Last week Iowa officially became the state where No. 1 ranked teams come to lose. All three of the state’s public universities have beaten topped-rated NCAA men’s basketball teams this season — an accomplishment that is a feather in the cap of the players, coaches and citizens of Iowa.
The hat trick — to borrow a term from an unappreciated fellow winter sport — began with the University of Northern Iowa’s home 71-67 upset against then-No. 1 Northern Carolina Nov. 21. The streak continued with the University of Iowa’s 83-70 win against B1G rival and then-No. 1 Michigan State. The third No. 1 team to see defeat in Iowa was the University of Oklahoma, which fell 82-77 last week at Hilton.
The State of Iowa’s college athletic teams have surprised a lot of people in the national sports media, but not as many here in Iowa. It’s true that most Hawkeye fans were not expecting an undefeated regular football season — myself among them — but we never questioned their ability to win and the strength of the program. But folks outside our borders had their doubts, even when the Hawks were one win away from that perfect season.
I’m not a sports analyst or columnist, and our sports editor would tell you my attempt to cover high school sports when I first returned to Jasper County was — at best — a good try. But this banner year for college sports in Iowa goes beyond athletics and reflects the mentality we have in putting together quality programming in Iowa, both on and off the hardwood/field.
Displaying UI, ISU and UNI’s facilities, fan spirit and sportsmanship on primetime national networks like ESPN, CBS and ABC not only helps our athletic teams to get five-star recruits, it sweetens the pot for out-of-state students who might want to study engineering in Ames or journalism in Iowa City. It convinces prospective in-state students to stick around for their education and go to Cedar Falls for teaching.
Iowa collegiate sports which receive less notoriety, but see athletes put forward just as much effort like gymnastics, swimming, field hockey and volleyball, also benefit when “flagship” teams win on a big stage. It helps recruitment and it helps draw more fans. And let’s not forget the impressive season of ISU and UI’s women’s basketball program currently at 11-5 and 13-5, respectively.
Taxpayer concerns about over-investing in athletics and pushing aside academics and research — the true purposes of our state universities — can be lifted when they see investment brought to our state schools through national exposure brought on by success in sports. A strong athletic program equals a strong brand. The amount of money pumped into sports, football programs in particular, should be scrutinized. But there is no denying the advantages they bring.
Whether you were bred a Panther, bleed black and gold or are from the Cyclone Nation, we should all be celebrating the hard-working, team-oriented wins of our three university men’s basketball teams. That’s what we do in Iowa. We form teams not star power. We should be proud of the way our sports teams reflect our Iowa values.
Contact Mike Mendenhall at
mmendenhall@newtondailynews.com