Nine college wrestling events set for internet broadcast on The CyberMat; Iowa vs. Iowa State and Iowa vs. Northern Iowa to air for free, Dec. 8 and 10USA Sports Broadcasting has confirmed the nine college wrestling events which will be broadcast via the internet on The CyberMat, the interactive portal of TheMat.com.
The first two shows will be provided free of charge in early December, allowing wrestling fans across the world to enjoy the action while trying out the many features of The CyberMat. The shows will be available at two modem connection speeds, 56 k and 128 k.
The first dual meet to be cybercast free is the Iowa vs. Iowa State dual meet, which will be held at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. The broadcast will be available on The CyberMat on Friday, Dec. 8 at 8:30 p.m. CST.
This is considered one of the most intense inter-state rivalries in the wrestling world, and features two teams with national title hopes. The broadcast team for this exciting dual meet is Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and Dan Gable.
The second dual meet to be cybercast free is the Iowa vs. Northern Iowa dual meet in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The broadcast will be available on TheCyberMat on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2:00 p.m. CST.
This battle between Div. I programs in wrestling-hungry Iowa is always a fan favorite. UNI's new head coach Brad Penrith, a former NCAA champion for Iowa, will attempt to defeat his alma mater. The broadcast team will again be Johnson, Gibbons and Gable.
The other seven college wrestling events will be aired on The CyberMat's premium service or will be available on a pay-per-view basis. They will all be aired on the day that the event is held, with broadcast times to be announced.
The "premium service" pricing structure for these events has not yet been finalized, but will be announced when determined.
Additional dual meets set for The CyberMat include: Iowa State vs. Oklahoma in Ames, Iowa; Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State in Ames, Iowa; Ohio State vs. Northwestern in Columbus, Ohio and Minnesota vs. Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa.
The tournaments include the NWCA National Duals finals, the annual national dual meet championship, set for State College, Pa., as well as the Big 12 Championships, set for Stillwater, Okla. Also on the schedule is the annual NWCA All-Star Classic in Lancaster, Pa., the traditional challenge event between the top ranked athletes in each weight class.
Wrestling fans will want to visit The CyberMat during this "free tour" period. In addition to the free cybercast of the two college events are a number of other interactive programs. "The Centermat," a newsmagazine produced by USA Wrestling that mixes commentary and action footage on all aspects of wrestling. Also available for review are video and audio clips from the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. These offer a taste of the kind of outstanding programs that will be available on The CyberMat's premium service beginning in January 2001.
USA Sports Broadcasting is the broadcast division of USA Wrestling, and produces wrestling events for internet broadcast on The CyberMat, the interactive portal of TheMat.com THE CYBERMAT COLLEGE WRESTLING LIVE INTERNET BROADCASTS
Events tentatively approved for live internet broadcast on The CyberMat:
FREE - Friday, Dec. 8 - Iowa vs. Iowa State at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, 8:30 p.m. CST
FREE - Sunday, Dec. 10 - Iowa vs. Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, 2:00 p.m. CST
Airdates and times to be determined on The CyberMat premium service or for pay-per-view
NWCA National Duals finals at Bryce Jordan Arena in State College, Pa. on January 21, time TBA
Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on January 26, time TBA
NWCA All-Star Classic at Mayser Center in Lancaster, Pa. on January 29, time TBA
Iowa State vs. Oklahoma at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa on February 2, time TBA
Ohio State vs. Northwestern at St. John's Arena in Columbus, Ohio on February 4, time TBA
Minnesota vs. Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, on February 18, time TBA
Big 12 Championships at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., time TBA March 3