After Saturday's Hy-Vee Classic, no one knows when century-old rivalries will renew

Dating more than a century, Iowa and Iowa State have faced Drake and Northern Iowa a combined 338 times in men’s basketball.

After Saturday, no one knows exactly when these matchups will take place again.

“I loved following these games,” said Drake coach Darian DeVries, an Aplington native and former UNI guard as well. “For me, that’s a little bit of my childhood being taken away with these games going away.”

Saturday’s Hy-Vee Classic doubleheader at Wells Fargo Arena — Iowa State faces . Drake first at 3:30 p.m., followed by Iowa against UNI at about 6 p.m. — marks the final time, for now, that the state’s Power Five schools have their mid-major counterparts on nonconference schedules. This has been known since June, when the Hawkeyes cited an increase in Big Ten Conference games as the primary reason for exiting the event after six years.

Although the Hy-Vee Classic never generated the same vibe as the alternating home-and-home setup that stood for decades, the Des Moines event was at least something to satisfy the in-state appetite. Attendance for the 2017 doubleheader at Wells Fargo was 13,828 — the first time below 15,000 since 2013. Wells Fargo Arena’s official capacity sits at 16,110.

Meanwhile, there are no pro teams to steal the stage, no long list of universities jockeying for the spotlight. All four Division I schools resonate — to some degree — on a statewide scale. 

What comes next is murkier than ever.

“I don’t see anything in the foreseeable future — such as the next two or three years — for an opportunity for our teams to get on to the court,” Drake athletics director Brian Hardin said.

How we got here

Few were surprised with Iowa’s summer announcement, which was released June 14 and officially set a timer on the state’s current men’s basketball landscape. The Big Ten’s decision to shift to 20 conference games drove the Hawkeyes’ move, giving Iowa 22 required contests, when one adds the Gavitt Tipoff Games and Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Hawkeyes athletic director Gary Barta declined comment this week, but he said this on June 14:

"In our last agreement, we added language that provided each institution an opportunity to opt out of the remainder of the contract if they reached 22 required games by the conference. The addition of two conference games is good for our fans, the Big Ten Conference and our strength of schedule — but unfortunately, it created some scheduling challenges that impacts this event.

“As we have in the past, the Hawkeyes will continue to evaluate playing in-state schools on a sport-by-sport, case-by-case basis."

Jamie Pollard’s release carried a similar tone. The Iowa State athletics director also declined fresh comment this week and asked that his summer words be used. The Cyclones will have 20 required games starting next season: 18 Big 12 contests and one-game challenges with the Big East and SEC.

“Although we would certainly welcome continuing to play games against UNI or Drake in the future,” Pollard said in his June release, “our ability to do that will most likely depend on each of their institution’s willingness to play games in Hilton Coliseum.

"We have certainly enjoyed being part of the Big Four event in Des Moines, and although we are disappointed that the event will no longer take place after this year, we understand and share many of the same basketball scheduling challenges that the University of Iowa is experiencing."

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The people leading athletics at Iowa’s mid-major schools are no strangers to basketball’s top layer and how it operates. Hardin came to Drake after serving as Marquette’s deputy director of athletics. UNI athletic director David Harris made the jump from Iowa State nearly three years ago. The two have certainly seen things from the Power Five side.

Still, that understanding doesn’t ease the disappointment expressed then and now.

Issues are multi-faceted — one being the major opening created in Drake and UNI’s nonconference schedules. As a mid-major university, landing Power Five foes in any setting is difficult enough. This move adds to their anguish.           

“Having (the Hy-Vee Classic) built into the schedule for a significant period of time has been a good thing for us,” said Harris, who leads a UNI program that’s used the event for two big nonconference wins during NCAA Tournament seasons (against Iowa in 2014 and No. 5 Iowa State in 2015). “When that goes away, it’s a significant hole that has to be filled.”

A similar void exists inside many basketball fans who have contacted Hardin and Harris with concerns over the past six months.

“I think it was part of what made Iowa so unique in the college basketball landscape — that our four Division I teams would always play each other every year,” Hardin said. “That was pretty special, and I think it helped promote the game of basketball within Iowa. I think all the schools benefited from it at one point or another.

"My concern is for our fans.”

Homage to history

Prior to the Hy-Vee Classic’s creation before the 2012-13 season, there was impressive longevity in all four rivalries.

Iowa State faced Drake each season but one since 1907 and battled UNI every year but two since 1980. Iowa played the Bulldogs all but one season since 1965 and faced the Panthers each year starting in 1988.

The model included alternating home games during most of those stretches.      

Extended runs where mid-majors host in-state Power Five schools are rare finds in college basketball. You can locate a few hidden gems — for example, North Carolina played at Elon last month; Penn hosted and knocked off Villanova earlier this week as part of the Big 5 rivalries; Tennessee traveled to East Tennessee State in 2016 — but those opportunities are usually part of one-time home-and-home arrangements or even a two-for-one deal (two games at the larger school, one at the mid-major).

This reality is precisely why Iowa’s men’s basketball history is so treasured.

It’s been since the late 1980s that Iowa State played consecutive home games versus UNI, and the late '70s against Drake. Similar data exists on the Hawkeye side — Iowa hasn’t played consecutive home games against the Bulldogs and Panthers since the early '80s.

There were no two-for-ones or sporadic home-and-homes. All programs played each other equally.

It was like that all the way until 2011, so it’s not as if archaic agreements define these memories. College basketball scheduling and resources have morphed over the past seven years, but those unique matchups still resonate with the state’s current players.

“I’ve always been a huge proponent of having us go play at UNI or having us go play at Drake, just to change it up a bit,” said Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon, who — as a local Linn-Mar alum and brother of former Panther guard Matt Bohannon — has roots intertwined throughout the state.

“Maybe don’t even have the Big Four Classic," he continued. "That’s something they may look into for the future.”

The concept seems unlikely given the current temperature and scheduling mandates. Hardin and Harris said they’ve heard the fan frustration and understand the disappointment, as have some of those who’ll suit up Saturday.    

“It’s kind of unfortunate to hear that, because I know everybody on our team loves those types of games,” said UNI standout AJ Green, another in-state product from Cedar Falls. “Also, the fans do, too. They love to see those in-state rivalries. So for this to possibly be the last year of that, it’s definitely kind of a sad thing to see.”

Said redshirt senior Nicholas Baer, a Bettendorf Bulldog turned Iowa Hawkeye: “I can understand (fans being disappointed). Obviously, we have four great universities here within the state with great programs. Very loyal followings for each of them. So I can understand why people would be upset or a little sad that the in-state matchups are ending.

“Hope to see them back sometime.”

Unknown opportunity

No one is slamming the door shut for good, but no one knows when it’ll swing open again.  

Hardin’s rough timeline of doubt came after conversations he had with Pollard and Barta “a few months” following the initial announcement — talks he said were respectful but largely went nowhere. Harris did mention brief email discussions with Pollard, but said the Iowa State AD reiterated any upcoming games would only be in Ames.

All four coaches addressed what’s ahead in some way this week.

“That’s something we’d have to look at down the road, to see if it fits,” Cyclones coach Steve Prohm said, addressing the possibility of a two-for-one or three-for-one against either UNI or Drake. “There are some things scheduling-wise — like neutral site games (outside the state) — that we’re looking at. There are a lot of factors involved.

“I wouldn’t close the door on anything. We’re pretty aggressive in our scheduling. We’ve got some things in the works for the next few years down the road.”

In Iowa City, Fran McCaffery had a similarly vague anything’s-possible response.

“I don't really think about that down the road,” the Iowa coach said when asked if any sort of home-and-home setup could ever work again. “I wouldn't say it's not a possibility. I wouldn't say no. I wouldn't say yes.”

Up north, Ben Jacobson made his objections clear — but also emphasized he’s not spending time worrying about the future. He’s down to listen if talks emerge. Until then, winning basketball games remains paramount.

“Because this situation has been changed and the Big Four is going away, I haven’t made the decision of, ‘OK, that’s what has happened. That’s what has been decided. So we’re never going to play them again.’” the UNI coach said. “I haven’t made that decision.

“So if something comes up with a potential of a one-game or some sort of series, we’re in for discussion.”

Although Saturday’s festivities have a final-act feel, it’ll be the first in-state showdown for DeVries as a head coach. He’s experienced them as a young Iowan and player, giving him an exclusive perspective on how basketball in this state reverberates through different demographics.

“I think these games are great for the state, in terms of basketball and kids and dreaming to play at one of those schools someday,” DeVries said. “I hate to see it go, but hopefully it’s something we can revisit in the future to see if there are opportunities to start it back up again.”  

Pieces of those four statements are perhaps dressed-up coach-speak, but they're likely more of a reflection of where things stand. If you’re looking for discussion this weekend, Iowans with opinions shouldn’t be hard to find. That’s how this state rolls.  

Concrete answers, though? That’s another story.

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.