Let’s start the college football season with Iowa vs. Iowa State
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Iowa-Iowa State football rivalry needs a pick-me-up, a shot of adrenaline, something new and different.
The game often is disappointing and anti-climactic, so why not make the stakes even higher and the circumstances more unique?
It is time for a scheduling change beyond the evening kickoff that’s slated for Saturday’s matchup at Kinnick Stadium.
Playing under the stars is something different, but why not play under the stars on the Thursday before the season hits full swing?
Make it the season opener for both teams, and for college football. Have each season ushered in by Iowa versus Iowa State as an annual event, sort of like college football’s answer to the Iowa Caucus.
Iowa and Iowa State would share the spotlight as the eyes of the nation look on. The game would add some viewers just from being the first early fix for college football fans.
The state of Iowa would be on full display as one of few states that have schools from two different Power five conferences.
You could start each regular season by facing Iowa State on Thursday in late August and end it by facing Nebraska on the Friday after Thanksgiving in late November.
Fans from both schools could make it the start of a three- or maybe even a four-day weekend, assuming their bosses would understand.
Fans wouldn’t have as much time to tailgate, but is that necessarily a bad thing for this one game?
Playing this game on Saturday night is risky because fans from both schools will have all day to party and tailgate in close quarters. That is a recipe for trouble, but it wouldn’t have near the effect if you played on Thursday night.
Playing the game on Thursday wouldn’t interfere with high school football on Friday, either.
Hawkeye fans and Cyclone fans also would have the opportunity to watch as many games as they so desired on the first big Saturday of the season.
And from Iowa’s standpoint, it might be worth playing the Cyclones on a different day because playing on the second or third Saturday of each season hasn’t worked real well lately, considering Iowa State is 10-8 against Iowa since 1998.
There are some Iowa fans who dread playing Iowa State each year. They call it a no-win situation for Iowa and they say it runs their weekend when Iowa loses to the Cyclones.
But if you played the game on Thursday, that would give fans from both schools more time to recover emotionally.
Parking would certainly be an issue and the traditionalists, including Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, almost certainly would disagree with not playing on Saturday.
Sometimes, change is good, though.
Lots of schools are playing on days other than Saturday. So why not Iowa?
Especially if it would mean having the national spotlight all to yourself.
And with parking, the people who fill many of the spots near Kinnick Stadium, many of whom are University of Iowa employees, could leave work early on Thursday?
Yes. It would take some planning to pull it off on a work day. But it could be done.
And why not reward the winner with more than just bragging rights?
You know those signs on the interstate that welcome drivers as they cross over the boarder? That would be the perfect place to pay tribute to the winner of the big game by having the words “It’s a Hawkeye State” or “It’s a Cyclone State” painted on the signs.
The signs would be updated based on the result of each game. They would be a source of pride for the winner and shame/motivation for the loser.