill the crowd noise, but in a season like this when the ISU basketball teams need all the help they can get, lets try to choose more carefully.

But regardless of whether those types of situations change, the atmosphere isn’t going to come even close to the games in the ’90s, when the floor actually did shake, until students get the seats they deserve.

In major college basketball, which schools don’t have students down low on the side of the court? Duke does, Texas Tech does, Illinois does and Florida does — all successful programs. Texas, well they’ve got some of the craziest fans I’ve seen in a while.

Longhorn assistant Frank Haith, who has seen his team go 12-0 at home this season, talked about the home crowds in Austin these days. As he spoke Monday morning, students were already lined up to purchase general admission tickets for that evening’s game against Texas Tech — one that the Longhorns eventually dominated.

“Our students have been tremendous,” Haith said. “It has made a difference, I know that. The Oklahoma game was as loud as I’ve seen our coliseum. We’re hoping that we continue that the rest of the year.”

Then a reporter asked how one would go about building a loud atmosphere in a college sports arena (ISU officials take notice).

“The first step was taken last year when we moved the seats closer to the floor,” Haith said. “The next step was educating and encouraging them to be vocal. Our students have been the leaders for that and I think the rest of our fans have caught on to it. There’s no question that has been a difference this year than in the past.”

Frank and I agree, and I’m guessing I can get about 10,000 signatures that agree as well. You can try all the cheer sections you want, but the way the students booed the creators last Wednesday, it’s time to think about an alternative.

I propose a deal between Van De Velde and the student body. If the students can sell out their sections behind the basket for 10 straight home games, they get side seats down low the following season. Some say that will never happen, but strange things take place when one has a motive — and sitting at an angle where you can’t tell the difference between a 10-foot shot and a 20-foot bomb doesn’t count as a motive.

Increase ticket prices to offset the upset alumni if need be, but one thing is for sure, my fellow peers aren’t going to sit on their hands like the people who occupy those seats now.

Not until action has been taken will Hilton Magic truly be reborn.

Jeff Raasch is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Odebolt. He is the assignment sports editor and senior sports writer for the Daily.