Iowa State football: Another classic rivalry is in danger of cancellation

The future of the rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State football is apparently in danger after a disagreement of how the Iowa band was treated in Week 2.

For many, the 2019 Week 2 clash between Iowa and Iowa State had the setting in place to be another classic in the series. ESPN’s College GameDay brought the studio to visit Ames, Iowa, a first in school history.

Along with the national TV exposure came a closely fought game, and although a weather delay postponed the action for several hours, a punt receiving miscommunication and fumble sealed a dramatic 18-17 win for the Hawkeyes.

The news days after the game, though, quickly turned to the treatment of the Iowa band by Cyclones fans during and after the game. Several members of the Hawkeyes band allege that they were subjected to vicious taunts, abuse, and thrown objects upon trying to leave the stadium. Officials from both schools have publicly disagreed on the nature of the provocations, with Iowa State saying that the band left through the wrong exit and did not file any police reports.

University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld recently made headlines after he told the school’s student newspaper, the Daily Iowan, that he doubts whether he’ll sign up the Hawkeyes to continue playing the Cyclones.

Instead of discussing who will win the next Cy-Hawk Trophy, established by the somewhat fictitious Greater Des Moines Athletic Club, fans from both sides can now wonder if the rivalry will go on another long hiatus. The two teams did not meet at all between 1934 and 1976.

It would be a shame to lose another classic college football rivalry between regional (and in this case, in-state) opponents. Within the last decade, Big 12 fans have lost regional rivalry games that help make college football truly special: OU-Nebraska, Texas-Texas A&M, and Kansas-Missouri, to name a few.

The breaking up of the Big 12 played a role in these rivalries disappearing, but serious disagreements between these schools’ leaders have prevented the on-field action (and fun) from rekindling.

We don’t always agree with our neighbors, and playing a heated rival can certainly bring out the worst in some fanbases. But, with vitriol and violence aside, here’s hoping that Iowa and Iowa State are able to resolve their differences to prevent another four-decade absence of competition against each other.