Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Jarrod Uthoff tries to block Matt Bohannon of Linn-Mar during a game at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, February 15, 2011. (Cliff Jette/Sourcemedia Group)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jarrod Uthoff plans to visit two more colleges in the coming weeks, but the Cedar Rapids Jefferson graduate said Wednesday he hopes to make a decision fairly soon.

Uthoff, a 6-foot-8 forward who red-shirted last season, left the Wisconsin basketball program in April and has made visits to Creighton and Iowa State. He wants to visit Marquette next week and Florida afterward. He also is considering Iowa but would have to pay his own way for one year. He is not interested in attending junior college.

Uthoff initially said he wanted to decide on a college before summer courses begin at those schools.

“The right decision is more important,” Uthoff said. “It would be nice to get a decision in before that, but I’m going to take those two more visits and then make a decision.

“I like all of my options right now. It’s going to be a tough decision.”

Uthoff’s departure sparked a national debate about transfers and university-imposed restrictions. After Uthoff asked for his scholarship release, Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan restricted Uthoff from contacting or receiving any contact from any Big Ten school, Iowa State and Marquette. Within days, all ACC schools and Florida also were restricted from contacting Uthoff.

Most of the restrictions were lifted after Uthoff met with Wisconsin Athletics Director Barry Alvarez. Wisconsin will not issue a scholarship release for any Big Ten program, meaning Uthoff will have to pay his own way for one year and sit out next season if he picks Iowa.

An up-tempo offense is what Uthoff prefers from his next school. Wisconsin plays a methodical and successful system that relies on high-percentage shots and dogged defense.

“For me it’s the system,” he said. “The style of play.”

Iowa’s offense fits Uthoff’s preference. The Hawkeyes finished third among Big Ten teams in points per game at 73 and swept Wisconsin in their season series. The Badgers, which advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in March, finished 10th in scoring at 64 points a game.

But gaining information from Iowa or another Big Ten school is tricky for Uthoff. He’s not allowed to speak with any athletics official until he attends classes. Although Iowa recruited Uthoff and offered him a scholarship, the Hawkeyes since picked up Aaron White, who has a similar frame and was a member of the Big Ten’s all-freshman team.

If Uthoff selected Iowa, it’s possible the school wouldn’t place him on scholarship even if he’s eligible to receive one in fall 2013.

“I guess that’s kind of a chance I’m willing to take if I decided to go to that school,” Uthoff said. “I mainly just go off my prior knowledge of when they recruited me in the first place.”

Uthoff was named Iowa’s Mr. Basketball in 2011 after averaging a state-high 26.2 points a game. After his junior year he chose Wisconsin over Iowa, Iowa State, Indiana, Illinois, Northern Iowa and many others. Despite the ordeal, Uthoff said he has no regrets.

“I learned a lot from going to Wisconsin,” Uthoff said. “I can’t say that I regret it. I have a much better understanding of what their system is like and the system I’d be more benefited by. I guess you can take the year I spent at Wisconsin as a learning experience. I can’t play next year because of that, but I still learned a lot.”

Texas quarterback Colt McCoy (12) is tackled by Alabama defenders during the first quarter of the BCS Championship NCAA college football game in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. McCoy left the game after the play. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Last week’s announcement of a Big 12-SEC “Champions” bowl game means the plus-one postseason system has risen from the ash heap of college football history. It also could render all four-team playoff talk moot by next month.

The SEC and Big 12 agreed to place their champions/runners-ups in a bowl game after teams are selected for the proposed four-team playoff. It will be a lucrative event and you can bet bowls like the Sugar, Orange, Cotton and Peach will trip over themselves to bid for the game.

If the game is staged as described, in which the champions flee to the national semifinals, the game will resemble the current Cotton Bowl. That now pits the top non-BCS Big 12 team against the SEC’s second-best non-BCS team. But I think the “Champions” bowl announcement will churn the four-team playoff discussion to a grinding halt for the near future. It also will revive talk for a plus-one, which preserves the bowl system and is simpler to implement.

“There’s not a lot of enthusiasm for plus-one, although we have presidents who think it’s the best way to proceed,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said last week.

College presidents are leery of going the playoff route because of what Delany calls “a slippery slope.” If a playoff starts at four teams, what happens if No. 5 is deserving (and a conference champion)? How can you objectively judge champions from one conference against champions or runners-up from another? What will happen to the bowl system with a playoff? Those are the perpetual questions that will turn the “Power Four” process into a quagmire as they did with the Bowl Championship Series.

Oregon's Darron Thomas, left, fumbles as he is hit by Auburn's Nick Fairley during the second half of the BCS National Championship Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, in Glendale, Ariz. Oregon recovered the fumble. (AP Photo/Matt York)

While all conferences seem willing to accept a “Power Four” concept, there’s little-to-no agreement on the application. Even Big Ten athletics directors, who rarely stray off the company line, mentioned different ideas for how it would work last week. There’s a deadline next month with commissioners and presidents meetings, and the television bidding process following quickly afterward. For a sport that traditionally moves with the swiftness of a brontosaurus and builds consensus like an all-inclusive theological debate, I can’t imagine it coming together neatly by late June.

That’s why I see a plus-one as the most palatable option for the near term, say a four-year period. The Big Ten and Pac-12 want to maintain their relationship with the Rose Bowl, and a plus-one preserves that. The SEC-Big 12 “Champions” bowl allows for a de facto national semifinal. Conferences like the ACC, Mountain West and Big East, schools like Notre Dame and BYU and runners-ups from the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12 can find homes in other bowl games and still have access to a national title game.

For conversational purposes, here’s how that likely would have played out last year:

• Rose Bowl: Oregon (Pac-12 champion) vs. Wisconsin (Big Ten champion)
• Sugar/Champions Bowl: LSU (SEC champion) vs. Oklahoma State (Big 12 champion)
• Fiesta Bowl: Alabama (SEC runner-up) vs. Stanford (Pac-12 runner-up)
• Orange Bowl: Clemson (ACC champion) vs. West Virginia (Big East champion/[Big 12 runner-up])
• Cotton Bowl: Michigan (Big Ten runner-up) vs. Arkansas (SEC third-place)

Let’s say the LSU-Oklahoma State winner automatically qualifies. Who’s second? Is it Alabama if it beats Stanford? If Oregon beats Wisconsin (which is what actually happened), should it advance past the Stanford-Alabama winner or does it depend on style points?

The questions will be the same for a plus-one as they would be with “Power Four” or the current BCS. Who — or what — will decide which team qualifies and which school doesn’t? Will a Harris-type poll, a monster computer program or a high-level committee meeting choose the teams? But those questions pale to the foundation of choosing an actual system. Thanks to the SEC and Big 12 conferences, the plus-one model just moved atop the leaderboard.

LSU Coach Les Miles, right, poses for a picture with Alabama Coach Nick Saban during a news conferemce for the BCS National Championship college football game Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The “On Iowa” podcast with Marc Morehouse and Scott Dochterman breaks down the intense debate surrounding college football’s postseason, the current bowl structure and the potential for additional conference realignment with Gazette columnist Mike Hlas. We also answer your Twitter questions.

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The Hawkeyes are unable to block a field goal by Illinois in the last minute of the game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday, November 1, 2008. The Illini won the game 27-24. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

Iowa and Illinois will reignite their border football rivalry in 2015-16, ending a six-year hiatus that began in 2009.

The schools rotate back on to one another’s football schedule those seasons, which was released by the Big Ten this morning. Iowa also will play Penn State in 2015-16, while longtime rival Wisconsin and Ohio State also move off the Hawkeyes’ schedule.

“We had to make it all fit,” said Mark Rudner, the Big Ten’s senior associate commissioner for television administration and in charge of scheduling. “We looked at who was playing whom when and how often they played maybe the last six years or the last 10 years. Obviously whatever we did with Iowa was affecting every other institution, just like whatever we did with every other institution affected Iowa.”

Iowa defensive end Christian Ballard (46) and linebacker Pat Angerer (43) take down Illinois quarterback Juice Williams (7) at the line of scrimmage to bring up second and 10 during the second quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008. (Jonathan D. Woods/The Gazette)

Iowa City will host the 2015 game, and Champaign will host the 2016 match-up. Illinois beat Iowa 27-24 in the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 1, 2008. Iowa topped Illinois 10-6 in 2007, the last time the teams played at Kinnick Stadium.

“That’s one of the downfalls of going to divisions because you get out of the rotations that you had; everything had to start fresh,” Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said of the six-year hiatus. “There’s some disadvantages to what we’ve done in terms of going to 12 teams and going to divisions, but for me the advantages far outweigh it. So we’ll just have to take what comes our way, the other way, the disadvantages. But for me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.”

The six-year delay was the Big Ten’s longest in football since the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini stopped playing from 1953-66 after an ugly apple-throwing incident in 1952 at Kinnick Stadium.

Under the Big Ten’s 11-school scheduling process, Iowa and Illinois competed six times over an eight-year period and rotated off the schedule in 2009 and 2010. When Nebraska joined the Big Ten for 2011, the league split in two with Iowa and Illinois placed into opposite divisions. As non-protected opponents, they now are scheduled to meet four times over a 10-year period.

Iowa’s protected cross-divisional opponent is Purdue, and the Hawkeyes are scheduled to play Indiana and Penn State in 2011-12. The 2015-16 schedule means Iowa will not play Indiana for four consecutive seasons.

Iowa receiver Keith Chappelle fails to gain control of the ball near the Illinois goal line at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 11, 1980. Chappelle caught 12 passes in the game (tying a record by Al Bream) for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Illinois won the game, 20-14. The deciding score came when the Big Ten-leading Fighting Illini picked off a fumble by Iowa running back Jeff Brown and returned it for a touchdown. Iowa finished the 1980 season with a 4-4 Big Ten record, 4-7 overall, in the second year of head coach Hayden Fry. (The Gazette)

Iowa will continue to face Nebraska as the teams’ regular-season finale. As the case in 2013-14, the 2015-16 games are scheduled for Saturday. In 2011 and this year’s game on Nov. 23, Iowa and Nebraska will play on the Friday following Thanksgiving before a national audience on ABC.

“Any move from that game from Saturday to Friday or any move of another game in the conference to the Friday after Thanksgiving would require the approval of our administrators council because it’s already approved,” Rudner said.

Barta previously told The Gazette he wanted to see how Iowa fans respond this year to the Friday home game before he’ll agree to permanently move the Iowa-Nebraska game from Saturday to Friday in the future. Nebraska has played its regular-season finale on the Friday following Thanksgiving every year since 1990.

It’s possible other Big Ten programs would consider moving their games up from Saturday to Friday as well.

“I think others will be watching,” Rudner said. “It’s an interesting experiment. I don’t know if they’ll want to do it again, and if they do, who else would want to do it? I think it’s a process we have to sort of let play out and evaluate once the season is over.”

There were alterations to the football scheduling process for 2015-16. No schools will play more than two consecutive home or road games, which is a regular goal. The league will not schedule a team to play more than two games a season against a opponent coming off a bye week, which is new.

“Then another one that we were asked to do for ’15 and ’16 was that we did not to schedule an institution’s bye date inside of or adjacent to two road games,” Rudner said. “In other words, they did not want to be away from home for three weeks or more.”

All schools will open the league season on the same weekend, and there will be no byes in the regular season’s final two weeks. Ohio State-Michigan will continue to conclude their seasons against one another.

“When you’re dealing with a limited window, eight games in nine weeks, it gets kind of challenging,” Rudner said. “The schedule that they approved in ’15-16 met all of those conditions, for all 12 institutions.”

Wisconsin once again falls off Iowa’s schedule, which means the red-hot rivalry between the rivals will miss four times from 2011 through 2016. From 1937 through 2010, Iowa-Wisconsin was played 72-of-74 years.

Baseball fans gather at Duane Banks Stadium in Iowa City to watch the Hawkeyes take on Purdue on Thursday, May 17, 2012. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG)

CHICAGO — With a road schedule reminiscent of a trucking agency, the Purdue college baseball program has become a national aberration.

In a sport where the best schools rarely leave home outside of conference play, the Big Ten champion Boilermakers rank No. 9 nationally despite playing their first 20 games on the road. Poor early-season weather, massive travel and an unforgiving tournament qualifying system provide obstacles for Northern schools competing against their Southern and Western rivals, yet Purdue has persevered and prospered.

But the school — and its Big Ten brethren — are demanding changes. Fed up with travel and early-season inclement weather, Big Ten baseball coaches are proposing a split season with games shifting from the spring to the fall. If that’s not approved, the frustrated coaches also are pondering a break-up with the NCAA.

Baseball fans gather at Duane Banks Stadium in Iowa City to watch the Hawkeyes take on Purdue on Thursday, May 17, 2012. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG)

“We’re trying to figure out how we can make Big Ten baseball better and put it on a level playing field,” said Iowa baseball coach Jack Dahm, whose team plays Purdue Saturday in its regular-season finale. “Right now, nobody wants to put it on a level playing field. It might be time for a drastic change.”

Big Ten baseball has languished into national irrelevancy since 1984, the last year a Big Ten program advanced to the College World Series. Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1999, only four Big Ten teams have advanced to the round of 16.

College baseball uses a Ratings Performance Index that is similar to college basketball in determining at-large NCAA qualifiers. At this time, there’s no distinction between home and road victories, although tweaks are slated for next year. With most Big Ten teams playing at least 15 road games to start the season, most have low RPIs before the league play, damaging their postseason chances.

“The reality of it is that most of our conference champions in every one of our sports is on the list for being nationally competitive. It’s not necessarily the case in baseball,” Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi said. “It’s because of the weather and the time of the season, and I think there’s a distinct and definite disadvantage. We’re trying to address that.”

The Big Ten, which unsuccessfully has offered a litany of past rules changes, will deliver one more this summer which league deputy commissioner Brad Traviolia laughingly calls “rational and less offensive.” If enacted, schools and leagues have the option of playing up to 16 games in the fall or remaining in the spring. Even Big Ten schools are split on the topic, with Nebraska preferring the current setup and the others wanting a fall segment.

University of Iowa baseball player Kasey Carling places his bags in storage at the bottom of the bus the team is packing in Iowa City on Thursday, May 10, 2012 for the trip to Michigan State. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG)

Traviolia has discussed the proposal with other conferences’ officials and will recommend the proposal this summer to the NCAA’s Division I Baseball Committee. If it passes and moves through the NCAA rules process, it’s probably two years from becoming official.

“We think this is a pretty modest change that could really benefit the Northern schools,” Traviolia said. “This is optional legislation where if a school decides they don’t want to play any games in the fall, they don’t have to.”

The proposal does face stiff resistance, according to American Baseball Coaches Association Executive Director Dave Keilitz. Of the nation’s top nine college teams, all but Oregon and Purdue played at least their first seven games at home. No. 1 Florida played its first 22 games within its state. No. 3 Baylor played its first 21 at home. Northern schools often travel south during the first month, filling Southern teams’ coffers and victory columns from teams getting used to live outdoor pitching.

Iowa, for instance, played its first 16 games on the road within a 30-day span.

“Right now it’s not going to get significant support from the coaches nationally,” Keilitz said. “I certainly think it’s worth a try for the Big Ten to submit it and see where it goes.”

Baseball’s current structure hinders Big Ten programs financially. The league’s 10 public baseball schools combined to spend more than $14.13 million in fiscal year 2011, according to documents supplied to The Gazette via each state’s open-records laws. Not including Nebraska ($898,552), nine public schools’ ticket revenues totaled $170,904.

The University of Iowa baseball team packs the bus as they prepare to depart for Michigan State, the last road series of the regular season, in Iowa City on Thursday, May 10, 2012. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG)

The 10 schools combined for more than $2.23 million in travel that year. Iowa spent nearly $200,000 and Minnesota totaled more than $416,000.

“That’s the funny thing people say about Northern schools is that we’re not committed but look at all the trips we go on and the cost of them,” Dahm said.

Everything from RPI to the weather frustrates the coaches. Michigan Coach Rich Maloney, whose team twice advanced to regional play the last five years, wonders if the league should just secede from the NCAA and compete through the summer.

“I think we’re getting to the point where without access, everything needs to be on the table,” Maloney said. “With the amount of money that Big Ten schools are putting in their programs and not getting to taste the championship level, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. We need to make changes to allow for more access.

“All of us want to go to Omaha so for us to break off, it would be serious big time.”

Keilitz said the Big Ten would suffer in recruiting but grow revenue if it switched to a summer-based league.

I really feel personally if that they were do that, they would draw significantly. If two Big Ten schools are playing against each other on a nice night in late June or July, I think they would draw extremely well. Now the downside of that is you wouldn’t have any competition other than themselves, depending on how many games you would want to play.

Traviolia sympathizes with the baseball coaches but said secession is not part of the discussion.

“I think that’s certainly an extreme measure to take,” he said.

Added Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta, “I’m not ready to go there.”

If the league does get the OK to split seasons like in golf and tennis, Dahm said Iowa would play around 10 games in the fall. He said he’s had discussions with Southern coaches about playing a home-and-home series, where Iowa would host a fall series and return the favor in the spring. He said the Hawkeyes would trim some of the travel out of the spring.

Dahm and Maloney both said a fall series could generate more revenue, especially if wrapped around a football weekend. But it’s more about playing games in decent weather and, ultimately, winning them.

Dahm, for one, is trying to stay positive.

“I think it has a chance of going through,” he said. “I think it’s an idea worth trying.”

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, left, and Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, right, join Big Ten Commiissioner Jim Delany on stage, Monday, Aug. 2, 2010, in Chicago, at the 2010 Big Ten Media Day Kickoff. Nebraska became the newest member of the Big Ten since Penn State joined the conference 20 years ago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

CHICAGO — Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said his league is “constantly aware” of recent realignment developments sweeping college athletics.

“We continue to look at it, but we’re very comfortable with where we are,” Delany said at the Big Ten spring meetings. “There’s another reality that since we expanded to 12 and decided to not do 14 and not to do 16 and not to do 20, others continue to move and change. I think the tectonic plates underneath conference alignment are still hot.”

The Big Ten had 11 members for nearly 20 years until league officials announced in 2009 they were actively considering expansion. The league’s courting of a 12th member and eventual addition of Nebraska in June 2010 started a ripple effect leading to present or future changes in all 11 football subdivision conferences. The Pac-12, Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences each accepted two new members. The Big 12 lost four members and added two others. The Big East has lost four members and accepted eight other football schools. Changes among the mid-major conferences are even more seismic.

The speculation continues today. Florida State’s board of trustees chairman Andy Haggard told Warchant.com on Saturday the school was open to discussions with the Big 12, a point reiterated by football coach Jimbo Fisher the same day to the Orlando Sentinel. Boise State officials had agreed to move their football program to the Big East in 2013 but reportedly are having second thoughts because of that league’s instability.

“What that tells me is the tectonic plates, there’s still fluidity,” Delany said. “Our position hasn’t changed. We’re very pleased with the 12 institutions we have.

“We’re not in an active mode, but for those years that we had Penn State (as an 11th member), we were monitoring it. We are monitoring it now. Anybody who doesn’t monitor the television environment every day in my job, anybody who doesn’t monitor the expansion issues every day in my job, anybody who doesn’t monitor every day the compliance issues that we have, isn’t doing their job. But to monitor is different than to be active.”

The expansion topic generated casual conversation among Big Ten administrators.

“Very, very little (discussion),” Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said. “Just sort of acknowledging that it’s being talked about around the country still, but in terms of us getting hard into ‘Well, should we, shouldn’t we?’ It’s sort of, ‘Let’s just keep an eye on the landscape.’”

“At these meetings we really haven’t had much talk about expansion,” Wisconsin Athletics Director Barry Alvarez said.

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta (left) talks with Wisconsin Athletics Director Barry Alvarez before the Iowa-Wisconsin game at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, in Iowa City. (Jim Slosiarek/SourceMedia Group News)

CHICAGO — Wisconsin Athletics Director Barry Alvarez said he was surprised with how quickly Jarrod Uthoff’s transfer case escalated into a national story last month.

“The thing got out of hand so fast and it was in the media so fast and in the social media so fast the process never really had a chance to get under way,” Alvarez said Wednesday at the Big Ten spring meetings. “It was unfortunate because there was some misinformation out there. Everybody was able to draw opinions and make statements without having all the facts.

“We have a process in place. He’s not the first one to ever transfer from our school. I feel very comfortable with our process and how we dealt with it.”

Uthoff, a freshman basketball player and a Cedar Rapids Jefferson graduate, requested his scholarship release from Wisconsin on April 12. The school, through Coach Bo Ryan, initially restricted him from talking with Iowa, Iowa State, Indiana and Marquette. On April 16, the school halted Uthoff from contacting all Atlantic Coast Conference schools and restricted Florida two days later.

Wisconsin Coach Barry Alvarez waves goodbye and thanks the crowd at the end of his last home game against Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Saturday Nov. 12, 2005.

By then Wisconsin’s restrictions had become a national story and Ryan was pummeled on radio, television, print and Internet outlets. Through an appeal process, Alvarez and associate athletics director Justin Doherty lifted all non-Big Ten restrictions.

“I just felt it was very unfortunate and actually Jarrod told me when he and I met that he was embarrassed by all the publicity,” Alvarez said. “It got way out of hand, the process. It was in the media, the social media, before you could even react to it.

“We’re not telling him he can’t go anyplace. We’re not giving him the release to go. That’s our choice.”

Alvarez said he was aware of the first round of restrictions but not the subsequent restrictions.

“I’m not really sure how the ACC thing got involved in it,” he said. “That was Bo’s decision. I don’t know.”

Alvarez said he’s not against athletes transferring from Wisconsin for another conference rival. He cited football safety Kim Royston, a St. Paul, Minn., native who wanted to leave Wisconsin and play for the Gophers. Wisconsin gave Royston a full scholarship release after his sophomore year in 2007. Royston then played two seasons for the Gophers.

“You have to take a look at each situation, you take a look at why and then make decisions,” Alvarez said. “Everyone’s a little bit different.”

Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School junior forward Jarrod Uthoff stands after being introduced to Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery after an open gym scrimmage practice at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids on Monday, April 19, 2010. Others who came to watch Uthoff play included Iowa State assistant coach Jeff Rutter, Creighton assistant coach Darian DeVries, Butler assistant coach Matthew Graves and Notre Dame assistant coach Martin Ingelsby. (Julie Koehn/The Gazette)

Uthoff, who red-shirted last season, has visited Creighton, Iowa State and Marquette (this week) since receiving his release. He told The Gazette last week he still is considering Iowa and informally visited Iowa’s campus the weekend of May 5-6. Uthoff said he’d like to make a decision before summer classes begin, which is June 4 at Iowa and Creighton. Iowa State’s summer classes start June 11.

Iowa’s athletics staff is prohibited from contacting Uthoff until he attends classes. Because Iowa is a school restricted by Wisconsin, Uthoff would have to pay his own way for one year before earning a scholarship. For any non-Big Ten school, Uthoff immediately is eligible for student aid but is banned from playing next year, per NCAA rules.

Wisconsin’s recruitment of basketball player Ben Brust prompted changes to the Big Ten rule book two years ago. Big Ten schools previously did not allow athletes to receive financial aid at a second league school once the athlete signed a letter of intent.

Brust, who signed with former Iowa basketball coach Todd Lickliter, asked for a full release, which was granted under the old rules. Twice Brust and his family appealed the league’s rules regarding intra-conference transfers and was successful. Brust then earned a scholarship to compete immediately at Wisconsin and will be a junior this fall.

“I thought it probably would enable more movement within the conference, but I didn’t see it being … I thought you’d see isolated cases,” Alvarez said of the rule changes.

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said last week he expected discussion about the intra-conference transfer rules but both he and Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi said this week the subject was not approached in meetings.

The Air Force Wings of Blue parachute team flies the Iowa flag into Sun Devil Stadium Iowa's game against Oklahoma in the 2011 Insight Bowl Friday,Dec. 30, 2011 in Tempe, Ariz. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

CHICAGO — Fan bases at Iowa and Nebraska are known nationally to take over bowl sites and the turn the stadium into a pseudo-home environment for their football teams.

Yet each school’s athletics department sold around half of its bowl ticket allotment last year, costing both the school and Big Ten significant revenue. Iowa was required to take 11,000 tickets for the Insight Bowl per the league’s four-year contract. Iowa sold 5,411, yet observers estimate between 17,000 and 20,000 Iowa fans attended the game.

Nebraska took 12,500 tickets for its Capital One Bowl trip, and sold 6,594 through the school. Nebraska Athletics Director Tom Osborne said more than one-third of the bowl’s 61,351 announced attendance featured Cornhusker fans.

“Just looking at the crowd and looking at the attire of everybody was there, my guess is there was between 20,000 and 25,000 Nebraska fans down at the bowl in Florida,” Osborne said.

Despite sending hordes of Big Ten fans to destination environments and receiving nearly $45 million in bowl revenue last season, the cost of unsold tickets is eroding enthusiasm for the status quo among Big Ten administrators. According to documents supplied by eight Big Ten schools to The Gazette through state open-records laws, nearly every league school struggled to sell their non-Rose Bowl ticket allotment. Those unsold ticket costs syndicate to each league school and the league office.

Of the 10 Big Ten schools attending bowl games last year, eight sent their NCAA survey for bowl expenses to The Gazette as part of a state open-records request. Northwestern, as a private school, was not required to disclose the form. Penn State also did not submit information.

Outside of Wisconsin and the Rose Bowl, the other seven Big Ten schools committed 96,001 tickets to bowl games. Only 41,739 tickets were sold. Of the seven bowls, only one — Michigan in the Sugar Bowl — did the Big Ten school’s sold ticket total sold reach more than 10 percent of the overall game attendance.

Iowa's Rafael Eubanks greets Hawkeye fans as they celebrate Iowa's win over Georgia Tech at the Orange Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, in Miami. Iowa won, 24-14. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

The primary problem league officials have is with the location of bowl tickets. The schools often are given tickets in the upper deck or away from the field, while the bowl itself sells tickets in prime locations. Instead of purchasing tickets from the school, fans are buying directly from the bowl either over the phone or online.

“Part of the reason is sometimes your bowl allotment for the school is not situated in the best parts of the stadium,” Osborne said. “Therefore people have gotten sophisticated enough to realize if we go directly through the bowl, you’ll get better seats.”

“It’s not necessarily the old days of go right to your school and buy the tickets,” Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said. “So can we come up with a plan that meets your goals, the bowl, of selling tickets and meets our goals for our fans to have access to better seats. Maybe we have to adjust the financial model in tune with that, and we’re willing and open to look at that.

“The thing I would see happening in the next round of bowl negotiations is try to create a win-win but acknowledging doing business the old way doesn’t necessarily make sense.”

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said the league might take a lower payout from the bowls or engage in a different form of revenue sharing so the ticket situation changes.

“I don’t think that it’s necessary that we take huge blocks of tickets in advance,” Delany said. “It may be important for us to take a different payout and have the upside be based on how that game is sells in a local community. But we want our fans to have access to good tickets, to have a reasonable number of tickets and to use technology to make sure that the demand and supply curve works well.

“I don’t think it’s healthy to have so many tickets floating around, and I think conferences and bowls, you’ll see restructured relationships, maybe the payouts aren’t as high but they’ll be predicated on the real demand for the game.”

Here’s what Delany said about the postseason and he clarified his comments about Alabama:

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Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, center, speaks in Lincoln, Neb., Friday, June 11, 2010, with Nebraska's athletic director Tom Osborne, left, and Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman, right. Nebraska made it official Friday and applied for membership in the Big Ten Conference, a potentially crippling blow to the Big 12 and the biggest move yet in an off season overhaul that will leave college sports looking much different by this time next year.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

CHICAGO — Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany and the league’s athletics directors, who once defended the bowl system like the Knights Templar guarded the Holy Grail, now want to preserve the bowls by adding a four-team playoff within their structure. Nothing more, nothing less.

“If we’re going to expand this from two teams to four teams, it raises the question of slippery slope,” Delany said Tuesday.

“We are adamant we cannot go beyond four (teams),” Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith said. “If you even think about going beyond four, you are threatening the regular season.”

Delany said the Big Ten’s position on the postseason is three-pronged. First is to protect the regular season, followed closely by maintaining the bowl system and the Rose Bowl. He also touted greater transparency throughout the process, saying reporters should be allowed to cover the decision-making process.

“I’m suggesting that we have an open and transparent discussion with the computers and the polls and we can use a combination, we can use a committee,” Delany said. “But we’ve got to explore all of it.”

Nebraska Athletics Director Tom Osborne coached three national champions within the bowl system. His chancellor, Harvey Perlman, three years ago staunchly defended the bowl system in front of a Congressional hearing. Now they’ve slipped over to the playoff side.

“I think that both of us realize that what we’re dealing with here is inevitable,” Osborne said. “So then the question is, what’s the best way to do it.”

That’s the question that was on everyone’s mind at the Big Ten spring meetings at Sofitel Hotel. League and school officials talked Monday and Tuesday about the playoff prospects with consensus on the foundation but not the particulars. The only points that most could agree upon was there should be a four-team playoff within the bowl system.

The national discussion about the top two seeds hosting semifinal games has dissipated, despite the Big Ten’s obvious home-field advantage. Osborne said a Big Ten team could have a “touchdown advantage” over a Southern team if the game is played in the North.

“Let’s say Ohio State is hosting on whatever date it may be, January or December, and let’s say that it is 5 degrees,” Smith said. “Is that right for the game? We’re not pros. I think we need to figure out what’s best of the game, and I think a fast surface, I think good weather is right for the game. It’s important for the kids.”

Likewise, schools hosting games on campus leads to the slippery slope of expanding the playoff to more teams, Delany said.

“While we understand that the games on campus could benefit us competitively — and it’s not like I don’t like the competitive advantage of a home field — but in the larger sense, we think the slope is far less slippery within the bowl system than without the bowl system,” Delany said.

There are many questions that linger. What would happen to the conference’s eternal link with the Rose Bowl? Would the system include strictly conference champions, the best four teams or a combination? Who and by what method would the four teams be selected? Would fans travel to multiple locations and spend thousands of dollars to watch their team play a conference title game, national semifinal and national title game? How would it affect the athletes academically?

Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi

There are few answers, just discussion on most of those questions within the Big Ten, let alone how it translates nationally.

“There was somewhat of a consensus and yet an understanding and the complications and the difficulties of making something work,” Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi said. “It’s not as easy as having a four-team playoff, an eight-team playoff, whatever it might be. It’s not that easy.

“We’re pretty agreeable in the sense that we would like probably a four-team playoff within the bowl system. That great thing about college football and Jim has said it well for years, the regular season has meant something. We don’t want to give that up.”

Choosing schools will be the sport’s most contentious issue, now that the Big Ten likely will go along with the four-team playoff. Will the playoff involve the top four conference champions or a combination? There are arguments to back up either side.

Smith is a proponent of including conference champions — but only if they are good enough. A conference champion ranked eighth nationally has no place in the national semifinals, he said. But a sixth-ranked conference champion might have a case.

“I think there’s some value to trying to find a way to protect the highest-ranked conference champions,” Smith said. “I don’t know what that means. I think there’s some value in that.

“A conference championship is unbelievably valuable. You went through the gauntlet. Those high-ranked teams ought to be rewarded.”

Delany told reporters he wants a mixture of conference champions and at-large squads based on prowess.

“I’m not suggesting that a 10th-ranked Wisconsin would find itself at No. 4,” Delany said. “I have never suggested that.”

Smith and Osborne emphasized the controversy will only heighten, not subside, with the changes. Controversy reigned in the Bowl Championship Series from the 2000 through the 2004 regular seasons with only one year (2002) providing clarity in determining the final match-up. That won’t change going forward.

“After going what we went through, we think there’s going to be more chaos than what people understand and probably just like the BCS it gets tweaked over the first two or three years,” Smith said. “This thing is not going to be perfect, and that’s what everybody, all of you need to help our fans understand. There’s no perfect system, particularly when you’re dealing with four teams.”

Last year Southeastern Conference champion Louisiana State beat fellow SEC West opponent Alabama head-to-head in the regular season. At season’s end, the teams were ranked 1-2 and played again for the BCS title. Alabama, which didn’t claim either its divisional or conference title, stopped LSU, 21-0, and won the national championship.

In 2001, Colorado routed Nebraska 62-36 in the season finale, costing Nebraska the Big 12 North title. But the Cornhuskers backed into the BCS title game despite the loss.

“We all know who our national champion was this year, it was a team that didn’t even play (in its title game),” Maturi said. “But we need to somehow protect that, too, because nobody is going to argue that Alabama wasn’t the best team in the country this year. I think you need to be sensitive to allow that to happen also.”

Big Ten athletics directors, who once defended the bowl system like the Knights Templar guarded the Holy Grail, now want to preserve the bowls by adding a four-team playoff within their structure. Nothing more, nothing less.

“We are adamant we cannot go beyond four (teams),” Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith said. “If you even think about going beyond four, you are threatening the regular season.”

Nebraska Athletics Director Tom Osborne coached three national champions within the bowl system. His chancellor, Harvey Perlman, three years ago staunchly defended the bowl system in front of a Congressional hearing. Now they’ve slipped over to the playoff side.

“I think that both of us realize that what we’re dealing with here is inevitable,” Osborne said. “So then the question is, what’s the best way to do it.”

That’s the question that’s on everyone’s mind at the Big Ten spring meetings at Sofitel Hotel. League and school officials talked Monday and Tuesday about the playoff prospects with consensus on the foundation but not the particulars. The only points that most could agree upon was there should be a four-team playoff within the bowl system.

The national discussion about the top two seeds hosting semifinal games has dissipated, despite the Big Ten’s obvious home-field advantage.

“Let’s say Ohio State is hosting on whatever date it may be, January or December, and let’s say that it is 5 degrees,” Smith said. “Is that right for the game? We’re not pros. I think we need to figure out what’s best of the game and I think a fast surface, I think good weather is right for the game. It’s important for the kids.”

“If you talk about competitive advantage, if you had the semifinal games at the home field and had some Big Ten schools that had the home-field advantage in late December and you’re playing teams from the South, it probably would be a touchdown advantage,” Osborne said.

There are many questions that linger. What would happen to the conference’s eternal link with the Rose Bowl? Would the system include strictly conference champions, the best four teams or a combination? Who and by what method would the four teams be selected? Would fans travel to multiple locations and spend thousands of dollars to watch their team play a conference title game, national semifinal and national title game? How would it affect the athletes academically?

There are few answers, just discussion on most of those questions within the Big Ten, let alone how it translates nationally.

“There was somewhat of a consensus and yet an understanding and the complications and the difficulties of making something work,” Minnesota Athletics Director Joel Maturi said. “It’s not as easy as having a four-team playoff, an eight-team playoff, whatever it might be. It’s not that easy.

“We’re pretty agreeable in the sense that we would like probably a four-team playoff within the bowl system. That great thing about college football and Jim (Delany) has said it well for years, the regular season has meant something. We don’t want that to give up.”

The choosing of teams will be the sport’s most contentious issue, now that the Big Ten likely will go along with the four-team playoff. Will the playoff involve the top four conference champions or a combination? There are arguments to back up either side.

Smith is a proponent of conference champions — but only if they are good enough. A conference champion ranked eighth nationally has no place in the national semifinals, he said. But a sixth-ranked conference champion might have a case.

“I think there’s some value to trying to find a way to protect the highest-ranked conference champions,” Smith said. “I don’t know what that means. I think there’s some value in that.

“A conference championship is unbelievably valuable. You went through the gauntlet. Those high-ranked teams ought to be rewarded.”

Smith and Osborne emphasized the controversy will only heighten, not subside, with the changes. Controversy reigned in the Bowl Championship Series from the 2000 through the 2004 regular seasons with only one year (2002) providing clarity in determining the final match-up. That won’t change going forward.

“After going what we went through, we think there’s going to be more chaos than what people understand and probably just like the BCS it gets tweaked over the first two or three years,” Smith said. “This thing is not going to be perfect, and that’s what everybody, all of you need to help our fans understand. There’s no perfect system, particularly when you’re dealing with four teams.”

Last year Southeastern Conference champion Louisiana State beat fellow SEC West opponent Alabama head-to-head in the regular season. At season’s end, the teams were ranked 1-2 and played again for the BCS title. Alabama, which didn’t claim either its divisional or conference title, stopped LSU 21-0 and won the national championship.

In 2001, Colorado routed Nebraska 62-36 in the season finale, costing Nebraska the Big 12 North title. But the Cornhuskers backed into the BCS title game despite the loss.

“We all know who our national champion was this year, it was a team that didn’t even play (in its title game),” Maturi said. “But we need to somehow protect that, too, because nobody is going to argue that Alabama wasn’t the best team in the country this year. I think you need to be sensitive to allow that to happen also.”

Marc Morehouse and I will post blogs around the clock from the Sofitel Hotel on these topics and more during the next two days and afterward.

For starters, The Gazette requested 2011 fiscal year financial statistics (the latest available) through open-records laws from all Big Ten schools. The statistics are submitted annually to the NCAA. Of the Big Ten’s 12 schools, only private university Northwestern denied our request.

The Big Ten’s 11 public schools combined to spend more than $4.1 million in football recruiting in fiscal year 2011 (July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011). Michigan and Illinois were the major spenders that year, while Wisconsin spent the least. The numbers are somewhat ambiguous because the 2011 national signing date fell in the middle of the fiscal year.

On the high end, Michigan’s numbers are split between former coach Rich Rodriguez and current coach Brady Hoke. On the low side, Wisconsin signed 20 scholarship players in February 2011, added just 12 in 2012 and picked up a heck of a quarterback (Russell Wilson) in the middle.

Here’s a look at the Big Ten football, men’s basketball and overall athletics department recruiting expenses for fiscal year 2011:

FOOTBALL

• Michigan $577,663
• Illinois $545,363
• Nebraska $478,554
• Purdue $428,805
• Michigan State $383,448
• Minnesota $348,609
• Ohio State $320,938
• Iowa $307,226
• Indiana $270,134
• Penn State $258,800
• Wisconsin $204,181
• Northwestern N/A

MEN’S BASKETBALL

• Illinois $278,566
• Nebraska $222,132
• Minnesota $187,767
• Michigan $182,052
• Ohio State $172,591
• Penn State $158,664
• Iowa $147,593
• Indiana $147,520
• Purdue $138,018
• Michigan State $102,168
• Wisconsin $53,252
• Northwestern N/A

OVERALL

• Illinois $1,344,243
• Nebraska $1,234,097
• Penn State $1,147,852
• Ohio State $1,136,978
• Minnesota $1,130,963
• Michigan $1,039,948
• Purdue $954,543
• Michigan State $941,157
• Iowa $931,989
• Indiana $899,048
• Wisconsin $765,383
• Northwestern N/A

Iowa has played Virginia Tech twice before, losing both meetings in Challenge games.  The Hokies edged Iowa, 69-65, on Nov. 29, 2006 in Blacksburg, Va., and 70-64 on Dec. 1, 2009 in Iowa City.

Virginia Tech was 16-17 last year and has a new coach, James Johnson, who replaced Seth Greenberg.

Iowa and Virginia Tech each played three common opponents last year. Virginia Tech swept Clemson and lost to Minnesota. Iowa swept Minnesota and lost to Clemson. Virginia Tech beat Campbell, while Iowa lost to the Camels.

Iowa is 2-9 in the Challenge after losing 71-55 to Clemson a year ago in Iowa City.  The Hawkeyes did not take part in the event in 2003-04 and 2004-05.  This year marks the 14^th year of the event.

“We always look forward to this event and this year is no different,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said in a statement.  “Anytime you play an ACC opponent on the road, you know it will be difficult.  We have a great deal of respect for Virginia Tech.  This will be a good road test for our basketball team early in the season.”

Iowa is 11-24 all-time against ACC schools, while Virginia Tech is 18-14 against current members of the Big Ten Conference.  The Hokies have played every Big Ten school except Michigan State and Northwestern.

Iowa is 2-9 in the Challenge all-time. Virginia Tech is 2-5, with both of its wins coming against Iowa.

The Hokies return nine lettermen, including two starters, from last year’s team that finished 16-17 overall and 4-12 in ACC action.  Eighteen of Virginia Tech’s games a year ago were decided by five points or fewer (6-12), including 10 contests by 10 points or less (5-5).  The Hokies return four of their top seven scorers from last year.  Erick Green returns for his senior campaign after leading the Hokies in scoring (15.6), assists (88), steals (41), field goal percentage (.438), free throws made and attempted (101-of-122), and minutes played (34.5).  The guard, who scored double figures in 30 of 31 games, was a second team all-ACC selection.  Forward Jarell Eddie ranked third in team scoring (9.1) and second in rebounding (4.8). 

Here’s a look at all the records:

• ACC (76-55) — Duke 11-2; Wake Forest 10-2; Maryland 9-4; Clemson 9-4; Virginia 7-5; North Carolina 7-6; Florida State 6-7; Boston College 5-1; North Carolina State 5-7; Georgia Tech 4-8; Virginia Tech 2-5; Miami 1-4
• Big Ten (55-76) — Ohio State 6-5; Michigan State 6-6; Illinois 6-7; Northwestern 6-7; Wisconsin 6-7; Purdue 5-6; Penn State 5-6; Minnesota 5-8; Michigan 4-7;  Indiana 4-7; Iowa 2-9; Nebraska 0-1

Iowa's Eric May (25) pulls up for a shot over Penn State's Cammeron Woodyard (24) during the second half of their Big Ten Conference college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won the game 77-64. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Iowa guard Eric May was hampered with a back injury the last two months of his junior season, which limited his effectiveness in a variety of ways.

May, a 6-foot-5 incoming senior from Dubuque, started the first 21 games last year. His final start was against Nebraska on Jan. 26, when he played 19 minutes. The back injury forced him to miss the next game on Feb. 1 against Minnesota and one more on Feb. 18 against Indiana. In the final 10 games he played, May totaled 39 minutes and made one basket in 10 shots.

“That was tough on him,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said last week. “He’s got tremendous athletic talent and then all the sudden you get a pulled hammy or a bad back, you don’t have any explosiveness. He was battling for us defensively, which is where we needed him to be.”

McCaffery said May is “better” now and poised to return as a vital contributor next year.

“He’s my captain,” McCaffery said. “We had our end-of-the-year meetings, and we’re very positive for next year.”

May started his career auspiciously, starting 23 games as a freshman and earning a spot on the Big Ten’s all-freshman squad. He averaged 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds that season.

As a sophomore, May suffered a leg injury in December which bothered him throughout the season. He started 25 games and averaged 7.8 points.

Last year, May was the most impressive player during offseason workouts, McCaffery said. May rewarded McCaffery by totaling 46 points in Iowa’s first three games, including tying a career best with 20 points against North Carolina A&T. But May struggled to stay healthy and lacked on-court consistency the rest of the season.

“Nobody was playing better than him at the beginning of last year, including Matt (Gatens),” McCaffery said. “(May) was playing better than anybody. Then when the games started, he wasn’t as good. He was still pretty good, then he got hurt. He wasn’t the same.”

May will be the only scholarship senior on next year’s roster and has 69 career starts. He will have plenty of competition for playing time with five incoming freshmen, including three guards (Mike Gesell, Patrick Ingram, Anthony Clemmons). Iowa also returns incoming guards Josh Oglesby (sophomore) and Devyn Marble (junior) plus forwards Aaron White (sophomore) and Zach McCabe (junior), who can slide to small forward.

McCaffery said the depth chart isn’t a deterrent for May entering next season.

“He wants to go after a starting position,” McCaffery said. “I’m sure he feels like if he’s healthy he can go get it.”

Iowa's Mesahn Basabe struggles for a rebound with E.J. Singler (25) of Oregon during the first half of a second-round NIT game at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday, March 18, 2012. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG)

NEWTON — Iowa forward Melsahn Basabe admitted after the basketball season he has something to prove next year.

Apparently he said the same thing to Coach Fran McCaffery in their end-of-season meeting, and he’s lived those words this offseason.

“I said, ‘OK, Melsahn, evaluate your season for me,’” McCaffery said Wednesday at the Jasper County I-Club. “I want him to break it down. ‘You to break it down for me.’ He admitted that he didn’t prepare, he didn’t work. He wasn’t as mature as he should have been. To me that’s a huge step. You don’t make that step unless you’re around people who know about that.

“So now what he’s done is he’s taken a leadership role and he’s worked harder and he’s more serious and he wants to make the NBA. He’s on the right track.”

Basabe, who stands 6-foot-7, was a member of the Big Ten’s all-freshman team two seasons ago. He averaged 11 points and 6.8 rebounds that year and blocked 41 shots.

Last year as a sophomore, Basabe was at times sluggish and mostly inconsistent. He gained 25 pounds in the offseason, but it slowed him down. After combining for 37 points in his first three games, he totaled eight points in his next four games. He also had a long stretch during the Big Ten season where he totaled 41 points in nine games. After 52 consecutive starts at Iowa, Basabe was benched. He finished with a 7.9 point-per-game average with 4.7 rebounds a game.

Basabe enjoyed a resurgence in the postseason, scoring 15 and 17 points against Dayton and Oregon, respectively, in the NIT. Those performances have helped spur Basabe into a team leader and potential difference maker this offseason, McCaffery said.

“Mel has been spectacular,” McCaffery said. “Melsahn has taken on an incredibly different role as far as leadership. He was younger before; he just kind of did his thing. Now he’s demanding his teammates work as hard as he has. He has shown great progress.”

Basabe will have plenty of competition for playing time in the post next year. Iowa returns starters Zach McCabe and Aaron White, and Gabe Olaseni has made the most strides this offseason, McCaffery said. Plus incoming 7-foot freshman Adam Woodbury was a top-50 recruit from Sioux City, and 6-foot-10 incoming freshman Kyle Meyer hails from Alpharetta, Ga.

Whether it’s the prospect of losing playing time or the incentive of playing in the NBA, Basabe has moved forward as a player since March, McCaffery said.

“While he didn’t have the kind of sophomore year that we’d hoped, he has had one of the best springs that I can remember,” McCaffery said. “He’s grown up.”

From left: Iowa co-captain Joel Novak, guard; Coach Milton "Sharm" Scheuerman; and co-captain Don Nelson, forward. Novak played for the Hawkeyes from 1961-1962. Scheuerman, was played from 1954-1956, was one of the "Fabulous Five" Hawkeye players in 1956 who lost to the San Francisco Dons and Bill Russell in the national title game. Nelson played for Iowa from 1960-1962. He later played for three NBA from 1962-1976 and is the NBA's all-time winningest coach. Photo 1961. (The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Don Nelson will end his quest Saturday for the one accomplishment that has eluded him all these years — a college diploma.

Nelson, the NBA’s winningest coach, will graduate from the University of Iowa and receive his diploma from UI President Sally Mason 50 years after leaving the school. It was a lifelong goal for Nelson to graduate, and Saturday he achieves it.

“It’s one of the highlights of my life,” said Nelson from his home in Hawaii. “It’s right up there with winning championships with the Boston Celtics and making the Hall of Fame. I think making the Hall of Fame might be No. 1.”

Nelson, 71, left Iowa in 1962 just 10 credits shy of his degree in physical education. He needed eight hours of a foreign language and took six hours of correspondence work. He then completed four more hours while he was in Spain. But there was one problem.

“I called them, ‘I’ve got my language now what do I need?’ Nelson said. “And they said, ‘Well, you need practice teaching.’ ‘I’m working full-time, I’m not going to have time to go to school and practice teach,’ So I forgot about it.”

Once Nelson retired in 2010, he started to think about his diploma. In fact, an unlikely source gave him the idea for finishing his education.

CBS announcer Jim Nantz, left, embraces longtime NBA coach Don Nelson, as Nelson is introduced as a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, at a news conference in New Orleans, Monday, April 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

“I got my inspiration really from Shaquille O’Neal,” Nelson said. “He went back and got his degree and now he’s going for his doctorate.

“The university, when I retired, said, ‘Well, you’ve been teaching for your whole life in basketball, so we’ll forgive the practice teaching and you’ve got enough credits. So come out.’”

Nelson will do exactly that. He had plans to fly into Chicago, pack up family and rent a bus. He’ll then head to the Quad Cities — Nelson is a Rock Island, Ill., native — and pick up some more family. In all, 45 family members are scheduled to attend including his sisters, seven children and all 15 grandchildren.

Nelson will stay in Iowa City for three days and meet former teammates, including current Polk County Judge Joel Novak. Iowa will honor Nelson with a framed jersey.

“There’s no question he’s one of our storied alums, great former players,” Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said. “What’s been fun to see is how excited Don is to come back with his family. He’s really made it a family deal about coming back and getting his degree and walking across the stage. President (Sally) Mason is anxious to meet him and having him back.”

Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery will be out of town this weekend and said he regrets missing Nelson. Barta plans for Iowa’s current players to meet Nelson Saturday.

Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson yells to his team during Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs in Oakland, California on Friday, April 27, 2007. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT)

Nelson will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 7. He has an NBA all-time best 1,335 wins in 31 years of coaching.

At Iowa, Nelson ranks 11th all time in scoring with 1,522 points and averaged 21.2 points a game from 1960-62. Nelson led Iowa in scoring and rebounds and was named team MVP all three seasons he was eligible to play. He was named first-team all-Big Ten and second-team All-American in 1961 and 1962. He still holds Iowa’s record for most free throws in a game (21).

Nelson recalls his Iowa days fondly, especially his relationship with former coach Sharm Scheuerman, who died in 2010.

“What I remember most about it is playing for Sharm and our relationship over 50 years and how close we were and how much I loved that man,” Nelson said. “A role model certainly, but I could never duplicate that man’s life because he was so special. I certainly tried. I’m certainly a better person just by knowing him and talking to him. But we spent a lot of time together over the last 50 years.”

In the NBA, Nelson ranks among the most accomplished players. He played 14 seasons and won five championships with the Boston Celtics, who retired his No. 19 jersey in 1978. In 1976, he began his coaching career with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he stayed for 11 years. He’s credited for creating the “point-forward” role which the small forward runs the offense. Nelson also coached the Golden State Warriors for 11 years, the Dallas Mavericks for eight seasons and spent one year with the New York Knicks for one season.

His NBA teams reached the playoffs 18 times and he won 75 playoff games. He’s one of only two NBA coaches to win 250 games with three different teams.

Nelson’s accolades are unmatched in the annals of basketball. But this weekend it’s about family and receiving the piece of paper.

“I want to walk down the aisle. It’s something I’ve never experienced,” he said. “It’s going to be a wonderful time with my family.”

People watch at the University of Iowa Athletics Department's indoor practice facility known as "The Bubble" is deflated Friday, April 20, 2012 on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The bubble has served as Iowa's indoor practice facility since it was completed in 1985. (Brian Ray/The Gazette-KCRG)

IOWA CITY — Iowa’s new indoor football practice facility and adjacent outdoor practice fields will be completed by the time the program enters training camp, Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said Thursday.

The 100,000-square foot, fixed-roof facility replaces the 27-year-old Bubble, which was deflated on April 20. The Bubble had 72,000 square feet.

“I didn’t agree to take the Bubble down until I knew the indoor facility would be done in time for two-a-days,” Barta said.

The new practice facility is the first of two phases in a $55 million project for the football program. Phase II includes new locker, equipment and meeting rooms, strength and conditioning center, medical facility, coaches’ offices and a public entryway. Phase II has a targeted completion date of 2014.

Barta said the department has raised $20 million in private funds for the project with a fundraising goal of $35 million. The other $20 million will come from a short-term loan paid from department funds. Barta said the department has no plans to sell bonds for the project.

Barta said it’s too early to decide how to re-purpose the existing football building. Among the ideas he’s considered include renovating it for gymnastics use and/or turning it into a training table area for all athletes.

“This project will be going forward for about two years so I can’t pick a date yet,” Barta said.
Construction on a $2 million, 7,500-square foot indoor golf practice facility located at Finkbine Golf Course began in March. Barta said it will be completed within a year. The facility was paid for entirely by private funds.

Iowa's Gabe Olaseni (0) tips in an inbounds pass over Michigan State's Derrick Nix (25) during the second half of their second-round game in the 2012 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Friday, March 9, 2012 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Michigan State beat Iowa 92-75 to advance. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said it’s unlikely the program will schedule a high-major opponent for a single game this season.

“It doesn’t look like it,” McCaffery said. “Those games are harder to pull off than you think. I’d like to do it. Next year we’re probably going to try to start earlier.”

He said the team has one more basketball game to schedule for the upcoming season.

McCaffery said his program remains committed to the Prime Time League despite Northern Iowa Coach Ben Jacobson pulling his players from the North Liberty-based summer league.

“We’ll see how it goes this year,” he said. “It’s unfortunate we only have four teams this year. The fans like it, our guys like it.”

As far as his team, McCaffery touted the growing leadership of incoming junior Melsahn Basabe. McCaffery said incoming senior Eric May, who suffered an injured back last January, has improved healthwise. May will be a team captain and will compete for a starting spot, McCaffery said.

As far as which player has improved the most this spring, McCaffery said “It’s Gabe (Olaseni) without a doubt. Without a doubt.”

Olaseni, who stands 6-foot-10, will be a sophomore center next fall. He averaged 1.4 points in 18 games last year.

Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery waves off the officials after a foul call during the second half of their second round game in the 2012 B1G Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Friday, March 9, 2012 against Michigan State at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Michigan State defeated Iowa 92-75 to advance. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

NEWTON – Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta and men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery have held informal talks about altering McCaffery’s contract but nothing is imminent both men said Wednesday night.

“It’s not like we have to have it done tomorrow, and we’re certainly approaching it that way,” Barta said before the Jasper County I-Club spring banquet at Iowa Speedway. “We’re in no hurry.

“It’s important, but it’s not urgent. That’s kind of how we’ve been going at it.”

McCaffery signed a six-year contract when he was hired in 2010 at $1.1 million the first two years. The contract lists incremental raises until reaching $1.35 million the sixth year. McCaffery just completed his second season at Iowa. Next year he’s slated to make $1.15 million.

The Hawkeyes earned their first winning season since 2007 and their first postseason berth last year since 2006 after finishing 18-17. Iowa also won its first postseason game since 2004 with a first-round NIT victory against Dayton. Iowa was 11-20 in McCaffery’s first season.

McCaffery said nothing is finalized on additional years or more compensation and deferred to Barta on specifics.

“That’s premature, but we’re working in that direction,” McCaffery said when asked if there was an agreement. “Both (years and compensation), I think that’s where we’re headed.”

Barta said he and McCaffery have met almost weekly since the offseason.

“We’ve been on the same page ever since he walked in the door two years ago. I would say we’re still there,” Barta said. “We’ve been talking about the future. Clearly I’m very pleased with where we’ve gone so far, and talking about how many years and compensation, again, we’re on the same page.”

UNI football head coach Mark Farley (from left) and Athletic Director Troy Dannen talk with people during the UNI Panther Prowl at Elmcrest Country Club, 1 Zach Johnson Dr NE, in Cedar Rapids on Monday afternoon, May 7, 2012. (Stephen Mally/Freelance)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Northern Iowa Athletics Director Troy Dannen doesn’t see drastic cuts or major changes on the horizon for UNI athletics despite a swift decline in state funding.

This spring, the university trimmed its athletics support $500,000 phased over three years. The athletics reduction is small compared to the university’s overall funding issues, yet it’s significant for a department that generated $17.2 million — $4.57 million in direct university aid — in fiscal year 2011.

“I’ve had to be very careful because our faculty wants to see pain,” Dannen said. “Your recruits, your coaches, your fans, they want to see stability. How do you show both? We’ve had very good success because of our supporters of maintaining the level by them stepping up, whether it’s ticket sales or whether it’s donating. They control our future. It’s never been more true.”

Despite the financial hit in university funding, UNI’s athletics department is in better financial shape than it was in 2009, when UNI athletics dropped baseball in response to a $600,000 reduction in university funding. In 2008, UNI athletics showed a $251,000 surplus, according to a document sent to the NCAA and obtained by The Gazette via the Freedom of Information Act. But an independent audit listed a $34,545 loss that year.

In 2011, UNI’s revenue exceeded expenses by more than $1.1 million. The athletics department’s assets have grown from $3 million to $9 million, according to Dannen. UNI’s supporters also have backed the school, raising $875,000 more in donations in 2011 than in 2008.

“I know quite a few people that are supportive of UNI and anything they ask them to do, they try to help out,” said Bill Travis, 86, a former UNI basketball player in 1946-47. “A pretty loyal group of people.”

University of Northern Iowa Coach Ben Jacobson (left) leans out of the alumni suite to talk with Athletic Director Troy Dannen during the team's Media Day on Monday, Oct. 18, 2010, at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group News)

But even the positive figures can be rocked by financial uncertainty, which has caused school officials to consider doomsday scenarios. Some of the discussions involved altering or even eliminating the football program.

“We examined two years, when we first went to the Board of Regents with the plan to have institutional funding at a certain level for athletics, we looked at going to the non-scholarship model,” Dannen said. “We looked at dropping football. We also looked at moving up to a MAC-level (mid-major Mid-American Conference) of football. The only difference between Drake and Northern Iowa is our $1.2 million scholarship bill.”

Football brings prestige to a campus, and Dannen recognizes that. UNI has a proud tradition and is a national Football Championship Subdivision contender. But balancing the finances includes paydays against much larger schools. UNI will earn $950,000 to play Big Ten schools Iowa and Wisconsin this year. UNI will face either Iowa or Iowa State every year through 2018.

With a 12-game schedule in 2013 and 2014, the Panthers might play another high-major football opponent for a payday.

Dannen said he doesn’t want to play those games every year, but they’ll help bridge the financial hit from the state.

“I don’t want to get to the point where you’re relying on $1 million a year on those games just to fund your basic operations,” he said.

“Drake, as a non-scholarship model, is ineligible to play those money games against Wisconsin and Iowa. You have to have 57 scholarships to do that. The average attendance at those games would take our $700,000 (in attendance revenue) and cut it under $100,000. Right away, it’s easy to see that financial model isn’t there. Non-scholarship football is for private schools to drive male enrollment at a high tuition cost.”

As for moving up to the bowl subdivision, UNI could compete on the field with low-major football programs but the cost dissuades Dannen from trying.

“The longer I’m there, the more I’d like to see us go up,” he said. “The fact of the matter is to go up and be competitive would be an extra $5 million a year to our budget just to be in the MAC, let alone take our other programs and instead of traveling to Drake and Illinois State and traveling to Akron and Bowling Green. So the idea of moving up isn’t feasible.”

Dannen said he’d prefer a long-ter financial model that relies more on student fees and less on direct institutional support. He cited fellow Missouri Valley Conference competitors Illinois State and Southern Illinois, which receive more than $800 in students fees but he doesn’t support fees reaching those levels.

UNI had to address the success of its men’s basketball program, which has advanced to the postseason four consecutive years. Dannen privately raised funds to boost Ben Jacobson’s salary from $169,000 to $500,000 and allowed the program to remain unscathed through the cutbacks.

“Fortunately we have not had a negative impact in terms of the resources available to us to do what we’ve done on a yearly basis,” Jacobson said. “That’s a real credit to Troy Dannen and our administration.

“We have not been impacted in a negative way. Because of that, we’ve been able to maintain and in some cases enhance our performance. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to continue to do that.”

UNI has made strides in other areas not related to finances as well. In three years the gender equity gap shrunk from 22 percent to about 7 percent, and UNI is NCAA-certified for the first time. UNI’s women’s program has advanced to postseason competition a record three consecutive years, including its first two NCAA tournament appearances. The program will post its best finish in the Director’s Cup standings for athletics excellence.

“Despite all the cuts and despite all the panic you may have heard, we’re at point now where frankly, it’s never been better,” Dannen said. “There’s nothing on the radar screen that will take that away from us.

“You never know what tomorrow’s going to bring but based on what we know right now, as long as we continue to raise money, as long as we continue to support the programs, we’ll continue to maintain the programs we have, the scholarship levels we have.”

University of Northern Iowa's Ryan Loder talks with head coach Doug Schwab after Loder won his 184-pound bout against Jeremy Fahler at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, in Iowa City. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group News)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Northern Iowa Athletics Director Troy Dannen believes his wrestling program is Big 12 ready, and he wants the chance to prove it.

The Panthers currently compete in the Western Wrestling Conference, which consists of schools ranging from Iowa to the Rocky Mountains. It’s a conference filled with expensive travel and it lacks the wrestling pedigree of Big 12 competitors.

“Two years ago I sent a letter to the Big 12 asking to be considered as an affiliate member,” Dannen said. “That was denied. At that time the Big 12 didn’t accept affiliate members. They didn’t have them in any sport so it made sense to me.”

But the dynamic now has changed. Former UNI Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby was tabbed Big 12 Commissioner last week. The Big 12 will be down to three wrestling programs — Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma — after this spring. So Dannen has started the process rolling.

“I’ve already asked Bowlsby,” Dannen said. “In fact my comment was, ‘Is it too early to ask?’ I’m sure his plate is going to be full.

“I will continue to pursue the Big 12. It’s where we envision ourselves nationally, the type of schools we think we should be competing against nationally.

“Iowa State and Oklahoma State are not motivated by providing opportunities for UNI wrestlers. But it’ll make it a lot easier for us to recruit and frankly that’s how we want to measure ourselves. Nothing against the Western Wrestling Conference — Wyoming has had some very good success nationally — but we want to measure ourselves against Iowa State not Utah Valley State.”

The priority placed on conference wrestling tournaments for national qualifying is another reason why Dannen would like to link with the Big 12. If the qualification changes, “conference affiliation may not mean much like it does now,” he said. “But given how we qualify today, it does mean a lot to us.”

Dannen said he’s talked with wrestling coach Doug Schwab about pursuing the Mid-American Conference as way to cut costs. In fiscal year 2011, UNI spent nearly $70,000 on wrestling travel and flew to four locations.

It’s also a sport where Dannen envisions more revenue. In 2011, the wrestling program generated just $45,000 in ticket sales.
“Wrestling is a sport where we can be competitive nationally,” Dannen said. “ It’s a sport that is important in the state of Iowa. So wrestling, I’ve said this all along, is a key piece of the backbone of UNI athletics.”

Prime Time League Director and coach Randy Larson talks with the players before the first games on the opening night of the Prime Time league Monday, June 15, 2009 at the North Liberty Community Center in North Liberty. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

NORTH LIBERTY — A new NCAA rule that allows basketball coaches to instruct current players up to two hours a week each summer has sent the Prime Time League a bit sideways.

Northern Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben Jacobson said Monday his program will not participate in the summer basketball league. Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery asked PTL Director Randy Larson to limit the game nights, which was sliced to seven from 11. Larson also cut the number of teams from six to four.

It’s quite a change for the PTL, which enters its 26th season. The league offers players located within a 100-mile radius a chance to play organized basketball. The NCAA-sanctioned league includes mostly college players as well as local professionals.

Larson said he understands why UNI left but added that he thinks they will regret it.

“I would never try to give Ben any advice, but I think they’ll miss it,” Larson said. “I think the players will miss being able to go head-to-head with guys that were more highly recruited than they were. I don’t think it’s all coincidence that they been on a level playing field the last 15 years, because I think they do get over that factor of playing against a bigger school. I think it’s helped UNI as much as it’s helped Iowa.”

Jacobson said Monday the PTL was a “positive experience” and he “put a lot of thought into it.” But the combination of driving more than an hour one way to play and the additional summer instruction caused him to pull his program from the PTL.

“The guys have a lot going on,” Jacobson said. “This year with the new NCAA rule, we’ve now got two hours a week to work with the guys as we do in the fall and the spring. It just adds another thing to the mix. So between their schoolwork and work in the weight room, the individual work that they do, us now grabbing them for two hours a week, I decided we’re going to give it a shot with keeping the guys in town and not having them make the trip down.

“I’ll evaluate it after the summer and see how things play out during the season.”

Jacobson laughed when asked if Iowa’s decision to end the schools’ home-and-home basketball series impacted UNI’s departure.

“I can tell you that didn’t factor my decision,” Jacobson said. “It didn’t factor at all.”

Larson hopes Jacobson reconsiders for next year like the UNI women’s program previously did.

“A year or so later their players said ‘We’ve got to play,’” Larson said. “‘We love them playing,’ and they came back. I hope that’s what will happen with the UNI men.”

Camp Courageous campers along with their friends and family walk out on the field at the end of a tour with Iowa football players during the Annual Hawkeye Day for Camp Courageous at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, May 5, 2012. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG)

The “On Iowa” podcast with Marc Morehouse and Scott Dochterman discusses football and basketball recruiting with Hawkeye Report publisher Tom Kakert.

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Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby leaves a meeting with his staff on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, May 3, 2012. Bowlsby has told his staff that he is leaving to become the Big 12 Conference commissioner, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Bob Bowlsby’s track record provided the blueprint for his hire Thursday as Big 12 commissioner. As athletics director at two different Iowa universities, Bowlsby also brings familiarity to Iowa State, which senior associate athletics director Steve Malchow deems a plus.

“I think even more than that, both Jamie (Pollard, ISU’s athletics director) and I have a personal relationship with Bob,” Malchow said. “Myself from my time at Iowa, and then for Jamie when we were both at Wisconsin, we both worked with him. We have immense respect for what he has accomplished in his career to this point.

“You could always tell he’s a guy who has big visions and a strategy to get things accomplished, and that’s exactly what our conference needs right now. It’s a perfect match. With the fact that he’s got some background in this state and familiarity with our program and our campus can’t do anything but help.”

Bowlsby, 60, previously served as athletics director at Northern Iowa (1984-91) and Iowa (1991-2006) and recently led Stanford (2006-2012). Bowlsby, a Waterloo native, will start June 15. He takes over for interim commissioner Chuck Neinas, who replaced the ousted Dan Beebe last fall.

Two issues are pivotal to the league’s long-term viability, both now and into the future — television rights and expansion. Last fall eight Big 12 schools pledged a grant of Tier-1 (major network) and Tier-2 (secondary network) television rights to the league for a six-year period. That means the revenue goes to the league first and then is equally distributed among the schools.

“Those are two things that Bob and his team of folks at the Big 12 are going to have to make decision on relatively soon,” Malchow said.

The league has faced major upheaval since 2010. Four league members have left or are leaving for other conferences. The league has added West Virginia and TCU, which begin conference play this fall.

Bowlsby told reporters Friday members are committed to one another and the to league.

“I think the future of the Big 12 is exceedingly bright or I wouldn’t be here right now,” Bowlsby said.

Regarding expansion, Bowlsby said there’s no imminent answer.

“There needs to be carefully formed strategic initiatives to get to a predetermined point (on expansion),” he said. “There isn’t anything magical about getting to 11 or getting to 12. … I don’t think the attainment of a specific number makes sense to us.”

Oklahoma State President Burns Hargis, who also serves as chairman of the Big 12 board of directors, said there’s no consensus on expansion and “there are a lot of variables that need to be considered.”

Bowlsby also dismissed suggestions that he would kowtow to the wishes of Texas. He touted Texas as “a major player” and “an extraordinary athletics program.”

“I haven’t been really good at being a puppet over the years,” Bowlsby said.

“I have been very impressed and fully convinced that the University of Texas will be a great partner for the other institutions of the Big 12.”

Bowlsby’s experience as an athletics director and not purely as a league administrator will help him understand the challenges each school faces, Malchow said.

“Jamie had shared with me that his group of athletics directors at the very start of this process had identified and targeted Bob as the No. 1 candidate,” Malchow said. “I think it’s really valuable for us that Bob had been an AD. He’s been on a campus. He’s run athletics departments. I think that’s a huge asset. He’s got an understanding of the challenges that we have and the needs that we have.”

Kirk Ferentz (left) listens to Iowa Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby talk during the press conference held at Iowa's football facility. Ferentz was named Iowa's new head football coach. (Buzz Orr/The Gazette)

Bob Bowlsby was unafraid to tackle multiple challenges during his 15-year run as Iowa’s athletics director. Now, the 60-year-old Waterloo native will face the ultimate challenge of working with the University of Texas and building consensus within the unstable Big 12 Conference.

Bowlsby was announced Thursday as the next the Big 12 Commissioner. A new conference is planned for this morning. He replaces interim commissioner Chuck Neinas, who took over for Dan Beebe last fall. Bowlsby, who became Stanford’s athletics director in 2006, will start his new job June 15.

“The institutions of the Big 12 wanted a Commissioner that could take us to the next era as a conference with the addition of TCU and WVU, and we unanimously agreed Bob is that leader,” said Burns Hargis, chairman of the Big 12’s board of directors and president of Oklahoma State University. “The search committee looked for a candidate that has a vision for the next generation of college athletics, and his credentials and ideas exceeded this. He understands enhancing athletic competition among conference schools, the challenge of balancing academics and athletics for our student-athletes, and working with our broadcast and bowl partners.”

NCAA selection committee chairman Bob Bowlsby, Iowa's athletic director, directs the committee meeting held in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 11, 2004. Bowlsby noted that the toughest part of the process isn't necessarily picking the teams, though; it's seeding them and then defending the process afterward.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

“I am proud to have been selected to lead the Big 12 Conference as its Commissioner,” Bowlsby said in a statement. “The member institutions represent the best in competitive intercollegiate athletics and they occupy a prominent place in the history of sports in America. I am excited to work with a very talented and committed group of Presidents and Chancellors to advance the Conference on the national sports landscape. Additionally, the directors of athletics, senior woman’s administrators, faculty athletics representatives, coaches and conference office staff are among the very best in the country. The future is exceedingly bright and I look forward to engaging with my colleagues to achieve great things in the years ahead.”

It’s a new and monumental challenge for Bowlsby, but that’s nothing new. His longtime friend and former colleague Mark Jennings, Iowa’s associate athletics director for patron services, said Bowlsby will succeed in his new role.
“He loves a challenge,” Jennings said. “He really does his homework before he makes his decisions. A lot of times he’ll have the skids greased before any announcement is made or before he’ll make any changes. He’ll have it pretty well taken care of behind the scenes.

“He’s going to enjoy going into kind of a messy situation and having the challenge of straightening it out. And he will. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll do a great job as the commissioner down there.”

Unviersity of Iowa Men's Athletics Director Bob Bowlsby (left) and former football coach Hayden Fry embrace during a ceremony honoring the coach prior to the start of the Northern Illinois game on Saturday, Sept. 18, 1999, in Iowa City. (Buzz Orr/The Gazette)

Bowlsby faces a job worth its weight in turmoil. He’s the league’s fourth commissioner overall and third since 2007, not counting Neinas. Twice the Big 12 survived near extinction in the last two years. Four different schools have bolted the Big 12 since June 2010, and the league has added two schools that begin play next fall.

The Big 12 was founded in 1996 as a combination of the Big Eight Conference and four members of the Southwest Conference. After years of infighting over revenue and television rights among other issues, the league nearly imploded in 2010. Missouri openly courted the Big Ten Conference, which instead invited Nebraska. The Pac-10 Conference then invited six Big 12 members. Texas A&M flirted with the Southeastern Conference and others talked with the Big East as a fallback option. Ultimately, 10 schools stayed put — Colorado joined the Pac-10 — in part because the league granted third-tier television rights to each institution.

Third-tier rights became an issue in 2011 when Texas officials agreed to a 30-year, $295 million contract with ESPN to start the Longhorn Network. Additionally, Texas officials sought to air multiple football games on the network and televise live high school football games. Texas A&M officials reacted negatively, citing a competitive disadvantage. Texas A&M announced plans to leave for another conference in August, which started a wave of schools considering other leagues or threatening to sue one other.

After three weeks of chaos, the Pac-12 declined to invite any current Big 12 members. Eight schools then recommitted to the league, and Commissioner Dan Beebe resigned. Texas A&M immediately announced plans to leave for the SEC. Missouri, after two months of evaluations, also bolted for the SEC.

University of Iowa Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby pops the cork on a bottle of (non-alcholic) champagne shortly after the demolition of the old press box at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005. Sports Information Director Phil Haddy (left) holds the cork. (Duane Crock/The Gazette)

The league since has added two new schools — West Virginia and TCU. There are burgeoning issues at stake such as television rights and potential expansion. But most important is long-term stability. That might mean staredowns with Texas officials.

“He’s not afraid to do what he thinks is right if he thinks it’s right for the good of everybody,” Jennings said. “I’m sure if whoever did the hiring for the Big 12 commissioner looked at that as a real strong trait. There are a couple of universities down there that kind of have had a big say in what happens. So that will be a challenge for him. It’ll be fun to watch from afar.”

At Iowa, Bowlsby’s accomplishments include consolidating the men’s and women’s athletics departments, hiring successful coaches like Kirk Ferentz, Lisa Bluder and Tom Brands and pushing the department to become financially self-sustaining. Bowlsby also pushed through the $89 million Kinnick Stadium renovation, which was completed just months after he left for Stanford.

“It was Bob’s first season as director of athletics at the University of Iowa, and we were at Purdue University and handful of us were having dinner and Bob laid out the plan for the renovation of Kinnick Stadium,” said Rick Klatt, Iowa’s associate athletics director for external affairs. “Why it was important, when it needed to be done …

“Bob is no different from any of his peers. You don’t elevate to the responsibility … without having the ability to make a tough decision and be smart enough to make that decision. That’s why he was such a good leader. He was willing to make a tough decision.”

Former Iowa interim President Gary Fethke describe Bowlsby as “smart,” “very strategic” and “articulate.”

“(Big Ten Commissioner Jim) Delaney has done an incredible job with the Big Ten,” Fethke said. “They’re very different personalities. Delany is also very smart, but he’s more out there. Bowlsby holds things back a little bit. But I think he’ll do a good job. He’s a classy guy, extremely good speaker. It’s probably a good pick for them. I think that’s probably a wise selection for the Big 12.”

(Gazette reporter Diane Heldt contributed to this report)

Three different versions of the Cy-Hawk Trophy. Two were from the 2011 season. The top version will be given to the winner on Sept. 8 in Iowa City.

Iowa State’s record football attendance increase last fall did more than just help the athletics department’s bottom line; it also padded Iowa’s coffers with a larger chunk of change from their 2011 Cy-Hawk football battle.

Iowa State, which played host to the 2011 game, sent Iowa a check for $428,252.60. That’s an increase of $47,252 from 2009. The schools’ football contract allows the visiting team to receive 20 percent of the gate — post taxes — through 2012. From 2013 through the end of the contract in 2017, the home team keeps all gate revenue. The teams have played every year since 1977.

The Cyclones averaged a school-record 53,647 attendance for its six home games last fall, eclipsing a 29-year-old record by 1,741 fans per game. Iowa State officials listed its attendance for the Sept. 10, 2011 game — which Iowa State won 44-41 in triple overtime — at 56,085. The teams will meet again Sept. 8 at Kinnick Stadium.

Iowa and Iowa State interpret the contract differently. Iowa pays its 20 percent from the game itself. Iowa State pays its 20 percent from an average seasonal gate. Kinnick Stadium seats about 14,000 more fans than Jack Trice Stadium, so Iowa’s 20 percent payment is larger than what Iowa State pays.

After the 2009 and 2007 games in Ames, Iowa received $381,000 and $330,389, respectively. Iowa paid Iowa State $551,813 in 2010 and $616,383 in 2008.

In its most recent four trips to Kinnick Stadium (2004-06-08-10), Iowa State has earned a combined $2,342,235.44 as the visitor (a $585,558.86 per-game average). Iowa has earned a combined $1,526,555.77 (a $381,638.94 per-game average) in its last four games at Jack Trice Stadium (2005-07-09-11).

University of Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, left, is greeted by Iowa Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby, right, following a news conference about Iowa playing the University of Southern California in the Orange Bowl, Sunday afternoon, Dec. 8, 2002, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Bob Bowlsby to Big 12 commissioner makes sense. Let’s roll his resume.

He was the athletics director at the University of Northern Iowa from 1984 to 1991, where he hired Eldon Miller and Earle Bruce (not all that glitters is gold) and staged a men’s basketball game in the UNI-Dome against the Iowa Hawkeyes that drew a crazy 22,797 fans. (Panthers won, I was a student in the crowd.)

Bowlsby served as Iowa’s AD from 1991 through 2006, where he hired Kirk Ferentz and Steve Alford (not all that glitters is gold) and spearheaded the major renovation project at Kinnick Stadium (nearly $90 mill), among other endeavors. He left for Stanford in 2006, seeking a new challenge.

The Bowlsby-Bob Stoops thingie has reached mythical proportions. Who knows what happened. My theory is, yes, Stoops was interested in coming back to coach his alma mater. Maybe the search committee soured him. I don’t know that. Then, Oklahoma got heavily involved and that made a lot of sense, both with the tradition and the financials.

The Tom Davis thingie remains a clear misstep. I don’t remember anyone — ANYONE — standing up and saying that Alford was a bad idea. It clearly didn’t work. Not all that glitters is gold. Sometimes, you go the hard road to figure that out.

Bowlsby also worked as a national leader on various NCAA committees that required an enormous commitment. Most notably, he served as chairman of the NCAA wrestling committee and also spent five years on the NCAA men’s basketball committee, including two years as chairman in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Bowlsby takes control of the situation, no matter what it might be. The Big 12 situation is nutty, to say the least. Bowlsby’s football acumen is unquestioned. Jim Harbaugh, two BCS bowls at Stanford. Kirk Ferentz, Kinnick renovation, ’02 and ’04 Big Ten titles.

Nutty Big 12, meet a football AD. Bowlsby wouldn’t be Texas AD DeLoss Dodds caddie. Texas will swing a mighty big stick. Will the league allow itself to be hostage to the Burnt Orange’s TV whims? I don’t think that would sit well with Bowlsby.

Remember that it took nearly two years before Ferentz signed his first contract with Iowa. That was super agent Neil Cornrich vs. Bowlsby. The cover was “separation language,” but who knows what it really was. That was the first time Iowa administration dealt with a real sports agent. Since, Ferentz’s deal has become as favorable for a coach as any. A happy coach is a coach who goes into his 14th season at the same school.

The Big 12 also contains Oklahoma, the Texas nemesis with a lot to say. It also welcomes TCU and West Virginia this season. It needs a strong hand. That’s Bowlsby.

The Big 12 is a gold mine of interesting football. Maybe a centralized network would help unlock that? TV would be job 1 for Bowlsby. No. 2 would be giving the league an air of stability.

But here we are nearly 11:30 a.m. Thursday with an offer on the table. The Big 12 needs Bowlsby more than he needs it.

– Marc Morehouse

LINKED IN

– Former Iowa walk-on point guard Branden Stubbs will play for Division II Augustana (S.D.) University, the school announced.

Stubbs (6-foot-2) played in 16 games over two seasons with the Hawkeyes and was a productive walk-on and sometimes entered the game in crucial situations. He scored 26 points in two seasons but largely was asked to take care of the ball when he entered the game with Iowa.

Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery told The Gazette in March he wanted to help Stubbs earn a scholarship and get some playing time.

“Branden is a very smart player who has spent the last two years playing and practicing against some outstanding competition,” Billeter said.  “He has been well coached and brings an overall toughness along with experience to a position we did not have a great deal of depth at.”

Stubbs will compete against former Iowa point guard Anthony Tucker next year. Tucker sat out this season but will play next season with Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead, which is coached by former Iowa assistant Chad Walthall.

— Former Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen was touted as one of the top sleepers by NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, Nielsen, who went undrafted and picked the Minnesota Vikings over the Miami Dolphins and about 14 other teams, has an opportunity to start, Mayock said.

“Nielsen is very undervalued,” Mayock said, according to The Viking Age. “He played through some injuries this year. If you didn’t know that, you might not like him. But I think he’s one of the better special teams players in this draft who ultimately might be a starting SAM (strong side) ‘backer in this league.”

– The Green Bay Packers expect fourth-round pick Mike Daniels of Iowa to re-energize the Packers’ defense despite his physical limitations.

— Big Ten teams will have the chance to play against one another earlier in the football season in 2015 and 2016, but the league still will leave the first four weeks open for non-conference games, according to ESPN. It’s up to the teams to move up their games into early September.

The Big Ten should consider starting the season the fourth week of September. Every year it’s a weekend wasteland as teams schedule non-conference cupcakes before entering Big Ten season. Michigan this year plays at Notre Dame that weekend but makes up for it by not playing the following week. Minnesota is the only other Big Ten school playing a BCS competitor on Sept. 22, facing Syracuse.

From 2010-2012, Big Ten opponents have scheduled just three BCS opponents (counting this year) on the final weekend before conference play. Over that three-year period, the combined records of those opponents from the previous year are 148-216.

– Also in that ESPN story, Big Ten senior associate commissioner Mark Rudner said the league’s 2015-16 schedules will be released later this month. Iowa has six Big Ten games already earmarked: permanent non-divisional opponent Purdue and Legends Division brethren Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern. Of the other two possibilities, it’s expected Iowa and Illinois will finally play again after a six-year hiatus. Iowa’s other opponent likely will be either Penn State or Indiana. My guess is Penn State.

– Compiled by Scott Dochterman

Members of the Iowa Barnstormers’ 16-and-under AAU boys’ basketball team help move cars and debris minutes after high winds, rain and hail ripped through St. Louis last weekend. The Barnstormers, which includes several local and regional players, competed in the “Battle of the Arch” AAU tournament last week and finished 5-0 in their bracket. (Greg Stephen/Submitted Photo)

The Iowa Barnstormers expected to show off their basketball skills last weekend at St. Louis’— Battle for the Arch, which they did. But off the court Saturday, they provided the weekend’s best assist.

The Barnstormers’ 10-member 16-and-under squad hopped into a shuttle bus between games and planned to watch the 14-and-under squad at another venue about 10-15 minutes away. Then, their plans changed.

“It got really windy and really dark,” said Barnstormers co-director and 16U coach Greg Stephen. “Then we saw a traffic light that went down and a bunch of trees that went down.

“The traffic just completely stopped because all of these trees were in the road. Cars were

Members of the Iowa Barnstormers’ 16-and-under AAU boys’ basketball team help move cars and debris minutes after high winds, rain and hail ripped through St. Louis last weekend. The Barnstormers, which includes several local and regional players, competed in the “Battle of the Arch” AAU tournament last week and finished 5-0 in their bracket. (Greg Stephen/Submitted Photo)

swerving back and forth because of the trees.”

The players still were wearing their uniforms and socks, although they had switched out of their gym shoes to flip-flops. At that moment, the 16U Barnstormers went into action.

“We saw a car over here in the ditch, and they were waving at people trying to get everybody out and stuff,” Stephen said. “So the boys said, ‘Why don’t we go help them?’

“So they jumped out and pushed the car out. Then they said, ‘Why don’t we get this tree?’ So then they moved the tree. Then everybody started honking at them and thanking them. Then the kids got really excited about it and ran off to the next tree and they moved that tree off the road, then the next one. I bet they went about a mile down the road just moving trees.”

Members of the Iowa Barnstormers’ 16-and-under AAU boys’ basketball team help move cars and debris minutes after high winds, rain and hail ripped through St. Louis last weekend. The Barnstormers, which includes several local and regional players, competed in the “Battle of the Arch” AAU tournament last week and finished 5-0 in their bracket. (Greg Stephen/Submitted Photo)

The act of social service cost Stephen. The boys ruined their socks, so Stephen hit a Foot Locker before their next game and bought them all new socks.

“That was my contribution to it,” he said.

The wet weather failed to impact on the team’s performance, however. The 16U team, which includes local athletes Wyatt Lohaus of Iowa City West, Matt Nelson of Cedar Rapids Xavier, Dubuque Senior’s Seth Bonifas and Kyle Haber and Dunkerton’s Kory Kuenstling, won all of their five games last weekend by more than 20 points. Other Barnstormers clubs winning titles include the 17U, 15U and 13U teams, and the 14U squad finished second. The 12U team also competed.

But the thrill of winning a tournament title was secondary to the life experience the boys received, Stephen said.

“Five years from now when these kids are sophomores or juniors in college, they’re not going to go back and they’re not going to remember St. Louis and who we beat, how they did, who won the games,” Stephen said. “But they’re going to remember jumping out of the bus and pushing a car out of the ditch. And they’re going to remember running from tree to tree and pulling trees off the road with people honking at them. That’s the kind of stuff that’s going to be lifelong memories for these guys.”

Three 16U team members already have Division I scholarship offers, Stephen said. Bonifas has an offer from Iowa and heavy interest from Wisconsin. Ethan Happ, who plays high school basketball at Rockridge in Illinois, received an offer from Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Iowa Falls’ Casey Schlatter has offers from Creighton, Drake and Northern Iowa.

Minnesota Vikings football players Adrian Peterson, left, John Sullivan, right, and Chad Greenway, background, show up unannounced to lobby for the stadium bill now passing through committees at the Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday, April 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)

Most NFL athletes have philanthropic ventures written into their contract, but Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway always was the exception. He goes above and beyond expectations for charitable organizations, much like he does on the football field.

Greenway, a former Iowa linebacker, donated $100,000 to a Sioux Falls children’s hospital for cancer patients and their families in 2008. In July 2008, he convinced Vikings owner Zygi Wilf to fly personnel on the team plane to Iowa City to help with post-flood recovery efforts in City Park. He hosts a draft party every year in South Dakota to benefit his “Lead The Way Foundation,” which enhances health and education for children. He also donated money to build a new track at his high school in Mount Vernon, S.D.

Last week, Greenway was stumping for his team at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul. Greenway, All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson and center John Sullivan stopped by the legislature lending support to a proposal to build the Vikings a new stadium. It would be located near the current Metrodome location and force the Vikings to play one season at the Gophers’ TCF Bank Stadium.

Minnesota Vikings teammates defensive end Jared Allen (69), and outside linebacker Chad Greenway (52) pose with Hawaiian models Aureana Tseu, left, and U'ilani LaBoy, during the NFC team photos at NFL football's Pro Bowl, Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 in Kapolei, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that those fans and the people who comes our games are going to get to enjoy a better experience, and we want to give that to them,” said Greenway, according to KARE11.com.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Vikings are slated to put up $427 million toward the $1 billion stadium, which would contain a roof of some sort. The state of Minnesota “would add $398 million and Minneapolis would contribute $150 million to the stadium’s construction. The team would also add $327 million over time to the stadium’s operating costs, and the city would add $189 million,” as reported by the Star Tribune.

The Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome expired after the 2011 season but they are committed to playing Minnesota in 2012. Without a lease, the team could relocate as early as next year, which NFL officials suggested (but not threatened) to state officials two weeks ago. Tuesday afternoon some Minnesota Republicans tossed out the idea of a roofless stadium — at least temporarily — to keep down the costs. But with the legislative session already in overtime, Democrats and Republicans are playing political football that could result in the state’s most popular team exiting for somewhere like … Los Angeles.

Greenway, by the way, earned his first Pro Bowl berth after last season and was tabbed the Vikings’ Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. As a South Dakota native, Iowa graduate, Pro Bowl athlete and charitable person, the Vikings have no better role model to sell the team on the field and to lawmakers at the Capitol. But if legislators aren’t careful, he just might take his talents to Long Beach.

– Scott Dochterman

LINK-IN LOGS

Three most recent Cy-Hawk trophies, from Aug. 19 through the announcement on Tuesday.

– Here’s the new Cy-Hawk. It will be forever linked to

The old Cy-Hawk Trophy

the old Cy-Hawk, you know, the “larger concept” that was “more than a football game.” Back out of the committee, people, and don’t overthink it. (I’m smelling a Cy-Hawk post at some point today).

– How much contrition is it going to take for Penn State? Who knows what the math is on that. Here’s what we know: Penn State is still allowed to field a football team and it has donated $1.1 million (its bowl revenue) to an abuse research center. Penn State is an institution that should have bright light forced into ever matter that comes across the university’s collective desk from here to the end of time.

– From the absurd to the glorious: Are you a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan? No? Do you now have a little love in your heart for the Bucs after they signed Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand? LeGrand is the Scarlet Knight who suffered paralysis in 2010 after a hit during a kickoff return against Army. Former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is now the Bucs coach. Schiano said the signing was “small gesture … to recognize his character, spirit and perseverance.” Bravo!

– This one is kind of weird. Central Florida QB Jeff Godfrey leaves UCF. Dad calls coach racist. Godfrey returns to UCF as WR. College football is whack, flat-out whack.

– Wanna watch the Hawkeyes grunt and sweat? You know you do.

– Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas went pro. Problem was the pros didn’t notice. He’s gone from Oregon’s starter to tryouts with the Steelers and Browns. A tryout is not a roster spot. This was a roll of the dice. No judgment. We don’t know what triggers these decisions. Good luck to the young man.

– A Big Ten-SEC bowl in St. Louis? Maybe it won’t be another 100 years before Iowa and Missouri play. On second thought, there are plenty of bowls. On third thought, I could drive to St. Louis on the day of the game. Fourth thought, no, I’d be down there for nine days. Fifth thought, there are too many bowls.

Compiled by Marc Morehouse

Long-time Detroit Lions fan Keith O'Neill, left, of Warren, Mich, shakes hands with the Detroit Lions' first-round draft pick Riley Reiff, an offensive tackle from Iowa, moments after Reiff arrived by limousine at the team's NFL football training facility in Allen Park, Mich, Friday, April 27, 2012. (AP Photo/John T. Greilick)

The “On Iowa” podcast with Marc Morehouse and Scott Dochterman recaps Iowa’s six NFL draft picks and five free agents and breaks down their chances of making a team. We also discuss Iowa’s latest football recruit and answer your Twitter questions.

To listen to this podcast, click on the below or side icon or download it from iTunes.

ONIOWA430

Purdue quarterback Robert Marve is brought down by Tyler Nielsen (45) and Broderick Binns (91) during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana on Saturday, November 19, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

Iowa defensive tackle Mike Daniels met with the Green Bay Packers at the NFL Scouting Combine and immediately liked the organization. Saturday, the Green Bay Packers liked him right back.

“They seemed to be impressed, and that’s about it,” Daniels said.

The Packers drafted Daniels in the fourth round (138 overall) to start a strong draft run by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Five Iowa players were selected from rounds four through seven, giving the program six draft picks for the third straight season.

Daniels will fill a specific role for the Packers, who run a base 3-4 defense. He’ll be used primarily in the Packers’ nickel defense and line up over the guard and rush the quarterback.

“The thing that jumps out at me is the way he plays the game,” Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. “He plays the game with quickness, intensity. I think he’ll bring a sense of energy with him.”

Iowa's Broderick Binns (left) gets a hand on Lousiana-Monroe's Tavarese Maye (center) as Iowa's Shaun Prater (right) comes to assist during the first half of their game at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Iowa City, Iowa. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)

Daniels promised in a conference call to maintain his trademark intensity with the Packers.

“I just don’t stop going,” Daniels said. “If you hustle — I’m not saying something great will happen all the time — but you increase your chances.”

The most surprising fall was from record-breaking wide receiver Marvin McNutt, who many considered a third-round pick. McNutt was the 26th wide receiver taken, going in the sixth round (194th overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid said he learned about McNutt with help from defensive coordinator Juan Castillo’s son, Greg, who is an Iowa cornerback.

“I think what you see with Marvin is a big, physical receiver with great hands, good character kid, very strong to the ball,” Reid said. “I think when you watch him he’s a smooth athlete who is big.

“You talk about making some unbelievable catches, you saw that with this kid. He’s good with the yards after the catch. Very productive there and, again, he’s a good person.”

McNutt was named the Big Ten’s top wide receiver after the 2011 season. He holds Iowa records in for receiving yards in a season (1,315) and career (2,861).

“I see myself as a playmaker. I make plays and do whatever’s necessary to get a victory,” McNutt told reporters afterward.

Iowa sent two players to the Washington Redskins. Guard Adam Gettis was selected in the fifth round (141 overall), while defensive back Jordan Bernstine was a seventh-round pick (217 overall). Iowa cornerback Shaun Prater was picked in the fifth round by the Cincinnati Bengals (156 overall).

Prater, a first-team all-Big Ten cornerback, will add depth for the Bengals’ secondary and help on special teams, Cincinnati Coach Marvin Lewis said.

Iowa's Markus Zusevics (56) recovers a fumble by teammate Adam Robinson (32) on the last play of the first half of their Big Ten Conference college football game against Ohio State Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

“We feel good about the guy he is and how well he has played on special teams as an outside gunner as well,” Lewis said. “He will be able to compete for all of those spots here as well.”

Prater told reporters he watched the entire draft and said “that was the longest wait of my life.”

“I was just hoping that someone would call my name,” he said. “I’m blessed with this opportunity.”

Following the draft, four former Iowa players agreed to terms on free-agent deals. Defensive end Broderick Binns will join the Arizona Cardinals as an outside linebacker/defensive end.

“I’m ecstatic right now,” Binns said. “I’m at a wedding right now (Saturday night), so I’m trying to keep my emotions in. But inside I’m jumping for joy.”

Linebacker Tyler Nielsen will sign with the Minnesota Vikings, according to his agent Neil Cornrich. Cornrich said Iowa punter Eric Guthrie is working on a deal but had not agreed to terms as of Saturday night.

Tackle Markus Zusevics, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle at the NFL Scouting Combine in February, agreed to terms with the New England Patriots, according to his agent Jack Bechta. Tight end Brad Herman also will join the Patriots, according to www.nepatriotsdraft.com.

Iowa tackle Riley Reiff was drafted in the first round Thursday night by the Detroit Lions.

Iowa's Tyler Nielsen tackles Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint during the second half at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, November 5, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

Iowa linebacker Tyler Nielsen agreed to terms on a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings, according to agent Neil Cornrich.

Cornrich said he heard from 16 teams looking at Nielsen, but Minnesota provided the best fit for the Humboldt native.

“He fit well geographically, he fits well in the scheme they run,” Cornrich said. “They’re multi-front, primarily 4-3, which he’s comfortable in. All in all, it should be a great fit.”

Nielsen, a 6-foot-3 1/3, 238-pound outside linebacker, started 20 games in his Iowa career at both middle and outside linebacker. He was an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection.He joins former Hawkeyes Christian Ballard, Chad Greenway and Allen Reisner on the Vikings’ roster.

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him in the NFL,” Cornrich said.

Nielsen recorded 134 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, at Iowa. He said in February he was well-prepared for the NFL based on competing with and against talented players at Iowa. He touted former Iowa teammate and current Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Moeaki as the best player he competed against.

“I think he was a third-round pick, but he had a lot of injuries in college,” Nielsen said. “If he was healthy, he definitely would have been a first-rounder. You saw that last year or the before last before he tore his knee up. He’d bring it every day in practice, and he was one of the most physical guys I ever went against, a great receiver as well as a tight end. Going against a guy like that really helps prepare me.”

Iowa's Jordan Bernstine runs from Indiana kicker Mitch Ewald of a kick-off return during the third quarter of their game at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won, 45-24. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)

Iowa safety Jordan Bernstine shrugged off a NFL Scouting Combine snub and was picked up by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of Saturday’s NFL draft.

Bernstine is the second Iowa player drafted by the Redskins on Saturday. Guard Adam Gettis was picked in the fifth round.

Bernstine, who started 11 games last year for Iowa, ranked seventh in the Big Ten in kickoff returns (23.8 yards per return) and 10th in tackles per game (7.4). He had 89 tackles at strong safety last year.

Bernstine was not invited to the combine but zoomed into draft consideration based on his Pro Day workout in Iowa City. He recorded a 4.43 40-yard dash time, and unofficially ran a 4.38 40-yard dash.

Iowa's Marvin McNutt (7) pulls in a one-handed catch in front of Michigan State's Darqueze Denard (31) during their Big Ten Conference college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

It took much longer than expected, but Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt will continue his  football career at the professional level.

McNutt was picked in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday afternoon. McNutt will battle for playing time behind Desean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.

“Marvin McNutt was a highly productive player that continued to get better and better with each season,” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said. “When you watch him, he doesn’t have great suddenness, but I think he’s athletic, and I think he does a very nice job of adjusting to the football. That’s where he’s at his best doing.

McShay then touted McNutt’s ability to make tough catches and using his body control to adjust to a ball in the air “but then he’ll have a concentration drop. So that’s one area where he needs to improve.

“He’s never going to be overly explosive but Marvin McNutt knows how to get open and he catches the ball in traffic. He’s a good late-round pick.”

McNutt (6-2 1/2, 216) was named the Big Ten’s top wide receiver after the 2011 season. He holds Iowa’s records in for receiving yards in a season (1,315) and career (2,861) and single-season (12) and career touchdown receptions (28). He also tied the school’s single-season reception mark with 82 catches in 2011 and ranks second in career receptions (170). All of the single-season records were set in 2011.

Last year he led Big Ten in receiving yards per game (101.2), ranked second in receptions per game (6.3) and sixth in all-purpose yards (106.7). Among Big Ten annuals, McNutt’s 1,315 receiving yards in 2011 ranks seventh and his 28 career touchdown catches rank 10th. He posted three of the 10 longest scoring receptions in Iowa history (92, 88, 80 yards) and caught at least one pass in his final 32 games at Iowa.

“I think one of my biggest things that I bring is that I’m big-bodied and I know how to use my body well, as well as catch the ball with my hands,” McNutt said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I’m an intelligent player, and I’m a former quarterback makes it a lot easier to know where to be in the defenses because I’ve studied the game.”

He is the first drafted Iowa wide receiver since Atlanta picked Kahlil Hill in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL draft.

Some analysts questioned McNutt’s speed until he ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. McNutt was undeterred when asked about his speed.

Iowa's Marvin McNutt, left, catches the winning touchdown pass against Michigan State's Chris L. Rucker (29) with no time remaining in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, in East Lansing, Mich. Iowa won 15-13. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)

“I know I have enough (speed) at the college level,” he said in February. “Like I say, when you start play with fast people, you play faster.  Breakaway speed isn’t the No. 1 key about playing football; it’s about technique and getting open. I believe I have that.”

McNutt switched from quarterback to wide receiver midway through the 2008 season. He became a force in 2009, catching eight touchdown passes for the 11-2 Hawkeyes. He’s best remembered for a 7-yard touchdown pass from Ricky Stanzi with no time remaining to beat Michigan State 15-13 at East Lansing, Mich. He also hauled in a 92-yard strike from Stanzi that sparked a 28-point fourth quarter in a 42-24 win against Indiana.

Iowa's Shaun Prater celebrates a goal line stop by the Hawkeyes during the third quarter of their game against Indiana at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, in Iowa City, Iowa. There was a penalty against Iowa on the play which resulted in an Indiana field goal. Iowa won, 45-24. (SourceMedia Group News/Jim Slosiarek)

Shaun Prater extended a streak of Iowa defensive backs in the NFL draft to five after he was picked by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round Friday night.

Prater heads to a team that has several journeymen at cornerback, including Terrance Newman, Nate Clements and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones. The Bengals drafted Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick in the first round.

“He’s been making plays in that secondary since his freshman year,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “He a bid junior season with four picks.

“He forced four fumbles this past season, picked off one pass. He had seven interceptions over the past three years in that Iowa Hawkeye defensive secondary.”

Prater, an Omaha, Neb., native, started 35 games for Iowa and was named a first-team all-Big Ten cornerback by the league’s coaches. Prater had seven interceptions at Iowa for 173 return yards and two touchdowns. He had 19 pass breakups and recorded 173 tackles at Iowa.

Prater (5-10 1/4, 192 pounds) follows former teammates Tyler Sash (6th round, 2011, New York Giants), Amari Spievey (3rd round, 2010, Detroit Lions), Bradley Fletcher (3rd round, 2009, St. Louis Rams) and Charles Godfrey (3rd round, 2007, Carolina Panthers) who were selected in the last four drafts.

“We’d go up against each other every day in practice and fight probably every day in practice,” Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt said. “He’s probably the best (McNutt faced).”

Iowa's Adam Robinson (32) hits a hole in the Wisconsin defense created by teammate Adam Gettis (73) during the first half of their Big Ten game against Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Iowa guard Adam Gettis was selected by the Washington in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday.

Gettis (6-foot-2, 293 pounds) was a second-team all-Big Ten guard last year for the Hawkeyes. He started all 13 games at right guard for the Hawkeyes. He’ll compete for playing time in Washington’s interior offensive line.

Gettis said in February his favorite college football moment was simply playing for the Hawkeyes.

“I would say just coming out of that tunnel every Saturday at Iowa,” he said. “You see 70,000 fans and you’re with all your best friends. You know you’re going out there for a purpose and everybody has got that same purpose. We all just want to go out and win. I feel like that’s the greatest feeling of all time.”

Iowa defensive tackle Mike Daniels, who was drafted by Green Bay on Saturday, touted Gettis’ ability after battling him for five years in practice.

“Adam Gettis is probably the most difficult player I’ve played against in the last five years,” Daniels said. ” Next to him would be David Molk, center from Michigan.”

Iowa's Mike Daniels (right) tackles Iowa State's Austen Arnaud during the second half of their game at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010, in Iowa City. Iowa won, 35-7. (Jim Slosiarek/SourceMedia Group News)

Iowa defensive tackle Mike Daniels will continue his football career as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Daniels, who stands 6-foot and weighs 291 pounds, was picked in the fourth round — 132nd overall — Saturday afternoon. He joins a team that finished 15-1 last year in the regular season but was dead last in total defense last year, allowing 411 yards a game.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. called Daniels “under the radar.”

“Low center of gravity, strong, gets off blocks, locates the football, understands leverage,” Kiper said. “I think these Iowa kids are very well-coached in the trenches. … Very difficult to block in the interior.

“All he did during his career at Iowa, particularly in the latter stages of his career, his junior year 40 tackles, his senior year 67 tackles. So the improvement was significant. He was well-coached, fundamentally and technically. I think when you get a kid coming out of that Kirk Ferentz Iowa Hawkeye program, an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman, you get a chance to get some rookie production out of that player.”

Daniels started 21 games his final two years at Iowa and led the Hawkeyes in sacks both seasons. He was named second-team all-Big Ten by the coaches following the 2011 season. His nine sacks last year was good enough to finish third in the Big Ten.

After fighting through ankle injuries as a senior, Daniels recovered to become a force by the end of the 2011 season. He led team in tackles for loss (13.5-63) and QB sacks (9-53). In 2010 Daniels had 11 tackles for loss and four  sacks.

Daniels produced one of the most dominant defensive games in Iowa history in a late-season 31-21 win at Purdue. Daniels recorded five tackles for loss, including three QB sacks, and a career-high nine tackles.

He had three tackles for loss, including two sacks, in Iowa’s Insight Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

Iowa State left tackle Kelechi Osemele (72) cheers after getting up from an injury in the first quarter against Iowa at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2011, in Ames. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group News)

The Baltimore Ravens selected Iowa State tackle Kelechi Osemele with the 60th pick in the second round, helping Osemele become the highest-drafted Cyclone in 22 years Friday night.

Osemele, who stands 6 feet, 5 1/3 inches and weighs 333 pounds, joins a team that needs depth along the offensive line. The Ravens start 11-year veteran Bryant McKinnie at one tackle and Michael Oher at the other. The Ravens lost guard Ben Grubbs in free agency this year. Former Iowa tackle Marshal Yanda made the Pro Bowl last year as a guard.

Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said Osemele could play either left guard or right tackle for the Ravens this year.

“I think you just let those guys compete and see also who meshes better where, with Jah Reid in the mix and Michael Oher being in the mix and Bryant McKinnie being in the mix,” Harbaugh said. “You know what? It’s just gives us some competition, and we like that.”

Osemele played left tackle at Iowa State but could play up to four offensive line positions.

“I’m guessing he’s the kind of player that (Ravens Coach) John Harbaugh loves,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “He’s a phone-booth offensive guard. I don’t think he can live on the outside. He’s a left tackle at Iowa State, but he doesn’t have left tackle feet.

“He’s tough, he can play right tackle or he can play inside.

“This kid, I believe, has the ability to start instantly at either right tackle or inside.”

Osemele started 44 consecutive games for Iowa State and earned first-team all-Big 12 honors from both the coaches and media after last season. Sports Illustrated tabbed him as a first-team All-American last year.

Iowa State’s most recent second-round pick was guard Keith Sims, who was chosen 39th overall in the second round by Miami of the 1990 draft.

The last Cyclone drafted before Osemele was guard Reggie Stephens, who was tabbed in the seventh round by Cincinnati in the 2009 draft.

In this Nov. 3, 1968 file photo, Los Angeles Rams' Henry Dyer, center left, is hit by Detroit Lions' Alex Karras (71) during an NFL football game in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/File)

The Detroit Lions have drafted 10 Iowa players historically, and the overall results are mostly positive.

Thursday, tackle Riley Reiff became the third first-rounder drafted by the Lions. He was picked No. 23 overall and will compete at both left tackle and right tackle.

The Lions’ other two Iowa first-rounders — Alex Karras (1958) and Chuck Long (1986) — ended their Detroit careers on opposite ends of the Honolulu blue spectrum. Long, which most around here remember as Iowa’s best-ever quarterback, was drafted No. 12 overall after leading the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten title and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Long — like nearly all Detroit quarterbacks from the late 1950s through 2011 — did not enjoy great success. He started 21 games and lost 17. He led the NFL interceptions in 1987 with 20. He threw for a career-best 2,598 yards that year and tossed 11 touchdowns. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a third-round pick in 1990 and returned to Detroit for one more season in 1991. He gave it a last shot in 1994 but did not stick.

Long’s lone career highlight in Detroit came on Oct. 25, 1987 when he completed 33 passes for 362 yards in a 34-33 loss to Green Bay. Until the 2011 season finale, it was the most passing yards by a Lions quarterback against the Packers. Detroit and Green Bay have played 163 times.

Karras, however, was a terrific pick and one of the best players in NFL history not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In fact, NFL Network ranked him No. 8 in that category. (See that video here). Karras played 12 seasons at defensive tackle for the Lions from 1958 through 1970, but was suspended for the 1963 season for gambling on football. Karras was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro on the most underrated defense in NFL history.

(For more information on these players, check Pro-Football-Reference.com)

Frustration shows on the faces of Iowa Quarterback Chuck Long and Coach Hayden Fry during the Rose Bowl in 1986.

Karras is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and won the 1957 Outland Trophy at Iowa. With Detroit he played in 161 games, is a member of the Lions’ All-Time team, intercepted four passes and recovered 16 fumbles. There are no statistics for tackles in Karras’ era.

The Lions drafted two other Hawkeyes in Karras’ era — running back Larry Ferguson (4th round, 1962) and do-it-all back/receiver Jerry Reichow (4th round, 1956). Ferguson competed in only seven games with the Lions in 1963. Reichow, however, had a solid career for three teams.

Reichow played three seasons with the Lions (1956, 57, 59), one year with Philadelphia (1960) and four more with Minnesota (1961-64). He holds the distinction of earning NFL titles with the Lions (1957) and Eagles (1960), the last years those franchises have won championships. After the Lions dumped Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne in 1958, Reichow was asked to pass during the 1959 season. Reichow completed 9-of-27 passes that year.

Iowa quarterback Jerry Reichow (left) presented a fierce countenance Saturday at Iowa (Kinnick) Stadium as he headed toward white-shirted Montana Grizzly halfback Dick Imer. Reichow picked up three yards on the play, setting up a touchdown on the Montana one. Reichow, who played for the Hawkeyes from 1953-1955, enjoyed a nine-year NFL career from 1956-1964 with three different teams. Photo October 2, 1954.

Reichow starred in the Vikings’ inaugural season in 1961 and became a standout wide receiver. He caught 50 passes for 859 yards and scored 11 touchdowns to earn a Pro Bowl nod that season.

Recently, the Lions have selected two Hawkeyes. Iowa cornerback Amari Spievey was chosen in the 2010 third round. He moved to strong safety and has started 24 games the last two seasons. He has five interceptions with Detroit.

Defensive lineman Jared DeVries was picked in the 1999 draft’s third round and played 12 injury-riddled seasons for Detroit. He started 32 games and played in 120 until he was cut after a knee injury in 2010. He earned three team awards in his tenure — 2008 Joe Schmidt Leadership Award, 2007 Mike Utley Spirit Award, 2004 Ed Block Courage Award. His 12 seasons tie Karras for eighth most in Lions history.

DeVries registered 126 tackles and 16.5 sacks in his career. His best season was in 2007 when he recorded 6.5 sacks and started 10 games.

Three Iowa draft picks before the end of World War II — Erwin Prasse (1940), Bill Diehl

UI Athletics Hall of Fame member Jim Gibbons talks about former Iowa football coach Forest Evashevski during an unveiling a new sign for Evashevski Drive Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 outside of Kinnick Stadium on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

(1942), Ben Trickey (1945) — didn’t suit up for the Lions.

One other Iowa player to consider in this category is tight end Jim Gibbons. The Cleveland Browns selected him in the 1958 fifth round but immediately traded him to Detroit. Gibbons played for 11 years and earned three Pro Bowl nods. He was the team’s MVP in 1964 and caught 287 passes for 3,561 yards and 20 touchdowns. He ranks seventh in career receptions.

If there’s one good sign for Reiff is his upcoming jersey number. He’ll wear No. 71, the same number as Karras.