The Hawkeyes are seeking a return to the Final Four for the first time in 46 years, and standing in their way is longtime rival Illinois. How poetic.
HOUSTON - Today is the day - well, at least it could be.
If you're old enough, you've been waiting for this moment for 46 years.
The second half collapse in the 1987 West Regional Final. The double overtime heartbreaker to NC State in '89. The Pierre Pierce scandal. The gut-wrenching buzzer beater at the hands of Northwestern State in 2006. The agonizing feeling of being so close, yet so far under Fran McCaffery.
All of this frustration can finally be forgotten once and for all today when the No. 9-seeded Iowa men's basketball team plays No. 3 Illinois for a spot in the Final Four in Indianapolis next weekend.
To say an opportunity like this is rare would be a massive understatement. A win would send the Hawkeyes to college basketball's ultimate stage for the first time since Lute Olson's scrappy bunch orchestrated a magical run to the 1980 Final Four.
With the exception of the Elite Eight run in 1987, Iowa hasn't come close to such a moment. It's had other teams capable of making a run, but for one reason or another, March Madness has mostly been March Sadness in Iowa City.
A loss won't dampen what has been an incredible 2025-26 run, but again, opportunities like this don't come around very often. The 1986-87 team - featuring the talented trio of Roy Marble, B.J. Armstrong, and Ed Horton - won a school-record 30 games as sophomores, and despite blowing a 16-point halftime lead against UNLV, they still had two more years to get Iowa back to the promised land.
The Hawkeyes have reached the second weekend just three times since then - 1988 (a blowout loss to Arizona in the Sweet `16), 1999 (a close loss to eventual champion UConn), and 2026?
Getting to the NCAA tournament was the goal for Ben McCollum in year one, but what has transpired this month has been nothing short of sensational, and as you can tell by the photo on this article, it's completely re-ignited the passion for men's basketball at the University of Iowa.
On paper, this roster shouldn't be able to compete (and beat) some of the nation's best teams, but the Hawkeyes have something other teams don't - heart. That's carried them to this point, and it feels like there isn't a moment that isn't too big for this team.
The only thing left standing between Iowa and the Final Four is longtime Big Ten rival Illinois. These two teams have shared one of the best rivalries in the sport since the late 1980s, and now they get to play on this stage.
How poetic is that?
I would imagine many of you are making the trip down to Houston, but if you're watching at home, get the champagne ready. This could be a celebration like we've never seen before.
Regardless of what happens this afternoon, enjoy this day Hawkeye fans.
You all deserve this.
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