By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – There are some things that just don’t make sense; like putting mayonnaise on a hamburger, sour cream on a taco, walking your dog on a dangerously hot day, or thinking that Iowa and Iowa State shouldn’t face each other in football every year.

The belief that Iowa and Iowa State shouldn’t play on an annual basis seems to come more from Hawkeye fans who say that it hurts Iowa’s scheduling flexibility, and because they just don’t like playing their instate rival every year.

With some Iowa fans, there is also a sense that Iowa State isn’t worthy of an annual home-and-away series in football, simply because Iowa is bigger and better as a football program and has bigger fish to fry.

Those fans say they’re bored with the series and would like to see Iowa face some other power-conference opponents, like maybe Notre Dame for example.

Okay. Fair enough.

If Iowa could replace Iowa State with an intriguing power-conference opponent each year, then bring it on.

However, the problem is that it would be virtually impossible to schedule a home-and-away series against an intriguing power-conference opponent from out of state.

And while getting one to play at a neutral site would probably be easier, it still would come at a price because most schools rely on playing at least seven home games to fund their athletic departments; so playing a home-and-away series takes a serious commitment that both Iowa and Iowa State are willing to make on an annual basis as instate schools.

There isn’t much travel involved and there is also something to be said for having state bragging rights at the highest level of college football.

Both schools recently agreed to extend the series through the 2031 season, ending speculation that the series was in danger of being discontinued or would no longer be played on an annual basis.

The argument against playing Iowa State has changed over the years.

Iowa used to dominate the series, winning 15 straight games from 1983 to 1997, with most of the games not even close and with some decided by halftime.

If that would have kept up, ending the series, or maybe playing once every three or four years would have made sense.

But now the series is about as competitive as it can be with the last eight games decided by 10 points or fewer, and with three of the last four matchups decided by a field goal or less.

Iowa State also has won three of the last four games in series, and that obviously doesn’t sit well with Iowa fans.

But it’s another reason to keep playing every year.

“I still think it’s probably underappreciated a little bit on a national front just the football that gets played here for a state of our size, our population,” said Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz, who has a 13-12 record against Iowa State. “You have two Power 4 programs that have been really good this past decade. You have two other Division I programs that have done very well historically. We have excellent Division III football here. And Grand View has probably done better than anybody: 72 straight wins. Tough to beat that.

“So a lot of good football being played here. It’s a compliment certainly to all the coaching that gets done in-state and the programs that have emerged there.

“So just kudos to that, and it will be great for the game to be on a national spotlight on Saturday night.”

Iowa has what Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri and the Dakotas don’t have, which is two power-conference football programs in a state that ranks 32nd in the United States in population at approximately 3.24 million.

That should be celebrated, and the best way to do it is for Iowa and Iowa State to play every year in football.

Washington and Washington State both have had their worlds turned upside down with conference realignment, and yet, the Apple Cup, which is the name of their annual series in football, still lives on, at least through the 2028 season.

The Apple Cup is now played at the beginning of the season instead of the end, which might not be ideal.

But at least it’s still being played, though its future beyond 2028 is uncertain.

For one Saturday in September, the eyes of our state are glued on a football game that doesn’t always live up to the hype, but does always create plenty of emotion and instate pride.

Iowa State has a new head coach, with Jimmy Rogers having replaced Matt Campbell, and 81 first-year players on its current roster.

Iowa also has had some significant changes since last season with eight new starters on defense, a new starting quarterback, a new starting kicker, a new starting punter and new return specialists.

But what hasn’t changed is the game itself, and what it means for both football programs, for both schools, for both hometowns and for the state as a whole.

So when you take all that into consideration, the most logical thing is to keep playing every year.