WHAT! You do know DM is hosting the ncaa tournament for the 2nd time right? Sold out before it even hit the public sale. Also DM is not a great sports town? wow!
Why didn't the Big 4 Classic work?
- Thread starter ChrisMWilliams
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WHAT! You do know DM is hosting the ncaa tournament for the 2nd time right? Sold out before it even hit the public sale. Also DM is not a great sports town? wow!
I think a big part is ISU and Iowa do not want to play UNI because it does nothing for them. They win it is " you should of won" they lose it brings down their sos and hurts them more than a win helps them. You can see this by neither team scheduling them in the foreseeable future
Concerts? I've been there twice both for BB seating isn't that great. Plus seats are fairly narrow with narrow spacing between rows for your knees.
I don't think the Well is a bad place for basketball when it's packed. I just don't think there is much excitement for the matchups because Iowa and ISU should be beating UNI and Drake nearly every year if their programs are at the level they should be playing in a power 5 conference. I don't want to lose the home and home with Iowa because it's fun to have that series on the home courts but if the Iowa/ISU game were played there every year kind of like how Mizzou and Illinois play their Braggin' Rights game every year in St Louis it might drum up more interest for having some kind of game at the Well every year.
I just don't care to spend the extra money on top of my season tickets just to attend the game either is part of it. Maybe to replace this series they just setup something to bring in a decent non-conf opponent once in awhile that would have some excitement to attending. Who that would be I dunno but maybe even getting Iowa and ISU to agree to bring in a power 5 non-conf game. I've always said I wish we'd try to play someone like Minnesota or Illinois non-conf more and maybe if that was at a neutral site you'd get some of their fans to attend as well as they aren't too far of a drive. I'd say Mizzou and Nebraska too but I know some people don't want to do anything with them at all after they left the Big 12. Iowa could maybe even play Mizzou or Creighton, just trying to think of what other schools in the region could make for a matchup people would get more excited for that would pull in fans from both schools.
I just don't care to spend the extra money on top of my season tickets just to attend the game either is part of it. Maybe to replace this series they just setup something to bring in a decent non-conf opponent once in awhile that would have some excitement to attending. Who that would be I dunno but maybe even getting Iowa and ISU to agree to bring in a power 5 non-conf game. I've always said I wish we'd try to play someone like Minnesota or Illinois non-conf more and maybe if that was at a neutral site you'd get some of their fans to attend as well as they aren't too far of a drive. I'd say Mizzou and Nebraska too but I know some people don't want to do anything with them at all after they left the Big 12. Iowa could maybe even play Mizzou or Creighton, just trying to think of what other schools in the region could make for a matchup people would get more excited for that would pull in fans from both schools.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
It wrecked a solid tradition, cost too much, and wasn't available on TV.
I'm glad this thing died. It deserved that.
I'm glad this thing died. It deserved that.
It just wasn't well thought out. It was rushed and thrown together after Fran threw his temper tantrum and declared he was never going back to Cedar Falls. They struggled to keep it on the same weekend every year at first and then settled on a weekend too close to Christmas when there are a million other things going on for everybody.
Tickets were always too expensive for what they were. The Well isn't a great basketball facility and even worse when its half full for the first half of the first game and second half of the second game. The inability to find a consistent TV partner hurt too.
It's just too bad. I think a lot of people really looked forward to these games and I don't see a scenario where UNI and Iowa ever play again and I struggle to see UNI and Iowa State ever playing again. I do believe that Iowa State and Drake will work something out (most likely a 2 in Ames, 1 at the Well set up). I'm also of the opinion that Iowa and Iowa State are under no obligation to play UNI and Drake and I would absolutely hate if the legislature would step in.
Tickets were always too expensive for what they were. The Well isn't a great basketball facility and even worse when its half full for the first half of the first game and second half of the second game. The inability to find a consistent TV partner hurt too.
It's just too bad. I think a lot of people really looked forward to these games and I don't see a scenario where UNI and Iowa ever play again and I struggle to see UNI and Iowa State ever playing again. I do believe that Iowa State and Drake will work something out (most likely a 2 in Ames, 1 at the Well set up). I'm also of the opinion that Iowa and Iowa State are under no obligation to play UNI and Drake and I would absolutely hate if the legislature would step in.
Good question. I do think the AD's (Pollard and Barta more specifically) misjudged the fan interest in the event but Iowa had a knee jerk reaction to going to CF ever again so the event was created and a good sponsor jumped on board and the event was set up without ever really knowing what fan interest there really was. Obviously, Drake and UNI did not want this. Iowa and ISU were in the rebuilding phase coming off of their worst years of the modern hoops era. The fan interest from those two larger schools was down compared to a generation previous. Fred had ISU coming back quickly so that last comment relates more to Iowa. Lastly, WFA is just not great. It does not compare to Sprint Center or Omaha in concourse space, or in atmosphere.
I was always a home and home guy but I know that model is outdated today. I would love to see ISU continue to play Drake at WFA each year and given the quick and good relationship that Pollard and Hardin have, I find it hard to believe that game won't still be every year. It is one of the oldest hoops rivalry games played west of the Mississippi River. I could see UNI doing a rotation of Hilton or WFA. I cannot see a 2 for 1 happening there but since David Harris is a former ISU staffer, maybe we can save something with them.
I expect Iowa to play only ISU moving forward and the 20 game conference schedule is a bear for sure. Still, if you are going to play the sub 300 RPI teams that they are, you may as well play the in state schools. They won't.
We could still do a Big 4 and just put Creighton in Iowa's position and keep the rotation going. Could actually draw more interest to be honest as Creighton has an awesome basketball fan base and brings in a new conference that is basketball crazy. Coach Orr used to say ISU played 4 in state games each year. Iowa, UNI, Drake and he considered Creighton an in state game.
That and for me personally I think Wells Fargo sucks for watching bb games.
The well just isn't that great of an arena. Design and flow is poor. NCAA wrestling should come to Iowa every so often, but the one time it showed up in DM, the well so underperformed that it isn't coming back. State HS wrestling is also a disaster in the facility. The few basketball events I've been to aren't that good either.
Sprint Center is a good arena but the Century Link Center is much worse than Wells Fargo. I was really disappointed when we went over there.
This.
I also think making it a multi-day event where each school played two games might have been better as well. We use to play both UNI and Drake every year. Have a Friday night game, and a Saturday game for all schools with separate tickets for each game.
Schedule something like this:
Friday - 6PM Iowa/Drake; 8:30 ISU/UNI
Saturday - 2:30PM Drake/ISU; 6:00PM Iowa/UNI
Yep sucks so bad the ncaa tourny is there for the 2nd time and has sold out for the 2nd time in a record time.
That is funny as I enjoyed it much more. That said, this is totally subjective and I am sure you are not the only one who feels that way.
I get that but I also wish we'd schedule a few more better quality non-conf games when we aren't at a tournament like Maui this year that should help our SOS this season. It's OK to play some cupcakes but playing some quality teams in non-conf helps SOS and looks better on a tournament resume. UNI usually is a decent team, Drake is the one that usually is not and would be a bad loss but then again I've always felt if we have the better team we shouldn't have to worry about losing to them. It's the same crap Iowa fans always use about playing us in FB that we all hate to hear too, just win the game and it's not an issue.
18,000 (?) seats is why it is hosting not because it is a good basketball arena. If ISU is there I may go to support the team but not because it's a great BB facility. The old Bucks arena where ISU was at a few yrs ago is better than the Well.
In response to your comment to someone else about a sports town, I think a lot of that prepurchase is ISU/Iowa fans hoping their team gets in and if not resell on the secondary market and if the tickets don't bring your price going to the game.
I'm glad that DM is hosting the NCAA's I think it's a good way to showcase the area, good for the local economy etc.. But all that doesn't mean the Well is a great BB facility.
I think Wells management have exceeded what the arena is. Anytime Conley is on the radio, I am reminded by that.
I think its a huge combination of things. People already buying season tickets, holidays, not wanting to watch the other game, maybe paying for a bowl game trip that's 2 weeks later, parking at Hilton is huge and free.
I think its a huge combination of things. People already buying season tickets, holidays, not wanting to watch the other game, maybe paying for a bowl game trip that's 2 weeks later, parking at Hilton is huge and free.
WF isnt a great arena for watching games
Going to games where it was almost always 2/3-3/4 against us due to the hawk fans and fans of the other team was less than fun (Iowa against us, UNI almost all against us, and Drake fans are more balanced but obviously pulling for Drake whenever we played)
Tickets were pricey, especially if you have no interest in paying to watch Iowa.
I also just have little interest in playing UNI anyway. Drake is a nice series and i wouldnt mind a home-and-well with them (especially as ISU gets a benefit from being active in the des moines area), but i have zero interest in UNI and basically a second rivalry game for hawk fans.
Going to games where it was almost always 2/3-3/4 against us due to the hawk fans and fans of the other team was less than fun (Iowa against us, UNI almost all against us, and Drake fans are more balanced but obviously pulling for Drake whenever we played)
Tickets were pricey, especially if you have no interest in paying to watch Iowa.
I also just have little interest in playing UNI anyway. Drake is a nice series and i wouldnt mind a home-and-well with them (especially as ISU gets a benefit from being active in the des moines area), but i have zero interest in UNI and basically a second rivalry game for hawk fans.
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