Nebraska football actively working to make Iowa official rival

The Nebraska football team needs an official rival and the administration wants it to be Iowa.

With all due respect to William Shakespeare, a rivalry by any other name is just as intense. The yearly matchup between the Nebraska football team and the Iowa Hawkeyes has been plenty intense since the Big Red joined the Big Ten.

While there have been some Husker fans who have been loathe to call Iowa a real rival, the school certainly seems to fit the bill. Much like there was when the Cornhuskers locked horns with the Colorado Buffaloes every season, there is a real animosity between the fanbases.

While losses to Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan hurt, the fans only get really angry when the Cornhuskers can’t beat the Hawkeyes. That’s true when talking about any sports the two schools can square off in.

Husker fans might not admit it, but it was Shawn Eichorst’s initial indifference to the possibility of losing Iowa as a Black Friday opponent that might have been the final straw when it came to his time in Lincoln. The Husker players and coaches seem to feel as though the team in black and gold are the school’s natural rival.

While talking to the media on Monday, senior wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El threw quite a bit of shade at the unofficial rivals. “Who really likes Iowa?” he said.

Pierson-El’s head coach likes the idea of Iowa being the official rival of the Huskers as well. During his Monday morning press conference, he says he really likes the idea. He also said he mentioned it to the team during a meeting on Sunday.

New athletic director Bill Moos believes the two teams should be an official rivalry the same way that Michigan and Ohio State are. Moos says he believes Nebraska needs that in the conference. During a recent radio appearance, he said he’s talked to the Big Ten about keeping Iowa as the school’s Black Friday opponent.

For some reason, the conference decided earlier this year that the Black Friday matchup would end after the 2019 season. Because that’s still a few years away, Moos believes he can get the Big Ten to reverse course. “Hopefully we can keep that Black Friday game and have that be Iowa each year,” Moos said.

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While there are some Nebraska football fans who will never claim the Hawkeyes as a rival, it’s should be pointed out that this entire week has it’s own hashtag. When you have something like #hateIowaweek, it might be time to admit a rivalry exists.