One of head coach Luke Fickell's classroom assignments was to study Wisconsin-Iowa rivalry
MADISON – Luke Fickell was involved, as a player and coach, in the Big Ten’s marquee football rivalry:
Ohio State vs. Michigan.
As he prepared for his first season as Wisconsin’s head coach, Fickell made sure he and his staff became familiar with the history of the UW-Iowa rivalry.
“Just in case you wondered, I’m a traditionalist,” Fickell said Monday during his weekly news conference. “Rivalries are really, really, really important to me.
“They always have been, just the way I grew up in Big Ten country.”
UW (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) and Iowa (5-1, 2-1) meet at 3 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium, with the winner taking control of the West Division race.
Luke Fickell familiar with Iowa's program from his days as a player and coach at Ohio State
Fickell went 2-0 against Iowa as a player, with the Buckeyes winning in Columbus in 1995 and in Iowa City in 1996.
The Buckeyes won seven of eight meetings with the Hawkeyes with Fickell as an assistant. The lone loss was a 33-7 decision in 2004 in Iowa City.
UW leads the overall series with Iowa, 49-45-2, thanks in part to an 8-3 run that began with a thrilling 31-30 victory in Iowa City in 2010.
Iowa, however, has won two of the last three meetings. Both came in Iowa City, in 2020 and last season. Iowa’s last victory in Madison came in the 2015 Big Ten opener.
Luke Fickell wanted to make sure he and his assistants understood the history of the UW-Iowa rivalry
“That is why I thought it was a big deal for us as a program and a staff to make sure this summer and even in fall camp that we studied the rivalry,” Fickell said, “and made sure we had nights about the rivalry.
“I truly believe to respect the rivalry you’ve got to do a lot of work and understand when you’re walking into something the history behind it, the meaning behind it and what’s going to be a little bit different in those games.”
With the Big Ten adding four teams from the Pacific 12 after this season, Iowa and Minnesota will be UW’s protected rivalry games at least from 2024-28.
“I think it is great for college football,” Fickell said, “no matter what the situation (as) our leagues continue to grow and change.
“Our ability to still create great rivalries in college football, I think is what makes us special.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Luke Fickell embraces traditional rivalries like Wisconsin vs. Iowa
