Iowa, ISU officials to meet Friday about interim traveling trophy

IOWA CITY - Iowa and Iowa State officials on Friday will discuss the schools' interim traveling football trophy, according to Rick Klatt, Iowa's associate athletics director for external relations.

A new-look Cy-Hawk Trophy sponsored by the Iowa Corn Growers Association was unveiled last Friday at the Iowa State Fair. It was universally panned and by Tuesday, it was shelved.

The original Cy-Hawk Trophy was in use from 1977-2010. An interim trophy is planned for the annual game between Iowa and Iowa State, scheduled for Sept. 10 in Ames. Klatt said he's uncertain if the schools will play for a different trophy or the orginal model.

"I really don't know," Klatt said. "I hate to say it is and isn't.

"We've got a little bit of time. There's no definitive answer yet."

Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta saw an early photo of the newest former Cy-Hawk Trophy a few months ago and said Thursday he had no problem with the look.

"When I saw the trophy for the very first time a few months ago in a photo, I was fine with it," Barta said at the Presidential Committee on Athletics meeting. "But also at the same time, we received our feedback.

"One of the things that tells you that Iowa Corn is a good partner is they didn't hesitate to say, 'Hey why do we have this contentious relationship with our state, with our fan base?' So they very quickly and very agreeably stepped forward and agreed we won't do that trophy."

Barta maintained Iowa's relationship with Iowa Corn and the annual series with Iowa State supersedes any trophy discussion.

"To me the most important thing is the rivalry game; that's our No. 1 focus," Barta said. "Whatever the trophy looks like, I'm going to make sure that we work hard to have it stay here. Then just making sure that the relationship with Iowa Corn is strong."