Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/426686
65 T he University of Iowa men's basketball team spent two days in New York City earlier this month. e basketball was exciting and challenging — everything head coach Fran McCaffery wanted it to be and probably more. e outcomes weren't in the favor of the good guys in black and gold. However, I'm not dwelling on those losses for two reasons: I think our coaching staff will use those experiences to make this team battle ready when the Big Ten Conference season rolls around. ose were big time games — and winning one or both of them would have been huge for the program — but they're not the kind of losses that break you. Instead, I believe the experience of playing that level of competition in that venue will pay dividends later in the year, particularly when the NCAA Selection Committee is evaluating the schedule of who you played and where you played them. We hear you and share your pain. Games of our men's basketball team that are selected by ESPN and placed on ESPN3 make it challenging for some of you to be loyal to your Hawkeyes. Here are random thoughts on this specific topic: We aren't the only Big Ten school that faces this challenge each November and December when there are too many games to fill the limited television slots available. We also work hard to minimize that number. Lastly, this challenge was made more difficult by the addition of two more teams to the Big Ten Conference…which increased the number of nonconference games available. I do want to applaud many fans of the Hawkeyes for embracing this technology challenge. e Hawkeye football team will be going bowling again this year. If you're thinking of following us, here's a place to go to get the nitty-gritty like which games are possible, what the UI Athletics Ticket Office's plan is for tickets, and your bowl tour options: HERE. How about Bluder's Bunch? ey're rocking it right out of the gate. It could be a remarkably fun winter and spring for that talented group of Hawkeyes. If you were in Kinnick on the aernoon and early evening of Saturday, Nov. 22, thank you. Now, a popular question in the Heartland is this: Will the Hawkeyes be back on television in primetime anytime soon? It's near impossible to make a prediction about that, but I have to believe the Hawkeyes' 2015 home games against Pittsburgh and Maryland will be on the radar screens of the Big Ten's television partners come spring when these decisions are made. As evidenced by the electricity in Kinnick for the "Battle for the Bull," the home of the Hawkeyes is a great place for college football any time of day, and, particularly, when the sun sets. A few weeks back, season ticket holders in the sport of football were asked to complete a survey. is is an annual activity the UI is participating on in conjunction with all Football Bowl Subdivision schools. I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to provide input. Lastly, we made it official at halime of the Iowa- Wisconsin game: Herky on Parade 2014 generated $110,000 for the United Way of Johnson and Washington County. at is a "Do it Right" success story for the Hawkeyes. As always, congratulations to the great folks at the Iowa City Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau — they do the heavy liing on this project — and the artists who bring Herky to life. Go Hawks!