Iowa Big Four men's college basketball

Iowa Big Four
Sport Basketball
Founded 1979 (Round robin), 2012 (Big 4 Classic)
No. of teams 4
Country United States
Headquarters Iowa
Most titles Iowa (13)
Related competitions Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, and Missouri Valley Conference

The Iowa Big Four men's college basketball rivalries consists of games between Iowa's four NCAA Division I men's basketball teams: Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, and Drake. For decades, Iowa State (of the Big 12 Conference) and Iowa (of the Big Ten Conference) had home-and-home series with in-state rivals Drake and UNI (both of the Missouri Valley Conference), with Iowa visiting Drake in even-numbered years and Northern Iowa in odd-numbered years (with the corresponding return trips to Iowa in the opposite years) and Iowa State visiting Northern Iowa in even-numbered years and Drake in odd-numbered years. Drake and Iowa State, in particular, played in 104 of 105 seasons.[1]

In 2012, the event became a one-day doubleheader at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.[2] In even years, Iowa will play UNI and Iowa State will play Drake, and in odd years Iowa will play Drake and Iowa State will play UNI. Since Drake and Northern Iowa are both members of the Missouri Valley Conference, they continue to play two games a year, one at the Knapp Center and the other in Cedar Falls. Iowa and Iowa State also continue to play a home-and-home series.

The inaugural event received mixed reviews, with many at Drake and Northern Iowa expressing a preference for a home game [3][4] and the event coming well short of selling out. However, in 2014 the event did sell out for the first time, largely due to Iowa State & Northern Iowa being ranked in the AP Top 25 with Iowa also receiving votes. With increasing limitations on non-conference games for Iowa & Iowa State, the series is likely to continue for years to come and has been extended through the 2017-18 season. [5]

There were hopes for the series to be broadcast nationally. To date, each game involving Iowa has been broadcast on Big Ten Network while the other game has been broadcast locally by cable provider Mediacom on Mediacom 22. In 2015 the Iowa-Drake game will be broadcast on ESPN3 while the Northern Iowa-Iowa State game will be broadcast on ESPNU, bringing in a national TV audience for the first time in its 4th year.

Regular season results

Key

Drake victories
Iowa State victories
Iowa victories
UNI victories
No title/game

Round-Robin era

Season Winner Drake – ISU score Drake – Iowa score Drake – UNI score Drake – UNI score (2) ISU – UNI score ISU – Iowa score Iowa – UNI score
1979–80 Iowa 87–66 66–77 DNP DNP DNP 64–67 78–46
1980–81 Iowa 72–74 68–90 DNP DNP 83–69 59–85 86–52
1981–82 Iowa 72–56 49–60 62–58 DNP 78–65 68–79 84–53
1982–83 Iowa 47–52 63–68 73–65 DNP 73–50 56–73 DNP
1983–84 Iowa State 72–79 OT 43-66 55–67 DNP 91–75 76–72 2OT DNP
1984–85 Iowa State 73–74 DNP DNP DNP 69–61 54–50 DNP
1985–86 77–69 43–55 DNP DNP 83–60 74–61 DNP
1986–87 Iowa 51–55 62–69 86–52 DNP 79–60 64–89 DNP
1987–88 Iowa State 77–83 57–70 88–77 DNP 80–75 102–100 OT DNP
1988–89 Iowa 66–80 72–96 72–87 DNP 88–80 71–91 95–76
1989–90 114–117 OT 54–68 63–71 OT DNP 92–80 87–89 74–77
1990–91 Iowa 69–86 61–80 67–83 DNP 62–68 73–75 72–68
1991–92 Iowa State 61–92 56–83 51–56 84–96 84–66 98–84 108–85
1992–93 Iowa 81–119 65–80 69–59 62–64 OT 74–67 51–78 64–44
1993–94 Iowa State 67–83 86–90 54–71 79–102 79–66 86–79 81–76
1994–95 Iowa State 69–94 68–103 78–67 82–71 81–62 76–63 80–48
1995–96 Iowa 62–65 66–98 76–82 66–83 DNP 50–56 78–73
1996–97 Iowa State 50–74 59–79 68–81 55–76 DNP 81–74 72–63
1997–98 Northern Iowa 63–61 60–90 60–74 55–68 48–54 59–60 78–84
1998–99 Iowa 56–57 74–78 78–72 57–83 57–61 53–74 83–67
1999–2000 Iowa State 48–44 76–83 2OT 58–54 54–56 73–41 79–66 67–59
2000–01 Iowa 55–75 71–73 65–63 65–71 OT 69–55 68–80 74–42
2001–02 Northern Iowa 72–58 59–101 56–71 71–77 88–69 53–78 76–78
2002–03 Iowa State 55–76 49–50 75–73 48–59 75–73 73–69 63–54
2003–04 Iowa State 77–83 56–74 56–76 79–84 OT 79–76 84–76 66–77
2004–05 Iowa 46–73 75–91 81–72 60–61 82–99 63–70 76–73
2005–06 Iowa State 74–89 60–65 72–91 49–51 68–61 72–60 63–67 OT
2006–07 Drake 80–78 75–59 74–61 67–59 70–57 59–77 57–55
2007–08 Drake 79–44 56–51 58–54 65–55 61–48 56–47 62–55
2008–09 Drake 66–63 60–43 59–81 47–46 71–66 57–73 65–46
2009–10 Northern Iowa 70–90 67–71 51–67 48–57 60–63 81–71 67–50
2010–11 43–91 52–59 49–69 72–69 54–60 75–72 51–39
2011–12 Northern Iowa 74–65 68–82 68–83 52–66 62–69 86–76 60–80

Big Four Classic era

DateWinning TeamScoreLosing TeamAttendance
December 15, 2012 Iowa80–73Northern Iowa13,180
Iowa State86–77Drake
December 7, 2013 Iowa State91–82*Northern Iowa14,512
Iowa83–66Drake
December 20, 2014 Iowa State83–54Drake15,124
Northern Iowa56–44Iowa
December 19, 2015 Iowa70–64Drake15,124
Northern Iowa81–79Iowa State
December 17, 2016 Iowa vs. Northern Iowa
Iowa State vs. Drake
December 16, 2017 Iowa vs. Drake
Iowa State vs. Northern Iowa
* indicates the number of overtime periods.

Outright Big Four Championships by team

TeamChampionshipsLast Season Claimed
Iowa132012–13
Iowa State122013-14
Northern Iowa62015-16
Drake32008-09

Big Four Classic standings by team

TeamRecordPercentage
Iowa4–1.800
Iowa State3–2.600
Northern Iowa3–2.600
Drake0–5.000

See also

References

External links

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