I fucking hate non-conference games in basketball or football that only benefit one team and put the other in a no win situation.
Drake is fine if they want to come to Carver every few years. They are no different from any buy game and Iowa is going to beat them 95% of the time.
UNI on the other hand has no real benefit. If we are being honest, that is because they can actually be a good team every few years and their style of play is horrendous to watch and leads to close games that they can pull out through grinding flailing flopping bullshit. If Iowa loses to them, it is an embarrassment. If they win, well, they were supposed to win.
Iowa State in football is the definition of that for Iowa. If we are being honest, the reason isn't like UNI where Iowa State is good every few years, but that Iowa State is so consistently terrible and even if they are good it wouldn't change the national perspective that a win over them means nothing. They are consistently one of the bottom teams in the country, they play above their level while too many times Ferentz and his conservative style when Iowa is only mediocre allows Iowa State to hang around in a close game and pull out wins they shouldn't. If Iowa loses to them, it is an embarrassment. If they win, well, they were supposed to win.
There is no reason that Iowa and Iowa State should both want the series over. Iowa should want it over so they can pursue a neutral site game every other year with a Power 5 opponent or get a home and home game against a Power 5 opponent.