Iowa Big 4 in jeopardy

[valleychamp]

This whole thing is absolutely embarrassing. ISU and Iowa are tired of getting beat by in-state teams that they are "supposed" to beat. They are tired of getting humiliated. This is ALL this is about.

I really, really hope that UNI does not play in some sort of neutral "event" thing in DM with these DBs. If they are too good to come to our place anymore, screw them. We are better off finding some other crappy BCS school to play.

Absolutely hilarious that it has come to this though.

[valleychamp]

I will also add, that Iowa's schedule is atrocious right now. Iowa plays a grand total of TWO non conference road games, both of them are in Iowa. (UNI and ISU)

UNI is by far the best game on their non-conf schedule, and now they want to drop that one as well. Any talk of their difficulty scheduling is PURE BS. They are sick of losing, and that is the one and only reason for this. They will drop this game and replace it with yet another Grand Valley A&M type game at home.

[strike00]

There has been talk of Iowa and ISU running and hiding every year for over a decade so usually I don't put much stock in it, put this year it seems the talk is much louder and for the first time it seems like it could happen. And yes, this is all about them simply not being able to handle losing to Drake and UNI.

[shocker3]

The historic reason that Drake played Iowa St twice a year was that DRAKE was THE basketball power in the state. Iowa St wanted to play Drake because Drake was usually the better team back then.

The UNL-Creighton series is similar. Creighton historically is the better basketball team in Nebraska, so most of the time it actually helps UNL to play CU. Besides UNL basketball could use all of the attention it can get. Many years it ranks behind wrestling and baseball at UNL (everything at UNL ranks way behind football, but basketball isn't even the #2 sport at UNL most years).

In most other states, the power conference teams are the perceived better programs (sometimes only in their own minds), so they refuse to play the non-BCS teams in the state.

In our state, Ku views itself as the state's flagship institution and far superior to any other university in the state, so there is no way they would play lowly WSU. In fact, I doubt if they would even play K-state either if they weren't in the same conference.

[DUBulldog]

I will also add, that Iowa's schedule is atrocious right now. Iowa plays a grand total of TWO non conference road games, both of them are in Iowa. (UNI and ISU)

UNI is by far the best game on their non-conf schedule, and now they want to drop that one as well. Any talk of their difficulty scheduling is PURE BS. They are sick of losing, and that is the one and only reason for this. They will drop this game and replace it with yet another Grand Valley A&M type game at home.

Bingo. All of the talk about replacing a road game at an MVC school to improve the schedule is total B.S. They will just add another home game against a SWAC, MEAC, Great West, etc school.

They also love to talk about how the only reason that UNI and Drake ever beat their school is because it is our "super bowl" and we (the MVC team) gets up for the game much more than they do. Again, total B.S. Drake and UNI each play multiple BCS conference teams every year, so it's not like there's anything special about playing Iowa or Iowa State.

I can't speak for other fans, but I get up much more for a DU-Wichita game or a DU-Creighton game than I do when they play Iowa or Iowa State. Conference games matter a lot more.

[havoc]

Again, total B.S. Drake and UNI each play multiple BCS conference teams every year, so it's not like there's anything special about playing Iowa or Iowa State.

I don't think if I would go that far. If there is nothing special about playing Iowa or Iowa State, I would think most UNI and Drake fans would have no problem with not playing them anymore.

[DoubleJayAlum]

The UNL-Creighton series is similar. Creighton historically is the better basketball team in Nebraska, so most of the time it actually helps UNL to play CU. Besides UNL basketball could use all of the attention it can get. Many years it ranks behind wrestling and baseball at UNL (everything at UNL ranks way behind football, but basketball isn't even the #2 sport at UNL most years).

Nebraska isn't Iowa - wrestling is never that high in the pecking order at Nebraska. Now, if you would have said volleyball, I'd be in agreement.

Now that Nebraska's baseball team sucks, nobody gives a crap. It was a bandwagon program any way.

[DUBulldog]

Again, total B.S. Drake and UNI each play multiple BCS conference teams every year, so it's not like there's anything special about playing Iowa or Iowa State.

I don't think if I would go that far. If there is nothing special about playing Iowa or Iowa State, I would think most UNI and Drake fans would have no problem with not playing them anymore.

I wouldn't have a problem with Drake not playing those schools. I have a problem with the reasons being given for not continuing the series. I like the fact that they were traditional opponents, and putting together a schedule is easier when there are 2 non-conference games already penciled in. But I don't consider Iowa or Iowa State rivals in the same way that I consider UNI or CU rivals for Drake.

[mecha_bulldog]

Again, total B.S. Drake and UNI each play multiple BCS conference teams every year, so it's not like there's anything special about playing Iowa or Iowa State.

I don't think if I would go that far. If there is nothing special about playing Iowa or Iowa State, I would think most UNI and Drake fans would have no problem with not playing them anymore.

Saying there's nothing special about playing Iowa or Iowa State is probably going too far. A lot of fans care, the local media cares, and there's a lot of tradition at play. Iowa and Iowa State are usually by far the biggest home games on Drake's non-conference schedule.

But to call it Drake's superbowl is going way too far. Drake usually plays at least one other BCS-conference team in non-conference (this year Drake played two others), so it's not like Iowa and Iowa State are the only big name programs Drake plays. Iowa and Iowa State are rarely the best teams on Drake's schedule. Drake's undergrads mostly come from outside Iowa, and the out of staters don't care about Iowa or ISU. Drake's roster is usually mostly non-Iowans too (Drake has two scholarship players who grew up in Iowa, and neither has played yet this year due to injury).

[musiccitybulldog]

I would be suprised if the Big 4 games actually go away. It is a big tradition for many basketball fans around the state, especially those who aren't Iowa/ISU season ticket holders but are yet fans of those schools.

I also am more excited about the annual Creighton, Wichita and UNI games (home and away) than ISU games.
Actually several Hawkeye fans I know sort of expect to be beaten by the Bulldogs these days, which is quite a change from the past.