Russ Mitchell, Author at Play Iowa

Iowa State Draws 11 Seed; What To Know About LSU In The First Round Of March Madness

The Iowa State turnaround story will have another chapter after they were selected for March Madness on Sunday night. The No. 11 seeded Cyclones (20-12) face No. 6 seed LSU (22-11) in the Midwest Region. TBS has the 6:20 p.m. game Friday. The Tigers opened as a 4.5-point favorite over Iowa State. The Selection Committee […]

Posted on: March 14, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Iowa State Brings Hilton South Magic To The Big 12 Tournament

If Iowa State’s regular-season finale at Baylor was the frying pan, this week’s Big 12 Tournament might be the fire. The Cyclones open play with a quarterfinal vs. Texas Tech on Thursday. The game tips off at about 8:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center. ESPN2 has the game for folks who don’t converge on Kansas […]

Posted on: March 9, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

March Madness Questions With ESPN’s Joe Lunardi: Are Iowa And Iowa State Locks? One MVC Bid?

“I’m just sitting around eating bonbons and watching soap operas,” ESPN’s Joe Lunardi told us late in the afternoon on the first day of a month known for madness. Watch any basketball game or log in to ESPN.com this time of year, and you’ll know he’s kidding. As farmers begin groundwork in Iowa, the creator […]

Posted on: March 2, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

More March Madness: Six Iowa Things To Know About The Women’s Bracket

The women's bracket announcement is more than a week away, but conference tournaments mean March Madness begins now.

Posted on: March 1, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

MVC Pairings, Odds Set As Arch Madness Leads To March Madness

Northern Iowa is your Missouri Valley Conference champion and the Panthers will enter Arch Madness as the No. 1 seed. But that doesn’t mean they’re the favorite to leave St. Louis with a March Madness bid. That distinction goes to Loyola-Chicago. The Ramblers are the fourth seed after a photo-finish race for the regular-season title. […]

Posted on: March 1, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Drake, UNI Need Championship Week For A Dose Of March Madness

The March Madness Selection Show is still more than two weeks away but don’t kid yourself. The 331-team postseason quest for automatic bids begins Monday. That’s when some combination of Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut, St. Francis U. and Fairleigh Dickinson will lose an 8-9 opening-round game in the Northeast Conference Tournament. What does that mean? […]

Posted on: February 26, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Company Behind Kentucky Derby Acquires Sioux City’s Hard Rock Casino

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Iowa is changing hands and plans call for Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) to operate the Sioux City venue. Churchill Downs announced the nearly $2.5 billion acquisition of Hard Rock Sioux City’s parent company — Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) — on Tuesday, Feb. 22. CDI would like to sell […]

Posted on: February 25, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Just In: Iowa Collected $16.3 Million In Super Bowl Bets

NFL fans in Iowa didn’t have the Kansas City Chiefs to bet on, but the state’s 2022 Super Bowl bets still matched the pace set a year ago. Iowa sportsbooks collected $16.275 million in Super Bowl LVI wagers for the LA Rams-Cincinnati Bengals game on Feb. 13. The total just missed the $16.3 million in […]

Posted on: February 24, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

How’s This For A Presidents Day Sale? You Still Have Time To Buy Green Bay Packers Stock

Time is running out for this Green Light Special: Fans who want to buy Green Bay Packers stocks only have five days left. The team issued a reminder about the deadline on Thursday. Fans have until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25 to get their cut of the cheese. “Orders cannot be processed after 11:59 p.m. […]

Posted on: February 21, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell

Updated 2022 Daytona 500 Odds: Hamlin, Larson Are Favorites After Qualifying

Before drivers start their engines, Iowa customers need to fill out their bets slips using 2022 Daytona 500 odds this weekend. NASCAR betting is a lot like PGA golf odds. You can pick a favorite to win for a big payout or use “top 3,” “top 5” and “top 10” odds for a more likely […]

Posted on: February 20, 2022 | | Russ Mitchell