Randy Peterson
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May 30, 2025
Unfortunately, the day will come when we no longer have our annual Cy-Hawk football game. That, sadly, could be happening sooner rather than later.
Our state’s biggest, most passionate gathering of people, a state-wide get-together that compares to the Iowa State Fair and RAGBRAI for popularity and participation, someday will succumb to a higher almighty, also known as the SEC and Big Ten.
I hope I’m wrong, but after reading and watching from afar what’s been happening in a sea-side Florida paradise – yeah, it seems like we could be experiencing the fall of this state’s greatest regular-season college athletic event.
Did you hear what LSU coach Brian Kelly told reporters during the SEC’s annual spring meetings last week?
"Our first goal (as coaches) would be wanting to play Big Ten teams," he said. "I can speak for the room. We want to play Big Ten teams, but you've got to get a partner. You've got to get a partner who says we're in for that, too.
“We've made our voice clear. Our athletic directors know that as well, that we would like that. Our commissioner obviously heard us well. The rest will be up to what gets negotiated."
What happens if the SEC decides to continue its eight-game conference schedule, add a “challenge” game against the Big Ten, and then rounds out a regular-season schedule essentially with bye games against opponents that a team of walk-ons could defeat?
That might work out all right for an SEC that’s eager to spice up a ho-hum non-con schedule, but remember, the Big Ten (like the Big 12), plays a nine-game conference season.
Let’s say that this somehow, someday flies. For Iowa, that’d be nine games against the Big Ten, one against the SEC, Cy-Hawk, and just one alleged patsy to round out the 12-game regular season.
How do you think that’d fly with the Hawkeye football program?
Bye-bye, Cy-Hawk and the accompanying economic boom to each community.
As Mr. Cy-Hawk Dan McCarney told me a while back, “getting rid of the Cy-Hawk football game would be like canceling the Iowa State Fair.”
He’s an Iowan and a former Iowa football player and assistant coach. He’s a former Iowa State coach.
And he’s right.
Even if the SEC decides on nine conference games, plus a non-conference game against the Big Ten – our annual Big Game could be a goner.
Again, I don’t know if this will happen. When you get a room full of egos, each looking out for the well-being of college football (yeah, right!) – it’s like being in a sports bar, where boisterous, attention-seeking patrons try to out-obnoxious themselves while attempting (and failing) to act more important than they really are.
Eventually, the playground bullies will get what they want, and then how do you counter that? By embarrassing the tormentors when matched up on the field.
In this upcoming season, that’s you, Iowa State against Iowa. You too, Cincinnati against Nebraska, Utah against UCLA, Oklahoma State against Oregon, Baylor against Auburn, Kansas against Missouri, and Arizona State against Mississippi State.
Re-take the milk money the bullies have been taking from the others. Successfully retaliate against schools that have been kicking others off lower rungs of the Jungle Gym.
Beat them, and then send the humiliated bullies back to their rooms, kicking cans all the way while wondering what just hit them.
Far-fetched?
Maybe. But I’d love to see what a few well-tossed grenades might do to upset the balance of what now is an unbalanced world of college football.
And if it results in preserving Cy-Hawk – that’s a good thing, too.
(Award-winning columnist Randy Peterson can be, and has been, reached at randypete4846@gmail.com or at any Okoboji-area beverage/food establishment between the hours of open and close.)