Iowa

Iowa players share wild interactions with Nebraska coach Matt Rhule

Published

1 year ago

November 30, 2024

Iowa players share wild interactions with Nebraska coach Matt Rhule

The annual Iowa-Nebraska game doesn’t get the same hype as Alabama-Auburn and some other other college football rivalries, but emotions run high in the battle for the Heroes Cup. And things got wild Friday night.

The hijinks started even before the game. Iowa linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson shared some surprising anecdotes with reporters after the Hawkeyes’ thrilling 13-10 win on a walk-off field goal.

Higgins revealed that before the game, the Nebraska team captains made no effort to shake hands, “so that was a little weird,” he said. Then, Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walked through Iowa’s pregame warmups.

“So we immediately knew what type of game this was,” Higgins said.

After sharing all that, Higgins deadpanned, “Any questions?” That drew laughter from reporters.

Jackson joined him at that point, and Higgins had more to share.

“So the first series, we were on their sideline, and I got a little close to their head coach,” Higgins said. (The way he referred to Rhule as “their head coach” in every instance is funny.)

“And I said, ‘Probably not a good idea to not shake our hands,” Higgins continued. “He goes, ‘Who are you?’”

Then Higgins and Jackson wondered aloud if Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz would ever act like Rhule.

“Would KF, would … Kirk Ferentz ever do that?” Higgins asked.

“Nah,” Jackson said.

“That’s just amazing,” Higgins said.

“Come to Iowa,” Jackson said.

“Come to Iowa, come be a Hawk,” Higgins echoed.

“Be a Hawk, you see the difference,” Jackson said.

Jay Higgins shares that the Nebraska captains didn’t shake hands before the game and Matt Rhule walked through Iowa’s warmups pregame.
Interchange with Nick Jackson: “Would Kirk Ferentz ever do that? Never. Come to Iowa.” pic.twitter.com/ytncpAScW2
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) November 30, 2024

While Rhule might have thought his tough-guy image set the tone for the game, the Hawkeyes had the proverbial last laugh, as Drew Stevens booted a 53-yard field goal as time expired for the win.

Iowa’s Drew Stevens kicks a game winning 53 yard field goal against Nebraska… but viewers on NBC miss the ball actually going through the uprights. pic.twitter.com/ooC3ENmeCs
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 30, 2024

Higgins had the perfect end to the night after that winning kick.

“So after the game,” Higgins said, “because they didn’t want to shake our hands before the game, I went up to their head coach and shook his hand and told him, ‘Good game.’”

[Eliot Clough]

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Iowa

Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament Sets Two Classes

Published

3 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Boys High School State Basketball Tournament Sets Two Classes

The Class 1A and Class 2A Iowa high school boys basketball state tournament brackets are now official following substate action.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament begins Monday, March 9 from the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

St. Edmond, the top-seed in 1A, gets Woodbine in a rematch of a quarterfinal from a year ago. Woodbine ended the run of defending state champion Madrid in a substate final on the same court that St. Edmond qualified on when they defeated Riverside.

Burlington Notre Dame plays Bellevue, MMCRU meets Boyden-Hull and Bishop Garrigan battles Bellevue Marquette Catholic in the other elite eight games.

The other substate finals saw Burlington Notre Dame defeat Calamus-Wheatland, MMCRU eliminated North Union, Bishop Garrigan downed South Winneshiek, Bellevue bested East Marshall and Bellevue Marquette Catholic topped Montezuma.

In 2A, Kuemper Catholic is the No. 1 seed and will face Union Community in the opening game on Wednesday, March 11. The other quarterfinals see Treynor vs. Grundy Center, Unity Christian vs. defending state champion Western Christian and Iowa City Regina vs. Aplington-Parkersburg.

Kuemper Catholic survived vs. Roland-Story, Union knocked off Pella Christian in a nail-biter, Treynor bested Underwood, Grundy Center downed Beckman Catholic, Unity Christian handled Southeast Valley, Western Christian ran past Tri-Center, Iowa City Regina downed Northeast and Aplington-Parkersburg defeated Cascade.

Here are the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament pairings for Class 1A and Class 2A.

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, March 10

Semifinals

Thursday, March 12

Championship

Friday, March 13

Wednesday, March 11

Semifinals

Thursday, March 12

Championship

Friday, March 13

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Iowa

Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyler Pitlick From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

Published

15 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota Wild Recalls Tyler Pitlick From Iowa | Minnesota Wild

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled forward Tyler Pitlick from the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Pitlick, 34 (11/1/91), has tallied two goals, 24 penalty minutes (PIM) and 26 shots in 31 games with Minnesota this season and ranks fourth on the team with 76 hits. He has also collected 11 points (8-3=11) and 31 shots in 12 games with Iowa. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Minneapolis, Minn., owns 111 points (58-53=111) and 565 shots on goal in 451 career NHL games over 11 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (2013-17), Dallas Stars (2017-19), Philadelphia Flyers (2019-20), Arizona Coyotes (2020-21), Calgary Flames (2021-22), Montreal Canadiens (2021-22), St. Louis Blues (2022-23), New York Rangers (2023-24) and Minnesota (2025-26). He has tallied three points (2-1=3) in 22 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. Pitlick has also recorded 140 points (60-89=149) in 289 career AHL games in parts of eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Barons (2011-15), Bakersfield Condors (2015-16), Hartford Wolf Pack (2023-24), Providence Bruins (2024-25) and Iowa (2025). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Pitlick was signed by Minnesota as a free agent on July 2, 2025, and wears sweater No. 19 with the Wild.

Minnesota hosts the St. Louis Blues tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT on FanDuel Sports Network and KFAN FM 100.3.

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Iowa

Iowa Boys High School Basketball Substate Finals Locked In For 4A

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Boys High School Basketball Substate Finals Locked In For 4A

The fourth and final bunch of Iowa high school boys basketball substate championship games are now set after the second round of Class 4A games were completed on Friday, February 27.

Substate championships in Iowa’s largest classification will take place on Tuesday, March 3, with the higher seed serving as host in all eight games. Winners advance to Des Moines, Iowa and the Casey’s Center to compete in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Tournament beginning March 9.

Three-time defending 4A state champion Valley was eliminated by Ankeny, 72-36. The Tigers, who lost all five starters from a year ago, won just one game prior to earning a victory in the opening round of postseason play.

Cedar Falls, who has held the No. 1 spot in 4A throughout the season, scored a dominating 78-45 decision vs. Iowa City High to move on.

Colin Rice, a Nebraska commit for Fred Hoiberg, scored a single-game school-record 50 points as Waukee Northwest topped Iowa City Liberty, 101-58.

Council Bluffs Lincoln, Ames, North Scott, Dowling Catholic, Dubuque Senior, Johnston, Linn-Mar, Muscatine, Norwalk, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Des Moines Roosevelt, Urbandale and Waukee all joined them in the next round after winning games at home.

The 1A and 2A substate finals will take place on Saturday, February 28 while the 3A games go down on Monday, March 2.

Here are the Iowa boys high school basketball Class 4A substate finals for Wednesday, March 3.

Wednesday, March 3

Class 4A

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