That ISU has definitely surpassed Iowa as far as athletics is concerned.
When does it become official?
- Thread starter WaterTower
- Start date
Well overall this year certainly. You could see football building, even if they weren’t beating Iowa every year, they weren’t a perennial doormat. I would say that Friday night when they knocked off #2 Oklahoma St is when I really noticed it.
I moved to Des Moines in ‘07. There were some ISU fans and you would see stuff around. I moved out of there in ‘23 and it was night and day different. You see ISU everywhere. I think they have done a far better job than Iowa had branding wise. Their undergrad enrollment has continued to get larger too, making more alumni.
Also if you look at their major facility upgrades, Jamie Pollard is responsible for working as partners with their coaches. Their bball teams continue to build and Hilton is rocking when they play.
If it wasn’t for the recent success of Caitlin Clark (which was an absolute phenomenon and I doubt we see something like that again), I would say that overall ISU athletic department is better than Iowas.
I moved to Des Moines in ‘07. There were some ISU fans and you would see stuff around. I moved out of there in ‘23 and it was night and day different. You see ISU everywhere. I think they have done a far better job than Iowa had branding wise. Their undergrad enrollment has continued to get larger too, making more alumni.
Also if you look at their major facility upgrades, Jamie Pollard is responsible for working as partners with their coaches. Their bball teams continue to build and Hilton is rocking when they play.
If it wasn’t for the recent success of Caitlin Clark (which was an absolute phenomenon and I doubt we see something like that again), I would say that overall ISU athletic department is better than Iowas.
L. O. fvcking L
2/10 on the troll job.
2/10 on the troll job.
Men’s basketball, yes. That’s what having the right coach will do.
Football, Iowa is down this season and Iowa State is having the season of its life. It happens. Even Kansas and Indiana have had great seasons in football. And even Oklahoma State once in a while has better seasons than Oklahoma. Doesn’t mean it’ll always be this way. As Dan Akroyd’s character in Tommy Boy said, “Savor the flavor because it sure as hell won’t happen again.” I truly believe that about Iowa State football. The Big 12 is a bad conference, but it does have several decent schools that will be much better than they are now in the coming years… Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, etc. So whatever Iowa State does this seasons, their fans should enjoy it because it likely won’t happen again.
Women’s basketball, probably this year, but I’d be willing to put all my money from now until the day I retire several years from now that they’ll never have a run like Iowa has had the last two years. And never have a player as dominant and influential as CC.
So while Iowa State is having more success this season as of right now, it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Football, Iowa is down this season and Iowa State is having the season of its life. It happens. Even Kansas and Indiana have had great seasons in football. And even Oklahoma State once in a while has better seasons than Oklahoma. Doesn’t mean it’ll always be this way. As Dan Akroyd’s character in Tommy Boy said, “Savor the flavor because it sure as hell won’t happen again.” I truly believe that about Iowa State football. The Big 12 is a bad conference, but it does have several decent schools that will be much better than they are now in the coming years… Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State, etc. So whatever Iowa State does this seasons, their fans should enjoy it because it likely won’t happen again.
Women’s basketball, probably this year, but I’d be willing to put all my money from now until the day I retire several years from now that they’ll never have a run like Iowa has had the last two years. And never have a player as dominant and influential as CC.
So while Iowa State is having more success this season as of right now, it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.
I don’t really disagree with this. Their men’s bball program “just gets it” and on top of that, they do it in the best conference in the nation. Which is about to become more dominant with the recent additions over the past few years of teams like Houston and Arizona.
I would say as far as football, now that Texas and Oklahoma has left that ISU has as good of a shot w/ Campbell in charge as anyone in that conference of winning the league every year. Okie St can’t get it all together, but may now with big brother gone. I think Baylor will eventually fire Aranda. TCU should do well. As far as their new additions, BYU and Utah will also do well. They don’t have flagship schools in the conference anymore but they have decent teams I would say that rival an Iowa/Wisconsin.
Their women’s bball team seems to do well too. Not final four appearances but they are in the tourney pretty regularly.
entire topic is laughable. ISU is far from any kind of sustained success on the football field. They will probably shit all over Iowa next year as well, but their program is no where near Iowa's level.
You don’t think ISU has sustained success in football now? It seems like they are not only bowl eligible almost every year but they are competing for conference titles (and that was before Texas and Oklahoma moved on).
I also think they are getting buzz from the Purdy effect. Plus they keep putting offensive skill position players not just in the league, but guys that are producing. I expect both Higgins and Noel to make the NFL.
If the Iowa football program continues its downward spiral, Iowa will free fall below them.
Iowa State was vastly superior in basketball during the Hoiberg years, where Iowa fans took solace in believing Iowa State had a bunch of “thugs” because they weren’t as white as Iowa, then crashed and burned under Prohm while Fran pissed away his most talented teams due to his insatiable need to prop up his sons and JBo. Now, Iowa is stuck with Fran, thanks to Bendover Barta, until Fran is ready to bolt while TJ O. Is building something special in Ames.
The clear difference is in fan expectations. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, Iowa was expected to compete at a high level. Now they are just expected to do enough not to suck because the old timers are petrified of the ghosts of Todd Lickliter and Frank Lauterbur.
I hate to admit it...but this year the OP is 100% correct.
ISU is the beneficiary of the two best football programs now being in the SEC.
As far as a better overall Athletic program...that can be cyclical.
But in the MBB and football teams right now? Absolutely.
As far as a better overall Athletic program...that can be cyclical.
But in the MBB and football teams right now? Absolutely.
I think it is happening before our eyes.
Football. Iowa fans can downplay the overall strength of the Big 12 all they want, but ISU is doing exactly what Iowa has done for years. You can't control who is on your schedule. Big 12 has a lot of good teams,, but no GREAT teams. As long as Campbell is there, I expect ISU to be near the top. Iowa (according to Hawk fans on this board) have no chance of competing with the Big Ten elite, and will annually play in meaningless boards. Advantage ISU
Men's basketball. Iowa State by a mile.
Women's basketball. Both teams/programs are good. Iowa may never have the success they have had the last 2+ years. Call it a tie.
Wrestling. I don't follow closely enough, but both are good but probably won't catch Sanderson at PSU.
More than anything, I think you need to look at fan interest and possible apathy. The worst thing that can happen to a program is when apathy sets in. I saw it in Ames during the 80s + 90s. It took McCarney to turn that around. Apathy has seemed to set in with Fran.
Football. Iowa fans can downplay the overall strength of the Big 12 all they want, but ISU is doing exactly what Iowa has done for years. You can't control who is on your schedule. Big 12 has a lot of good teams,, but no GREAT teams. As long as Campbell is there, I expect ISU to be near the top. Iowa (according to Hawk fans on this board) have no chance of competing with the Big Ten elite, and will annually play in meaningless boards. Advantage ISU
Men's basketball. Iowa State by a mile.
Women's basketball. Both teams/programs are good. Iowa may never have the success they have had the last 2+ years. Call it a tie.
Wrestling. I don't follow closely enough, but both are good but probably won't catch Sanderson at PSU.
More than anything, I think you need to look at fan interest and possible apathy. The worst thing that can happen to a program is when apathy sets in. I saw it in Ames during the 80s + 90s. It took McCarney to turn that around. Apathy has seemed to set in with Fran.
"According to Iowa's performance against elite teams" is what you meant. Captain Kirk has made his bed with his performances against the elite teams...especially the last few seasons.
Let's make one thing clear, football is king among all sports in the NCAA. Again, ISU has zero sustained success, while Iowa is coming off a conference championship game (with an absolute dumpster fire of an offense). Iowa is sustained in their football success, while there are ups and downs, this program is a perennial 8 win team, with years above and below that.
A coaching change will likely be made from within the program, and I fully expect next year to be a step back in terms of wins, but flipping out on a regular basis and saying the ISU program is better due to a single season shows an inept lack of understanding.
Iowa hasn’t shared one in 20 years, outright won one in 34.
Na, and their recrutiing shows that. Iowa is TEU, has a 5* coming in as a DE, gets rid of Cade. Losing out on Manske stings a bit, but until ISU is landing the majority of prospects offered by both schools, I'm not going to worry.
I was alive for the shared titles .. there are very very few people alive today that were in 1912. The combustion engine was taking over the world at that point in history.
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Please highlight where I state Iowa State is currently ahead of Iowa as a football program.
TIA.
How many outright titles has Iowa won in their program history?
I’m not arguing Iowa State is a better program. That’s not the point.
During the Hoiberg years, yes.
They are now on a trajectory to be unless somehow Iowa does something unforeseen this season.
The Iowa fans I know, and the ones who post on this board are hanging onto the past. Yes, Iowa has historically been better, but none of that really matters in 2024 and beyond.
Unless something drastically changes, Iowa will not compete for a Big 10 title anytime soon. That is the vibe I get from Hawk fans on this board. Iowa State has elevated their program to a point where they will have a chance to win the Big 12 annually.
Hawk fans will say "the Big 12 sucks", but forget that Iowa benefitted for a LONG time on being in a poor Big Ten West, and a watered down conference schedule where they avoided the likes of OSU. Getting to 8 wins wasn't hard.
Like I said, it is happening before our eyes, and some don't like what they see.
Unless something drastically changes, Iowa will not compete for a Big 10 title anytime soon. That is the vibe I get from Hawk fans on this board. Iowa State has elevated their program to a point where they will have a chance to win the Big 12 annually.
Hawk fans will say "the Big 12 sucks", but forget that Iowa benefitted for a LONG time on being in a poor Big Ten West, and a watered down conference schedule where they avoided the likes of OSU. Getting to 8 wins wasn't hard.
Like I said, it is happening before our eyes, and some don't like what they see.
Iowa State was unable to win or even share a big 12 north division title while it was a thing. They also never shared any sort of conference or division title since that 1912 season.
This year could be the year though.
I guess I have looked at Iowa state’s basketball program as superior to Iowa’s for about as long as I can remember. At least all of this century. Football? Lo freaking l. The overreaction on these boards after one game are comical.
So sustained success means winning the head to head instate recruiting battles. That is not what I thought you were talking about originally.
Helps that they are in a severely watered down conference.
I think it's pretty obvious how serious anyone should take you, with both thinking Higgins and Noel to make the NFL. ISU is having a good season, it'll be the first season that it is better than us in quite a while. They barely beat us as our coaches sh** their pants. The big 12 is hot garbage, Iowa would walk through that schedule undefeated as well. They just went 4-8 two years ago. "Competing for conference titles", shouldn't they actually have to play in one, before we say that. JFC, you are an idiot.
Geez, no kidding. The ridiculous overreaction on here is something else.
Pumping the brakes a bit. I'm 100% willing to concede this year. It has to be built over time.
Iowa St. stuff is certainly all over, even in Iowa City. They are proud right now and why not? Their basketball team is set. Huge donor that we don't have and won't have. Wrestling looks like they might beat us. Women's basketball... no. I don't care what they are ranked. Football is riding high in a garbage conference BUT they are winning. Can't take that away.
Iowa St. stuff is certainly all over, even in Iowa City. They are proud right now and why not? Their basketball team is set. Huge donor that we don't have and won't have. Wrestling looks like they might beat us. Women's basketball... no. I don't care what they are ranked. Football is riding high in a garbage conference BUT they are winning. Can't take that away.
Iowa isn’t walking through the Big 12 undefeated, lol they couldn’t walk through our non conference schedule undefeated and the team they lost to plays in …..that hot garbage conference.
Take a lap sport
Only program in America with preseason Top 10 team in both men’s and women’s basketball. Top 12ish football.
One athletics department is definitely having a better fall than the other
One athletics department is definitely having a better fall than the other
Those of us who want change see it just fine.
It will take more than one good season for Iowa State to be considered a better program than Iowa, but if things continue on their current course and Kirk Ferentz insists on hanging around, then it most assuredly will happen.
It will be short lived, though. Iowa still has more inherent advantages than Iowa State; Iowa is just currently stuck in mediocrity because of Barta’s dumbass and dumbass fans who are petrified of change.
The situation reminds me a little bit of Joe Paterno’s final years at Penn State. Although on a different scale, Iowa surpassed Penn State as a program during that timeframe. That, as we all know, was short lived. That will likely be the case with Iowa State and Iowa should Iowa State happen to surpass Iowa as a program the next couple of years.
So, enjoy it while it lasts. Iowa is still like 7-2 head-to-head in recent memory.
Case in point. Some don't like what they are seeing. Their response is a crude comment. We can disagree, but some degree of civility would be nice.
When you consider the amount of resources at hand, relatively, they are doing better right now.
Unfortunately, KF has to coach any talent Iowa does land, and they don’t land enough to overcome his ineptness.
And we know how hospitable Iowa State fans are. Not saying that was your point, but consider where you are at.
As I’ve said, Iowa State football is having a once in a lifetime season by Iowa State and college football standards, but it won’t be sustained. Campbell is a good coach and has made Iowa State less of a laughing stock than ever, but even Kansas and Indiana have overachieved in football from time to time. Does that mean fans can’t be excited and dream big? Hell no. But it’s laughable to think one season alone all of a sudden makes you a perennial power or above a program that has already been where you’ve been many times. Just enjoy the ride you’re on this year and embrace every second of it, because it’s going to come to an end.
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