This series shouldn't interesting

With Iowa's 4-0 shutout of ISU in softball, Iowa won the inaugural Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series over ISU 13-8.

A Cyclone win wouldn't have changed the outcome, as Iowa had built a commanding lead in the fall.

Given the budgets of the two schools, and ISU's struggles in "Olympic" sports, Iowa should win this 4 years out of five. An ISU should be an embarrassment in Iowa City.

Why it's stacked against ISU:

-A win in football is worth 3 points, while all other sports are worth 2. As long as Iowa is a Top-10 program in football and softball, that's 5 points right there. It's half over at that point.

-Since the basketball game is played in December, as long as Alford is coaching in IC, they win 3 of 4.

-Women's swimming in Ames is essentially an intramural team. 2 more points for Iowa.

-Despite the good play in women's basketball for ISU, the series will be a 50/50 proposition for the near future, with the advantage going to the home team. Again, if the game had been played in February this year, ISU would have won. Unfortunately, they play the game in December.

-Finally, the clincher: 2 bonus points for academics that each school could earn. This is the biggest gift to IC, and will clinch their wins for years to come. With the athletic graduation rate in IC 7 points above the national average, it's a lock for them for the near future. With ISU 3 points below the average, with high turnover in basketball as of late counting against it, that's another 2 points ISU will somehow have to pick up elsewhere, which is tough.

So despite an easy 4 points from two women's gymnastics duals each year, ISU has far too much to overcome to win the series often. The would require 3 wins in the 4 high profile sports- Football, Wrestling and Men's and Women's Basketball- to have a shot. That event is so rare it's not even worth discussing.

The difference is money. Being good in Olympic sports requires extra cash. Having enough academic types to ride the butts of football and basketball players, making sure they are getting to class, checking on their progress to graduation, takes cash. Buckets of it. Cash that a program like ISU, always on the verge of cutting sports and deferring capital projects, just doesn't have.

Add a permanent spot in the trophy case in Iowa City for this one. The field is sloped their way.

Peterclone