PLEASANT HILL, Iowa — Even in the offseason, it can seem like the Cy-Hawk rivalry never ends. On Sunday, the rivalry took a break for one day at Southeast Polk High School.
Partnering with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the state's two biggest NIL collectives, We Will and Swarm, put on the second annual Wishes on Deck charity softball game. All proceeds from the event go to Make-a-Wish Iowa.
"Make-a-Wish is an unbelievable organization that step ups and really give these kids an opportunity to live [for] something, do an experience that makes them forget about doctors, makes them forget about hospitals, makes them forget about appointments and and just live their dream," said former Hawkeye and Indianapolis Colt great Dallas Clark.
Players in both respective programs are striving for the best results on the football field. Sunday, they shifted their focus elsewhere.
"We're here. even though we're rivals on the field and maybe off the field, but right now we're here, you know, as team together," said Iowa State redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht.
"[It] really just means a lot that as athletes, we're able to use our platform for the better," said Iowa senior quarterback Cade McNamara. "I think this is a great example of that."
"NIL" or Name, Image and Likeness is a topic that can hold a negative connotation in college athletics, but this event breaks that mold. Last year's event in Humboldt raised over $200,000.
"When you put NIL into the right hands, and those people are able to, you know, give it back to the community and put it into the right hands," Becht said. "It's awesome to see. $200,000, that's a lot. And so hopefully today, we're able to raise, you know, even more than that."
It was all good and fun in both dugouts, but the rosters are still filled with competitors.
"We want to win, but it's for the kids. (It's) for the kids today," McNamara said.
The Hawkeyes dominated in the game, winning 11-3 in Pleasant Hill.