When your team plays a big state school at home...

[mecha_bulldog]

The number of visiting fans will also depend on how good the visiting team is. Iowa and Iowa St have both been down for a few years, so that keeps their numbers down. Kansas is a national power with crazy fans, and with all due respect to WSU, I'm guessing a couple thousand KU fans would find a way into a game in Wichita. Indiana has a ton of fans, so they'll probably have a strong showing in Evansville, but there'd be a lot more of them if Indiana were still good. These games also bring out some people from the general community with no strong interest in either team, and it's hard to classify them.

We get football fans at basketball games when Drake hosts Iowa, and a lot of people show up wearing black and gold football gear and showing a vague knowledge of the game of basketball.

[FearDaTrees]

The last time Indiana came to Terre Haute it was sold out and it was about half red half blue. ISU was very bad in those days so I can understand the lack of support I guess. But, for the most part the people that were wearing red were also ISU fans just showing support for a team they don't normally get to watch I think. Anyways, we don't have to worry about that anymore cause IU won't come to Terre Haute cause we always beat them HAHA.

[WSUbballer]

Kansas is a national powerhouse. Best team in the state of Kansas every year always. Why do they need to come play in Wichita? And also K-State is doing pretty good lately. I don't know if you noticed but they made it to the Elite Eight two years ago. I am biased on the issue but I do like K-State and at Bramlage those are good basketball fans. And they supported the program in some lean years with Asbury and Wooldridge. WSU like it or not is third in the pecking order in that state. Not that it is a bad thing in a great basketball state like that but I think that K-State fans should be commended for all the crap they have sat through for many, many years.

Missouri is the best team in the state of Missouri. Why the hell should they come to Springfield? Because it's the RIGHT thing to do. They are all state schools. The fans all would like the matchups. And as taxpayers, they should all play each other. Simple as that.

You apparently did not see Kansas State basketball back in the lean years. Their women would outdraw their men constantly. They had to have men-women doubleheaders with the men playing first to get people to come out to their games. I dunno where you got yet another set of grand delusions from, but this is one of your worst. Kansas State has one of the biggest bandwagon fanbases in the nation.

WSU, third in the state? Perhaps. But it's a close third and that's only because K-State rides the coattails of their Big 12 brethren. They are a true definition of a mid major school in a major conference.

[FeartheQ]

Missouri is the best team in the state of Missouri.

Sometimes

[MoValley John]

I understand Kansas not wanting to play WSU, but I don't understand K-State. Likewise, Mizzou should be playing MSU.

[WSUbballer]

Missouri is the best team in the state of Missouri.

Sometimes

Sorry, had to use that one to get through to Casey after he dropped the "3rd best team in the state" reference. I think if you look at it overall, both cases are true, Mizzou > MSU, KSU > WSU. But you're right, it's not always the case, especially this year with both IMO.

[FeartheQ]

In a perfect world the State schools would have to play each other. Where does the line get drawn though. In the state of Missouri we have:

Mizzou
Mo State
SLU
SEMO
UMKC

If Mizzou was forced to play us would we be forced to play SEMO and UMKC every year? probably. I just don't think it is worth it unless they wanted to play us. My dream scenario would be to draw them in the NCAA tourney and get the game on a neutral court.

[UNIFanSince1983]

We in the state of Iowa are really lucky. We get to determine who the best D1 basketball school is every year. And Drake and UNI are lucky because they get one of either Iowa or Iowa State at home each year too. For awhile there when ISU had Wayne Morgan, and we had McDermott, Morgan wanted to discontinue the tradition because we would work them over regularly. We are lucky we the state still makes sure these games happen.

As it has been mentioned since we moved into the McLeod there has been about an 80/20 split. There will usually be more Iowa fans in their years than the years it is Iowa State.

[CaseyGarrisonforPrez]

In a perfect world the State schools would have to play each other. Where does the line get drawn though. In the state of Missouri we have:

Mizzou
Mo State
SLU
SEMO
UMKC

If Mizzou was forced to play us would we be forced to play SEMO and UMKC every year? probably. I just don't think it is worth it unless they wanted to play us. My dream scenario would be to draw them in the NCAA tourney and get the game on a neutral court.

I would refuse to play SEMO and UMKC. Nothing to gain for MSU, but a lot to lose should we somehow play poorly. Just like playing Drury in an exhibition game. I have a friend who worked in the high reaches of the athletic department for several years at SEMO and he was always giving me grief about us not playing down there after we lost in 2000 or 2001. I have no desire to repeat that if we'd lose.

Now I'd love to play Missou or SLU. We have little to lose if we suffer a defeat and it would help our profile in this state. I envy the Drake fans that can go around and mock their ISU friends and coworkers. It would be great to be in a similar position.

[valleychamp]

In a perfect world the State schools would have to play each other. Where does the line get drawn though. In the state of Missouri we have:

Mizzou
Mo State
SLU
SEMO
UMKC

If Mizzou was forced to play us would we be forced to play SEMO and UMKC every year? probably. I just don't think it is worth it unless they wanted to play us. My dream scenario would be to draw them in the NCAA tourney and get the game on a neutral court.

I would refuse to play SEMO and UMKC. Nothing to gain for MSU, but a lot to lose should we somehow play poorly. Just like playing Drury in an exhibition game. I have a friend who worked in the high reaches of the athletic department for several years at SEMO and he was always giving me grief about us not playing down there after we lost in 2000 or 2001. I have no desire to repeat that.

What a hilarious attitude that is. That is the exact same thing that Mizzou says about MSU.