Iowa Basketball Remembers Randy Larson

Long-Time Local Lawyer, PTL Commissioner Passes Away

Former Prime Time League commissioner Randy Larson (left) and Iowa Basketball coach Fran McCaffery. (Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Iowa Basketball is remembering fan Randy Larson, who passed away this weekend. A long-time lawyer in town, he was best known in local sports circles as the commissioner of summer basketball leagues here. 

Larson ran the Prime Time League for 31 years. The PTL ended in '18 after serving as offseason competition for members of the Iowa team. Northern Iowa players eventually joined in. 

“Randy was a great friend of our program and to me from the day I arrived in Iowa City," Hawkeye coach Fran McCaffery said in a Sunday press release. 

"He was incredibly kind and supportive of our student-athletes, including devoting his heart and soul into the Prime Time League. He was an Iowa City legend and will be dearly missed.”

Larson later worked with Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder in starting a summer league for student-athletes in her program. The Game Time League also stopped operations in '18. 

“Randy was a tremendous supporter of women’s basketball. He included us in the summer league as soon as we arrived on campus. Randy was a fixture at our games and loved supporting our team,” Bluder said in the press release. 

PTL and GTL teams were sponsored by local businesses. Rosters included pro, college and high school players through the years. The season was made up of a regular season and playoffs with a champion crowned at the end. 

Fans would bring lawn chairs, sitting court side and up close to their favorites Hawkeyes. Others would plop down in the stands. The PTL played games at local high schools in the early years. It and the GTL ended up with a long run at the North Liberty Recreation Center.