The University of Iowa Should Take the Lead in Protecting Hawkeyes Health

This week in October has been rougher than usual considering there has been no Iowa Hawkeye football.  That coupled with a major upset of Alabama makes me think about what might have been.  A common pastime for all Hawkeye fans, we have been so close so many times.

Remember last month?

It is after midnight and I was watching the Hawkeyes play live, in Arizona, and I just felt that this is wrong. 

The NCAA allows late games to happen all the time, but there is no reason why a team from any given time zone should be subjected to exceptionally early or late starts. What if USC were to play in Florida, after flying in the previous day from LA, and the Gators scheduled the start of the game for 11:00 AM? This would mean that USC players would need to be up and on the bus by 5:00 AM their time!

College kids don’t get up before 10 if they can help it.  Reverse the travel and start the game at 7:30 PM, and the East Coast team will be playing ball at 1:00 AM their time.   With the travel time and sleeping away from home, it appears that the NCAA is taking advantage of the student athletes and risking their health for ratings dollars.

But if a booster gives a player a $100 bill, then everybody goes crazy.  Exploit the kids by having them play a late game on the road because of TV ratings, and the NCAA says nothing, even if the kids don’t get back to the hotel until 3:00 AM.  How much sleep will they get before they have to travel to the airport for their flight home?  What's the purpose of the NCAA if it isn’t going to protect the kids?

Announcers often state that it does not affect the Student Athletes negatively; makes me sick every time I hear that.  When did they pass medical school?  I did not pass medical school either, but I know how to spell sleep deprivation and plug it into a search engine.  The magic of the Internet tells me it is unhealthy.  I am sure that the NCAA knows about this issue too, but will they do anything about it?

Case in point:  Iowa had a horrible game in Arizona two times in a row.  The ASU game started late after a thunder storm.  The game should have been cancelled; it resulted in the worst showing by the Hawkeyes in years. 

Recently, against Arizona the Hawkeyes looked like they were sleepwalking until the second half.  They nearly won that game. I have no doubt they would have won that game had it started at 5:00 PM local time.  I know for a fact Iowa did not start the game last year against Arizona at 11:00 AM.  I was there; Iowa gave Arizona every comfort available including a pink locker room.  A fair starting time and Iowa rolled on to victory.

So I was thinking, and that is a dangerous thing, that the Ohio State game should start at 9:00 PM local time.  I have a feeling that Iowa is going to win that game no matter what time it starts, but it would make a point with everyone if they beat OSU in a game that ends at 1:48 AM Ohio time.

That would never happen, Iowans want a fair playing field and would be embarrassed by such a stunt.

The NCAA still says nothing.

It all comes down to money.  The new trend is Midnight basketball, a money making stunt sanctioned by the NCAA.  This would have to end too.  There is no reason why a school would need to have a basketball event after midnight, when they could have the event at noon and get more people to show.

Cash in on the kids' work any way possible; could that be what will become of the NCAA?

The University of Iowa needs to take the lead and make some noise.  The experiences in Arizona should make this abundantly clear.  When scheduling games at home or on the road, the best interests of the students should dictate that the contracts read the earliest and latest start times possible.  Make it a point of pride that Iowa defends their student athletes and does not subject them to added stress.  It is hard enough just working as a student athlete and going to school at the same time, why would we subject them to additional negative stimuli?

I am going to get off my soapbox now, I have said enough.   Tough game next weekend against  Michigan.  They look better than they have in years. Should be fun to watch, and I hope to hear the Hawkeye fans singing victory songs after the game in the Big House.