The dark cloud that has hovered over the Hawkeye program for 27 years has finally evaporated. The Iowa Hawkeyes are going to the Sweet 16.
To the casual college basketball fan, Alvaro Folgueiras' game-winning triple to lift Iowa men's basketball past Florida and into its first Sweet 16 since 1999 was just another annual March Madness moment.
But for Hawkeye fans, it was so much more.
The crowd pop from the small cluster of Iowa fans inside Benchmark International Arena in Tampa was minimal due to the heavy-Florida crowd, but the noise from Iowa fans across the globe was boisterous.
For 27 years, Iowa men's basketball was ridiculed in its own state. Hawkeye fans watched in agony as their beloved squad fell short of reaching the second weekend on every previous NCAA tournament trip in the 21st century (10 times), while receiving jeers from Iowa State and Northern Iowa fans (mostly from the folks in Ames).
Simply qualifying for the Big Dance every year is a goal for many programs, but Iowa has a very rich basketball history and expects to make noise on college basketball's biggest stage, not sit on the sidelines.
The 21st century Hawkeyes haven't reached the lofty heights the 1980s teams did, but they still boasted a plethora of talent many teams would love to claim. Luka Garza, Keegan Murray, Jordan Bohannon, Jarrod Uthoff, Aaron White, Luke Recker, and Jeff Horner are just a few of the names that have broke out on the college basketball scene while playing in Iowa City.
Despite the star-studded talent, the second weekend still eluded Iowa. Hawkeye fans were backstabbed by each defeat, but no season was likely more painful than 2021-22. After winning 26 games (second-most in school history) and the Big Ten tournament title, the fifth-seeded Hawkeyes were upset by No. 12 Richmond in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Three days later, Iowa fans watched archrival Iowa State reach the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed, a crushing blow to what could've been the Hawkeyes' special moment.
That season would be the beginning of the end for Fran McCaffery, who was fired in March 2025. Iowa's second weekend drought was approaching three decades by this point, and the next head coach was tasked with re-energizing a frustrated and disinterested fanbase.
Drake head coach Ben McCollum was McCaffery's replacement. McCollum's 426 career wins in just 15 years of college coaching (including four Division II national titles) glistened, but his decision to bring most of his roster from Drake caused some hesitancy among fans.
It's easy to look back and say this now, but it was ridiculous to have any doubts about McCollum. The 2025-26 Hawkeyes hardly looked like a formidable squad on paper, but all you need is a great coach and a team willing to buy in.
That's exactly what Iowa has right now, and that's why it's still dancing.
There's a rumor that Cinderellas are dying in March Madness.
I disagree.
Ladies and gentleman, Cinderella is indeed at the ball in the form of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and that ball is a matchup with none other than rival Nebraska on Thursday in Houston, Texas.
Who knows what will transpire in the Lone Star State, but Iowa fans don't really care about that just yet - they're still basking in the sun of this milestone victory.
Gone are the days of the Hawkeyes waiting for their March moment. It's here.
The dragon has been slayed.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are going to the Sweet 16.
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