Possiblity of ISU/Iowa/Drake/UNI BB at Wells Fargo

[dogbo]

Selfishly, I'd love this. I can understand why some might not be so hip to the idea:

Possible change: All Big 4 men's teams meeting in one venue [with poll]1:07 PM, Dec. 7, 2011 | Comments

Written by
RICK BROWN

Big Four men’s college basketball in the state of Iowa appears headed for a change.

“I reached out to the other three schools and said, “Look, I like playing each other at some level,” Iowa athletic director Gary Barta said today. “I shared with all of them that we probably wouldn’t be able to renew exactly as we had done in the past. There are several ideas we’re looking at. I won’t go into any details. We’ll still play, but it will look different

Barta said that a possible Big Four event – likely at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines bringing together the state’s four schools in a doubleheader – is on the table.

“I think that’s one of several ideas we’ve talked about,” Barta said.

Link to full article: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... d|mostview

[DMRyan]

I love the idea for Des Moines' sake, but I don't think the games will be quite as energetic as they are on the home courts. I doubt you see mass numbers of students coming from Cedar Falls, Iowa City or even Ames to pump up a crowd like only a student section could do.

With enough hype and a little tradition building, this could grow to become one of the larger events every year at WFA (if ISU or the Hawks BB squad can actually show up to play a decent game).

[QuadCityImages]

I like the idea of having a combined event, but I think it should rotate around the state rather than be tied down to one venue.

[dogbo]

I know people get tired of everything seemingly being in DM, but for practical reasons DM makes the most sense for logistical reasons IMO.

[CRUNIFan]

As a UNI fan I can say this idea sucks. Iowa and Iowa State had no problem with our arrangement when they blasted us year after year. Now that UNI has beaten ISU five out of the last six years and we have beaten Iowa 5 times in the last 10 years they say they are doing us a favor? Last I checked UNI's RPI fell after BEATING Iowa while Iowa's rose after losing to UNI.

Bottom line, the series as it stands now is good for the state of Iowa, good for the schools, and fun for the fans. Moving this to Des Moines is just an attempt to show Drake and UNI that we are still the little brother schools at the mercy of Iowa and ISU.

[Mastermind]

A good model is the Indiana schools. They play in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis. Indiana & Purdue (UNI & Drake) vs. Notre Dame and Butler (Iowa & Iowa State).

http://www.consecofieldhouse.com/events ... s_classic/
http://www.indystar.com/article/2011121 ... Star.com|s

[Ex-Chicago]

A good model is the Indiana schools. They play in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis. Indiana & Purdue (UNI & Drake) vs. Notre Dame and Butler (Iowa & Iowa State).

http://www.consecofieldhouse.com/events ... s_classic/
http://www.indystar.com/article/2011121 ... Star.com|s

There are at least 9 Division-1 schools in Indiana, so they obviously can't all play each other. As a biased Drake fan who has been watching these games since the mid-70's, I prefer to keep things as they are currently. But, I'm also realistic enough to know that Iowa and Iowa State will not continue to play a home-and-home series with Drake and UNI. Little brothers have been beating big brothers too often in recent years.

[dogbo]

A step closer...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/articl ... ter-season

[lunksmoo]

I know people get tired of everything seemingly being in DM, but for practical reasons DM makes the most sense for logistical reasons IMO.

I wouldn't mind it being in other cities across the state, as long as it is held in a 17,000 seat NBA style arena in an off-campus site in another Iowa town.

For anyone under the age of 60 (which is probably about 98% of this board; me included until a few more decades), it may come as a big surprise that until the early 1980's there were only 2 big-time college basketball programs in Iowa: Drake and Iowa. Yes, Iowa State fans, you were second fiddle in the metro area to Drake Basketball.