ESPN College GameDay made its way to the Hawkeye State Sunday morning for the Top-10 Showdown between the sixth-ranked Iowa women’s basketball game versus the Ohio State Buckeyes. The last time Iowa and OSU played, Iowa suffered a 100-92 overtime loss.  

This is not just a Big Ten rivalry game. With a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena and tickets ranging from as little as $330 to upward of over $6,000, the matchup between Iowa and Ohio State marks the end of an era, the Caitlin Clark era. Clark has been at the forefront of college basketball, both men’s and women’s, since she first enrolled at the University of Iowa in 2020. 

Iowa vs. Ohio State was already a highly anticipated matchup as Clark is approaching history, breaking the all-time NCAA scoring record which was previously held by LSU’s “Pistol” Pete Marovich.   

Clark first announced her plans to enter the 2024 WNBA draft this past Thursday, adding even more significance to her now-confirmed final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  

The College GameDay panel included Carolyn Peck, Rebecca Lobo, Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, and Holly Rowe.  

The College GameDay panel first highlighted the “Caitlin Clark Effect’ on ticket sales. The average ticket price for Iowa vs. Ohio State tripled, costing the average fan $433. 

With Clark entering the WNBA draft, the Indiana Fever have the first pick and are expected to take Clark as the No. 1 overall pick. Clark simply entering her name in the WNBA draft increased the Indiana Fever ticket price, going from an average of $60 for a ticket, to a whopping $152. 

With two weeks until selection Sunday, Lobo has South Carolina, Iowa, LSU, and UConn in the Final Four. Peck, who left Iowa out of the final four, and had South Carolina, LSU, Stanford, and UCLA, respectively. Carter, who also left Iowa out, had South Carolina, LSU, Ohio State, and UCLA.  

College GameDay was filled with Clark highlights, most of which featured Clark’s limitless range from her signature logo threes. Another memorable moment shown was Clark’s 27-point college debut against UNI. 

A special interview was set up with former WNBA star Maya Moore and Clark. Clark was noticeably star-struck and explained how Moore was a huge inspiration for her game.  

Another live interview was held, this time with head coach Lisa Bluder and the College GameDay panel. The interview touched on the matchup between Ohio State, with Bluder stating that boxing out and defense will be the main focus against Ohio State. Bluder also touched on how she of course would have loved for Clark to come back for another season, but ultimately respects Caitlin’s decision to go to the WNBA draft.  

With Clark being in the spotlight, Rowe had a special Senior Day shoutout to players Kate Martin, Molly Davis, Gabbie Marshall, and Sharon Goodman. 

College GameDay concluded with game picks. Lobo, Duncan, and Carter picked Iowa, while Peck was the lone Ohio State pick.  

The Hawks will be back in action on Friday for the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota.