Almost 3 million people call Iowa home. This Saturday, the majority of those citizens will be tuned in to one event: the Iowa-Iowa State football game.

It does not get as much attention as other rivalries in college football, but for Pierre Palo, junior in biochemistry, that does not matter.

Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m. The game will be televised on the VERSUS channel.

“The rivalry is right up there with the best of them in the country. There is not nearly as much hate compared to Alabama and Auburn or Ohio State and Michigan, yet it still very good,” Palo said.

Despite lacking attention from the national media, Henry Carney, senior in accounting, still sees the game as a very important event for the state of Iowa.

“I think the game is huge,” Carney said. “For everyone in the state, this is the one event they look forward to throughout the year. Both programs judge the level of success they had in a given year on this game.”

Plenty of families and relationships across the state will be divided depending on where their loyalties lie. This is found to be true no matter the location, even on the ISU campus.

Tanya Massey, sophomore in elementary education, has first-hand knowledge that only one thing matters when the two teams square off: bragging rights.

“I have a sister and a bunch of friends who are at Iowa. If Iowa wins, they let me know about it the rest of the year and make fun of ISU every chance that they get,” Massey said.

Kari Rolling, sophomore in apparel merchandising, design and production, agrees that having a sibling who attends Iowa makes the rivalry more enjoyable.

“My brother and I tease each other throughout the game and never let each other hear the end of it. The only way Iowa fans would finally stop talking is if ISU would end up winning the game.”

Growing up in Cyclone families, children are taught that the Iowa Hawkeyes are the enemy. Nevertheless, some are willing to look the other way when they found out their partners are planning to attend college in Iowa City.

For Kali Jacobsen, sophomore in pre-business, she completely understands the reason that Cory Miller, her boyfriend, decided to attend Iowa.

“I was a little disappointed at first, but when I found out that he wanted to go into pre-med, I understood his decision. I know that Iowa is known for their [pre-med] program, so I didn’t try to persuade him at all,” Jacobsen said.

For Branton Smith, sophomore in construction engineering, he initially did not agree with the decision made by his girlfriend, Jessica Walling. But in retrospect, he knows that the decision was right for her.

“I am a hardcore Cyclone fan, so I wasn’t very happy at first. I don’t agree with the decision, but I’m glad she’s doing what she wants to do,” Smith said.

In the week leading up to the game, both couples agreed the topic of conversation has been different from weeks past.

Not surprisingly, the discussion has shifted to the football game with most of the talking coming from the east side of the state.

“I’ve been joking with her this week about how much of a blowout it is going to be. It hasn’t really been trash talking, but more playful banter,” said Miller, freshman in pre-medicine at Iowa.

Walling, freshman in radiation science at Iowa, feels that over time, one thing has changed. She said her and Smith’s relationship has helped to soften her boyfriend’s hatred of Iowa just a little bit.

“With me going to Iowa, it makes the game more fun for both of us. He’s not going to admit it, but I think it makes him more of a Hawkeye fan than before,” Walling said.