Iowa–Nebraska_football_rivalry

Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry

Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry

American college football rivalry

The Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry[2][3][4] is an American college football rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers. The rivalry is usually held on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Quick Facts First meeting, Latest meeting ...
200km
125miles
none
Nebraska
.
Iowa
Locations of 1) U. of Iowa, and 2) U. of Nebraska

History

The proximity of the two teams played an important role in the early days of the game, with exclusive trains running between Iowa City and Lincoln to allow fans to travel.[5] The first meeting of the series, which occurred on Thanksgiving Day in Omaha, Nebraska, was the first game Iowa had ever played outside of its home state.[3] Other notable games during the 20th century occurred during the four-year renewal of the rivalry from 1979 to 1982.[6] In the 1979 meeting, #7 Nebraska prevailed over unranked Iowa after overcoming a two-touchdown deficit late in the third quarter, which resulted in a standing ovation from fans of both teams.[7] In the 1981 meeting, unranked Iowa upset #7 Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium in what legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry called "the biggest win since I’ve been here."[8]

After Nebraska moved to the Big Ten Conference, the teams have played annually on the Friday following Thanksgiving. Starting in 2011, the game was referred to as the "Heroes Game" and the Heroes Trophy was awarded to the winner of the game. The Heroes game, which is sponsored by Hy-Vee, is used to recognize individuals from each state for acts of heroism in their communities.[9] In 2017 it was announced by the Big Ten Conference that in 2020 and 2021, the game would not take place on the Friday following Thanksgiving.[10] After significant opposition from fans, Nebraska athletic director Bill Moos made it a priority to restore the game to the Friday after Thanksgiving; accordingly, the Big Ten has scheduled the Iowa-Nebraska game for the Friday after Thanksgiving for all future post-2021 games through 2025.[4][11][12] In the end, due to schedule changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 games were ultimately rescheduled to Black Friday as well.[13] Since 1904, the rivalry has never been contested anyplace besides Lincoln, Nebraska or Iowa City, Iowa; and now alternates between the two respective campuses. Odd-year games are played in Lincoln, while even-year games are played in Iowa City.

Game results

Iowa victoriesNebraska victories
More information No., Date ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Winsipedia – Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers football series history". Winsipedia.
  2. [2]
    "Rivalry results: Iowa-Nebraska football". Sioux City Journal. November 24, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  3. [3]
    "Looking back at the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry". Daily Nebraskan. Lincoln, Nebraska. November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  4. [4]
    "Nebraska's Black Friday rivalry game with Iowa will return in 2022". Omaha World-Herald. August 30, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  5. [5]
    "A Battle Royal Thanksgiving Day". Omaha Daily Bee. Omaha, Nebraska. November 12, 1893. p. 10. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  6. [6]
    "Huskers stand tall over Hawkeyes in all-time series". Omaha World-Herald. November 20, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  7. [7]
    "NU-Iowa Grit Gets Standing Ovation". Omaha World-Herald. September 22, 1979. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  8. [8]
    "Hawkeyes Paint the Big Red Blue". Omaha World-Herald. September 12, 1981. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  9. [9]
    "Heroes Game". Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  10. [10]
    "NU-Iowa leaving Black Friday after 2019; rivalry rotation likely". Lincoln Journal Star. September 12, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  11. [11]
    "Moos says of NU-Iowa becoming permanent on Black Friday: 'Not quite there but close'". Lincoln Journal Star. May 6, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  12. [12]
    "Bill Moos Wants Iowa, Black Friday Game to Remain a Husker Tradition". Hail Varsity. November 21, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  13. [13]
    "Revised 2021 Big Ten football schedule returns Iowa-Nebraska to Black Friday".
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