Iowa looks to increase excitement at basketball games

The parent company of the Cedar Rapids Gazette will become title sponsor ofthe University of Iowa’s four-team basketball tournament. Started in theearly 1980’s as the Amana-Hawkeye Classic the tournament will become theGazette-Hawkeye challenge this season. Iowa coach Steve Alford says themove should helps ensure the long-term success of the tournament.Alford says tournaments like this are good for the fans as it gives them achance to see the team and to stay in the community for a couple of days.Alford says the tournament will become even more important down the road asnew rules limit the number of tournaments teams can be in.This year’s tournament includes Houston, Ohio and Texas Southern.