The “Big Four” in sports refers to the four largest American sports leagues. These are the MLB, the NBA, the NFL and the NHL.

A Big Four sports team is an incredibly coveted prize for any city. Unfortunately, Iowa will not be getting one anytime soon.

Iowa is no stranger to success in sports. Take football for example: the University of Iowa has had sustained success and Iowa State’s incredible 2017 season, which ended in a Liberty Bowl win over the University of Memphis, won coach Matt Campbell the Big 12 Coach of the Year award.

Franchise relocations rarely happen and expansions are even more infrequent. One can’t help but wonder if Iowa will ever get its own big-name sports team?

Currently, Iowa is home to both minor league teams and teams in independent leagues, like the Iowa Cubs in baseball and the Iowa Barnstormers in indoor football. However, we must drive over to Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Mo. or St. Louis (depending on your location) for the nearest major league sporting event.

Many Iowans would be thrilled to have a Big Four team in the state.

There is no doubt that plenty of Iowans would attend games. Iowa State and the University of Iowa finished in the top 30 nationwide for average fan attendance in the 2017 football season, according to the NCAA 2017 Attendance Survey.

Unfortunately, hosting a dominant sports team is about more than solely fan attendance. A healthy financial demographic and large market size is also essential to supporting a team in the big leagues.

Des Moines is the largest city in Iowa, boasting a population of just over 200,000. The only city hosting a Big Four team with a population less than Des Moines is Green Bay, Wis., home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

The Packers, though, are one of the NFL’s original teams and has had the same name and location since it was founded. History is on its side, and it can also count on both financial and fan support from nearby Milwaukee.

However, while fan support is certainly present in Des Moines, the finances, TV and corporate ticket incentives are not. If Green Bay never had the Packers and tried to lobby for a Big Four team, they would have no chance.

A corporate sponsorship base is also vital. Des Moines can claim Wells Fargo and Principal as significant presences, but the level of support needed is simply not present. While it could be argued that a Des Moines area team would also draw in support from the large Omaha, Neb.-Council Bluffs, Iowa area, it is too far for their businesses to support as a regional entity.

Thus, Des Moines’s market is too small to sustain a large franchise.

It is also important to note that there are a plethora of other cities that franchises may look into first before thinking about Des Moines. Austin, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; Birmingham, Ala.; or Omaha itself are all more attractive destinations than Des Moines.

The relative size of those cities, as well as the surrounding teams in Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Mo. and St. Louis, further lower the chances of Iowa getting a big team.

We do not have a shortage of sports talent — quite the contrary, in fact. Former Cyclone basketball coach Fred Hoiberg proudly represents Iowa in the NBA as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Iowa also brings a lot of talent for our competitive college sports teams as well as the state’s minor league and independent league teams.

Some of these minor league and independent league players have gone on to be stars for their respective major league franchises. A prime example is former Iowa Barnstormers quarterback Kurt Warner, who went on to win a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams.

Ask yourself, though: if Iowa were to host a Big Four team, would you give the fledgling franchise your allegiance? Teams in the Big Four are all quite well-established, after all. Fans have settled for a team and support is stable.

As much as I’d get a kick out of hearing rookie TV announcers mispronounce “Des Moines,” I do not think it will happen.

Besides, Iowa is perfectly content without a Big Four team. We possess our fair share of in-state competition with the annual Cy-Hawk Series. Cyclones all come together wearing our “Beat Iowa” shirts to every event, and it extends past the fall football frenzy.

Iowa State is home to many high-caliber athletes who always showcase their passion and talent in every game, match, race and bout. While we may not be able to share our love of a Big Four team in Iowa, we can all take part in our school pride as we shout “Go Cyclones!” from the stands and sidelines.