Say It Ain’t So, Io_a

[MissouriValleyUnite]

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story ... 702807002/

[BigMacAttack]

There goes UNI's annual non-com schedule strengther.

[unipanther99]

It was really disappointing to lose the annual home-and-home with Iowa/ISU a few years back. I never cared for the neutral setup in Des Moines, and part of me is glad it's dead, but the other part understands the job of putting together a quality non-conference schedule just got even harder.

Iowa (and all BigTen schools) are swimming in money with the new TV deal. They try to use the excuse this was done to get more home games with the increased conference schedule. Games against Bryant, Longwood, etc. might be net money makers for Iowa despite the awful product on the floor, but again they don't need the cash. So to me, this was Iowa taking their ball and going home --- and ISU happy to follow.

I was not a fan of Steve Alford, but he was always a proponent of these games, claiming going to UNI and Drake helped prepare his team for the hostile environments on the road in the BigTen. He said that even after taking a couple of L's in Cedar Falls. I always respected that, and I think he was right.

Fran is a paranoid freak and it wouldn't surprise me if he did this for spite.

[VUGrad1314]

If Iowa are the ones being jerks why can't UNI and Drake just set it up so that they both play ISU? Why does the whole event have to go?

Anyway this just underscores the need for mids to band together and pit the best of each conference against each other for the good of all. It also makes the need to guarantee more quality games in conference more pressing. Elgin and the MVC member school presidents need to wake up and realize that the MVC and Murray State need each other and they need each other now.

[tribecalledquest]

One thing coaches of good mid major teams have done an amazing job of is convincing their fans that no good teams will ever play them. It works hook, line and sinker every time.

[MissouriValleyUnite]

One thing coaches of good mid major teams have done an amazing job of is convincing their fans that no good teams will ever play them. It works hook, line and sinker every time.

Straw Man. No one’s said such. But keep patting yourself on the back.

[musiccitybulldog]

I think it would be nice to have a 2 day, four games a day, match-ups in Des Moines, say around Thanksgiving holiday.
Invite and rotate a couple other Valley teams besides Drake and UNI each year and play other interesting Mid Majors, Creighton, WSU, Murray State or other regional/other P5's that would take part. If Iowa State would take part that would be a plus.
Be a good way to see your teams match up early in the year.
Iowa seldom goes to the NCAA tournament any more so they are not as interesting to play anyway. Iowa State is always pretty good in recent years, UNI usually gives them a pretty good game. A lot of people I know had fun with the Big Four games, as family's had members attending with loyalty to various schools. It was fun. Also some fans that never get to attend games due to distance/other had a chance to see all the in-state teams in person and in a central location. I know enjoyed it.

[tribecalledquest]

One thing coaches of good mid major teams have done an amazing job of is convincing their fans that no good teams will ever play them. It works hook, line and sinker every time.

Straw Man. No one’s said such. But keep patting yourself on the back.

People have been saying that forever on here man. Come on.

[uniftw]

There goes UNI's annual non-com schedule strengther.

Um... Nope

17/18: Iowa State RPI 144 - 8th out of 10 counted RPI games. Had RPI games against #2, #3, #4, and #64 in the OOC. The two below Iowa State were part of the MTE and their on campus games.

16/17: Iowa RPI 81 - top half but we had almost every single one of our OOC games fall within the same basic RPI range - sans Oklahoma who was the RPI killer.

15:16: Iowa State RPI 23, wasn't even our best RPI game. This was an attorcious RPI OOC season for UNI. Still had 5 other top 100 OOC games. The opening round loss to top 100 RPI game in Hawaii cost us another top 100 game.

14/15: Iowa RPI of 43 - not even close to our top RPI game. Half of our OOC was top 100. Not our fault the B10, ACC, A10 and CAA teams we beat didn't hold up their end.

I can keep going but the pattern is clear. They don't often hurt UNI (though Iowa had a few years), but they are never the top RPI game. Most years they weren't top 4. The same is true for Drake - who has had significantly worse schedules than UNI.

What's also ironic is since the Big 4 was introduced Drake has actually gotten the better RPI games by year...by 10 RPI spots

Drake: 9 21 29 45 62 157 - average of 53
UNI: 7 23 43 81 81 144 - average of 63

I mean, programs that aren't used to having solid OOCs yearly - like Evansville - probably see them as the only booster that someone could have. Compared to SWAC, OVC, and MEAC programs that certainly is true. Some programs in this conference don't understand the ability to schedule more than one, maybe two, top 100 or 150 programs a year outside of buy games. You'll find almost no UNI fans concerned about replacing that RPI.

[uniftw]

On topic of the Big 4

Good. I'm glad it's gone. Many UNI fans are. Sure, it was nice to get the exposure and put the other two programs in their place at times. But the event was horrendous. It was born out of Iowa's Fran Mccaffery throwing a s*** fit because he couldn't win in Cedar Falls - while at Siena or Iowa. In 2 games in Cedar Falls he picked up 3 T's, a police escort off the court and two losses by an average of 18.5 points. He swore after the 20 point loss while with Iowa he, and the Hawkeyes would never play at UNI again. A few months later the Big 4 was born. It was born because UNI's AD at the time was spineless and would do - and did do - anything to please Iowa and Iowa State.

If Iowa and Iowa State want to end it, fine. F*** em. Let them play Chicago State, Maryland Eastern Shore, TAMU-CC, Morgan State, Bryant, etc. Iowa claims it's about scheduling. 20 conference games, MTE, ACC/B10 and whatever the Big East/B10 thing is. The reality is Iowa plays in the Big East event like every 3 years. They are replacing a game 2 hours from their campus against top 200 RPI teams for a home game against 300+ RPI teams. Screw em. I hope we never play Iowa again. Iowa coaches and admin have said they have no plans to schedule UNI or Drake, even in Iowa City. Good. They couldn't afford UNI or Drake. They would both want 150K for a buy, if not more. They pay Bryant, Chicago State and all their other plebs half that.

Iowa State said they'd be willing to schedule, but only in Ames. Nope. Kick rocks with the rest of them. You have plenty of scheduling flexibility. If you want to play UNI set up a series, not just a one off in Ames. I can't speak for Drake on that one.


I'm on board with trying to save that basic set up though - like musiccity proposed. I'm not sure about a 2 day event. Mulitple days starts getting into impacting MTE availability, even if it isn't technically a tournament. In a "perfect" world we'd keep the Big 4 regional and go UNI, Drake, Iowa State and Creighton and Nebraska. Creighton would be great, but the issue is Jake and Mac have less than zero interest in ever playing each other - especially voluntarily. I know steps are actively taken to avoid being in the same MTE. Going with Nebraska would get a B10 team in there, and is still regional. We could rotate between Des Moines and Omaha for all I care. Wichita State will never want to be involved with anything in the state of Iowa again outside of some parallel universe B12 game against Iowa State or NCAA tournament game in Des Moines.

I'm sure Iowa State wants no part of a Big 4 set up moving forward though. Which makes it just Drake and UNI trying to set up an event in a 17,000 seat arena that would make money. An idea that had crossed my mind is something like UNI, Drake, South Dakota State (who is almost always very solid) and some kind of
4th. The problem is I can't nail down that 4th.

The arena has said they will work with the teams to save the series, set up a new series or hosting games. I think UNI could/will find a way to keep playing in Wells Fargo. I know Jake doesn't want to play "home games" away from home, even in Des Moines. But it could be a decent way to attract some bigger names to play "at UNI". UNI and Drake setting up some kind of alliance to make it a double header and draw fans in does make sense though.