Big 4 Classic nearing an end?

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RunDMCyclone

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Jun 9, 2013
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Both programs wanted it gone back when they scrapped it, not just Iowa. A couple years of being good apparently have caused some people to forget how much we wanted traveling to (and losing at) Drake and UNI to end since everyone has a conspiracy about refs at UNI. And if the series starts up and we get upset in Cedar Falls, the same calls for the series to end would be back immediately.

We should not be playing games there. Funny how arrogant we are about "we should play them again in Cedar Falls since we are clearly better than them" despite the fact that they nearly beat us on a neutral court last year during our best season in a long time.
 

Dingus

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May 23, 2013
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Not overly excited about the idea of locking up 2 of 13 or whatever non-conference games every year with UNI and Drake.

I'm happy to play both schools, but don't get why it has to be a yearly, set-in-stone series. Many years we should play one or even both. Some years we should play neither if we have other more interesting or desirable games.
 

ca4cy

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Dec 6, 2009
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I don't ssh problem with playing at UNI's or Drakes place every other year. Wasn't very long ago that UNI was running the state of IA in basketball. We barely beat them last year so i don't get how people think its so beneath us to play them on their own court. I'd rather ISU be the team that gives opponents a fair shot rather then a team like Duke (ex) who only plays at home or in nuetral venues that aren't that nuetral. Show a little class and respect to the other schools in IA.

Yes, because purple Iowa fans show so much respect to ISU.

It also wasn't that long ago that U Conn was serving a postseason ban in hoops and Gene Chizik was national coach of the year. Times change. McDermott isn't here putting out program through an agonizing death and we need to seize opportunities to schedule home and homes in fertile recruiting grounds. Sorry but the Cedar Valley doesn't quite fit the bill.
 

Bestaluckcy

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I remember when the hawks looked down their noses and refused to play ISU. It took an act by the legislature to renew the series in football. An unequal share of the first games had to be played in Ia City. That was the beginning of my hate for the sqawks. Refusing to play Drake and UNI smells eerily similar to me. Except we are looking down our noses at them. I am for playing them home and home at least on a 4 year rotation, if not like it was. The reason to do it is because it is good for the state of Iowa. As a taxpayor I support all 4 universities. It is good when all 4 are successful.
 

Frak

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The solution seems relatively straightforward, play both yearly in Hilton and write a check to them for more than we pay other non-conference teams that come to Hilton (which would easily be made up in single game ticket sales compared to the low major non-cons). Most years for us it will be two relatively solid RPI home games. For them it it is a decent check enhanced by a low travel cost. If either Drake or UNI isn't interested that's their prerogative.

One other option I wouldn't be completely against is to play Drake (or UNI) at Hilton every other year and at Wells Fargo the other in a stand alone event. The main problem with the Big 4 Classic is the ticket prices for the double-header. If tickets ranged from $15-40 instead of $25-70 you would get a lot more casual sports fans in Des Moines to attend a game. Everything Iowa State can do to cultivate the Des Moines market is a plus in my book.

I'd like to see the second option there.

2014: UNI in Ames, Drake at WF
2015: Drake in Ames, UNI at WF
Repeat.

Give the teams whatever money they'd make at a sold out home game for their trip to WF.
 

Frak

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Both programs wanted it gone back when they scrapped it, not just Iowa. A couple years of being good apparently have caused some people to forget how much we wanted traveling to (and losing at) Drake and UNI to end since everyone has a conspiracy about refs at UNI. And if the series starts up and we get upset in Cedar Falls, the same calls for the series to end would be back immediately.

We should not be playing games there. Funny how arrogant we are about "we should play them again in Cedar Falls since we are clearly better than them" despite the fact that they nearly beat us on a neutral court last year during our best season in a long time.

Yeah, Pollard wanted those games gone just as much as Barta did, but he let the hawks take the PR hit.
 

cyclones500

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Jan 29, 2010
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I hope we never play either of them ever again.

Despite my preference for continuing Big 4 as a 2-day event, with both ISU and Iowa playing both teams each year, my "emotional" side is halfway in agreement with you -- or maybe more accurately, 25 percent — few things annoy me more (sports-wise) than losing to UNI.
 

cemarclone

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The original renewal series was for only 6 games starting in 1977. Becasue the contract had been designed years earlier before Jack Trice was built, the intent was to play 4 games in Kinnick, then 1 in Ames, then the last one in Kinnick. By the time the games were being played, ISU asked Iowa to switch some of the games to Jack Trice. Since Iowa is naturally jerks, they said no way to moving the games to Ames. So at that point ISU decided that once the 6 game series was done, they were going to be done with Iowa (because they are *****-holes). This is when the state legislature jumped in and threatened to make it state law that ISU and Iowa have to play every year. This forced ISU and Iowa to continue the series.

This is why I laugh when I hear people suggest that at some point in the future, Iowa may have to drop ISU from the schedule. The state legistlature got involved when ISU wanted to drop the series, so I expect that neither school really has the option to get out of the series anymore.
 

cemarclone

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Just to screw Iowa over, maybe we go back to playing UNI and Drake, and make Iowa look like the jerks. How about ISU propose the following tpe schedule to these schools, kind of a 2 for 1:

Year Iowa UNI Drake
1 H H H
2 A A -
3 H - -
4 A - A
5 H H H

This means a 2 for 1 with UNI and Drake, it means that 3 of the 5 years all the games are played in Hilton, for the other 2 years it means no home games and 2 road games, it makes ISU look better than Iowa, and in the 2 off years, ISU gets reasonably stiff "road" games to build some toughness without having to go to far on the road.
 
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wonkadog

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Apr 17, 2006
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I remember when the hawks looked down their noses and refused to play ISU. It took an act by the legislature to renew the series in football. An unequal share of the first games had to be played in Ia City. That was the beginning of my hate for the sqawks. Refusing to play Drake and UNI smells eerily similar to me. Except we are looking down our noses at them. I am for playing them home and home at least on a 4 year rotation, if not like it was. The reason to do it is because it is good for the state of Iowa. As a taxpayor I support all 4 universities. It is good when all 4 are successful.

How is it good when Iowa is successful?
 

johnnydugouts

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Jan 11, 2013
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The big four was about 10 years in the making. when the (never panned out) big ten-pac 12 partnership was announced, iowa needed to free up their schedule a bit more with ISU and an ACC game already on there and needing the home game revenue. thats when the momentum for the big four really got going. Fran had nothing to do with it besides probably being happy not to play at UNI for awhile. ISU happily went along with it as we couldnt even beat UNI at the time.

I am torn because the history lies in the ISU-Drake series, but UNI is a state school. I dont know why UNI and Drake have hitched their wagons together for this. I am all for re-starting the home and home with UNI, and Iowa should do the same as a state school, because i think it is unique for the state and good hoops. but Drake can solve their own problems in my opinion.
 

wolverine68

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Mar 30, 2007
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I'm torn as well. I grew up just thinking that's the way it should be, in-state rivals should play each other. On the other hand, as several others have pointed out, a home and home series with a team in an area we are trying to recruit might pay more dividends. It would be nice to raise our profile in Chicago or New York.
 

cybsball20

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Nov 26, 2006
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It's funny that people think that eliminating UNI and Drake games mean another chance at a quality opponent. That WON"T happen, it will be another scrub team, not on TV and barely even covered by the local/national media and probably a minimal impact to the department's bank account
 

1UNI2ISU

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Anybody that thinks that Iowa State is going to replace these games with big time opponents is crazy. You'll get Northern Arizona on a Tuesday night...

UNI hitched their horse to Drake on this one because of the politics of the Valley. There is a nasty public/private split in that league and Drake is usually the swing vote of the Private schools. They tend to vote with the publics more than not because they have football.

The Valley as a whole is a mess right now and UNI, Wichta, SIU, Illinois State, Indiana State, and Missouri State need to have Drake on their side to keep a super majority on most votes. UNI is taking the bullet for everybody else...
 

ribsnwhiskey

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It's funny that people think that eliminating UNI and Drake games mean another chance at a quality opponent. That WON"T happen, it will be another scrub team, not on TV and barely even covered by the local/national media and probably a minimal impact to the department's bank account

Anybody that thinks that Iowa State is going to replace these games with big time opponents is crazy. You'll get Northern Arizona on a Tuesday night...

Neither of you know this so don't state it as if it is fact.
 

wonkadog

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Apr 17, 2006
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Neither of you know this so don't state it as if it is fact.

They may not have specific facts on who we would schedule but I am on their side in terms of thinking about this. Why is it all or nothing? Couldn't we play these 2 schools and still schedule a "bigger" school as well? Just drop North Carolina A&T from the schedule?
 

chuckd4735

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Neither of you know this so don't state it as if it is fact.

Pretty safe bet that ISU is not going to schedule an additional high major opponent when they already schedule one, play Iowa, play an SEC team and play one in a early season tourney each year.
 

Bestaluckcy

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I would kind of like to see us go to a 4 year rotation with UNI and Drake. We mismatch the Iowa game so we have one in state rival at Hilton every year. We play UNI home and home then take a two year break and play Drake home and home the next two years. I attend the non conference games and have always found the UNI and Drake games entertaining. I watch Arkansas Pine Bluff also but it is just not quite the same.
 

CYphyllis

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Jun 22, 2010
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Anybody that thinks that Iowa State is going to replace these games with big time opponents is crazy. You'll get Northern Arizona on a Tuesday night...

UNI hitched their horse to Drake on this one because of the politics of the Valley. There is a nasty public/private split in that league and Drake is usually the swing vote of the Private schools. They tend to vote with the publics more than not because they have football.

The Valley as a whole is a mess right now and UNI, Wichta, SIU, Illinois State, Indiana State, and Missouri State need to have Drake on their side to keep a super majority on most votes. UNI is taking the bullet for everybody else...

Northern Arizona is still more interesting than UNI.