A midseason college basketball game between Iowa and Illinois regularly carries a high level of intensity whether the two teams are meetings in Champaign or Iowa City. Expect Saturday's Big Ten game between the Hawkeyes and the Fighting Illini on Iowa's home court to have even more passion than usual.
The Iowa Athletic Department has pulled tickets previously bought by an Illinois student-fan group. The Hawkeyes were originally under the impression that the tickets were bought by an Illinois chapter of the Boys and Girls Club. However, when the ticket department followed up on the order, they discovered that organization was not involved with the purchase.
After contacting the individual that made the original purchase, there was an admission that the tickets were falsely purchased. As a result, the tickets were pulled and refunded, and the tickets were donated to the Cedar Rapids Boys and Girls Club.
The Illinois fan group Orange Krush had complained in a letter that the tickets were pulled after nearly $6,000 in travel arrangements had been spent by the organization. The letter made it seem like Iowa had pulled the tickets when it learned a large group from Illinois was coming to the game.
At that point, Iowa fired back and explained the original purchase was made through false pretenses.
Iowa and head coach Fran McCaffrey brings a 14-8 record overall and a 6-5 Big Ten mark into the game. Illinois is coached by Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini have a 16-6 record along with a 7-4 mark in the conference.
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