Jared Benko

Well, the Iowa State Cyclones have a new athletic director.

As of Friday, President David Cook has selected Jared Benko as the new director of athletics at Iowa State.

Benko, who has spent the past two years as the executive deputy AD at Auburn, will start his new post on October the 30th, pending approval.

by the Iowa Board of Regents.

That news, ESPN, SiouxFalls.com or Cyclones.com. You want it direct from the university.

Big news as there were several area athletic directors rumored to be in the mix, but it'll be Jared Benko out of Auburn to be the new AD at Iowa State.

Let's get you your rankings roundup here before we're done with our headlines of the day.

Miami is the new number one team in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2002.

President Cook said that is a key in this new direction of athletics.

And another thing I think, Jared Benko, that fans and people who work in the Iowa State Athletic Offices really liked is he's not trying to change what is the current reality.

Like, this is the way things are.

We're going to embrace it.

Feedback from Hawkeye fans was very different than the feedback from Cyclone fans.

Imagine that.

can you believe that i know it's shocking but let's hear some of uh some of the comments now from jared benko his first time addressing the public as iowa state's director of athletics

to our student athletes you're the reason i do what i do you're my why my door is always open and i want to hear from you To our coaches, who I had a chance, it was a blessing to meet with them earlier today, my job is to make sure you have what you need to be successful and remove roadblocks for you to be successful and to help win, develop, and recruit.

Then about 1250, well, it was a little bit earlier, but the official announcement, I think, came about 1215, 1230 from Iowa State that it had hired a new athletic director.

And Jared Benko is going to be introduced today, I think, at 10 o'clock.

It's not open to the public.

It's for media only.

But Jared Benko comes to Iowa State from Auburn.

I would say probably not a name that was on the list.

And not that you saw a lot of lists flying around out there.

This seems to be a strategic move.

Upset Saturday, Floyd Week, QB Question, and New Cyclone AD, all presented by Guesthouse Tavern and Oyster.

All right, let's start with Jared Benko, the new AD.

Introduced today, he's the 15th AD, is that right? AD, our AD? Sure.

Does that matter?

out in his resume.

President Cook said that is a key in this new direction of athletics.

And another thing I think, Jared Benko, that fans and people who work in the Iowa State Athletic Offices really liked is he's not trying to change what is the current reality.

Like, this is the way things are.

Busy week for them, too, with Media Days.

New athletic director, formerly introduced today, Jared Benko, talking to the media and talking to... talking to the Iowa State campus community as a whole today.

We'll hear a little bit from him coming up just past 5 o'clock.

We'll ask John about that hire from the university, bringing in Benko from Auburn to take over for Jamie Pollard here at the end of the month and then get some thoughts on the basketball exhibition.

Going to bring it back to the local side of things.

No Cyclone football this weekend, but plenty of news.

Out of Iowa State, including your new athletic director, Jared Benko, getting announced on Friday.

We'll talk about that, plus some hoops and a look ahead to Saturday's contest at Arizona with John Walters, voice of the Cyclones, coming up here in just a bit on 1600 ESPN.

send-off to Ames, Iowa.

Of course, Jared Benko, former deputy at Mississippi State, who's been at Auburn and now going to be the new athletic director at Iowa State.

He was named AD this past week at Iowa State.

Actually, they're going to name him in a ceremonious way early in the week this coming week up in Ames.