The Iowa Hawkeyes football program represents the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
in
college football. The Hawkeyes compete in the West division of the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
. Iowa joined the Conference (then known as the Western Conference or Big Nine) in 1899 and played their first Conference football season in 1900. They are a
Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
. The Hawkeyes play their home games in
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the tim ...
at
Kinnick Stadium, with a capacity of 69,250. The Hawkeyes are coached by
Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
, who is in his 24th season as the head coach and is the longest current tenured head coach in NCAA Division I FBS. The Hawkeyes have won 13 conference championships (including 11 in the Big Ten). Iowa has never finished a season ranked No. 1 in either the
AP or
Coaches' Poll, though still claiming five national championships.
History
Early history
Football was first played as a club sport at Iowa in 1872, with intramural games against other colleges played as early as 1882, but it was not until 1889 that the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
first officially recognized a varsity football team. Beginning in 1892, Iowa played for six seasons as a member of the
Western Interstate University Football Association
The Western Interstate University Football Association (WIUFA) was one of the first intercollegiate athletic conferences in the United States, existing from 1892 to 1897.
Formation, history and evolution
The football teams from the Universities o ...
against three other Midwestern flagship state universities. In 1899, again playing as an independent, Iowa completed its first undefeated football season, which led to an invitation to join the Western Conference, now known as the
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
. In 1900, the Hawkeyes finished another undefeated season and won a share of the Western Conference title in their first year of conference play. In 1907, Iowa helped form the new
Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) was a college athletic conference and the second college conference formed upon its foundation on January 12, 1907.David A. Campaigne and John R. Thelin, "Big Twelve Conference", in ...
with the other three university members of the former WIUFA and participated in football in the new league, while retaining its existing membership in the Western Conference. Iowa tied for the league championship in the first season of competition, but would leave the conference soon thereafter to return to sole competition in the Western Conference.
Howard Jones era and 1930s
Iowa claimed consecutive Big Ten titles in
1921 and
1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éireann, the day after Éamon de Valera ...
. The Hawkeyes won 20 straight games in the early 1920s under the guidance of
Hall of Fame coach
Howard Jones. Jones soon left Iowa and established a powerhouse at
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
, and the Hawkeyes were abysmal for most of the 1930s.
1929 Big Ten suspension
Iowa was expelled from the Big Ten on May 25, 1929. The reasons were officially unstated and university president
William Jessup
William Jessup (June 21, 1797 – September 11, 1868) was a Pennsylvania judge and father of the missionary Henry Harris Jessup. A member of the Republican party, he is best known for being the chairman of the platform committee that crafted ...
professed not to know why the faculty committee voted to expel the university. Suspicions of
player compensation and Iowa's inaction to address alleged ethics violations appear to have been the main cause.
Following the 1929 season, the Big Ten faculty committee unanimously voted to reinstate Iowa to the conference on February 1, 1930. On December 11, 1929, Iowa had disqualified 27 players, presumably due to compensation issues, and was advised not to seek reinstatement of any of those players.
Eddie Anderson era (1939–1942, 1946–1949)
Little was expected of Iowa's 1939 team based upon its overall record in the decade, but led by their new coach
Eddie Anderson the team exceeded expectations and had a glorious run. Nicknamed the “Ironmen” because a small number of players shouldered the brunt of the time played, the
1939 Hawkeyes scored several upset victories and vaulted into the national rankings. Though Iowa fell a game short of winning the Big Ten title, team MVP
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...
won almost every major national award, including the 1939
Heisman Trophy.
Forest Evashevski era (1952–1960)
Forest Evashevski
Forest "Evy" Evashevski (February 19, 1918 – October 30, 2009) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight ...
was hired as Iowa's head coach in 1952. He lured
Calvin Jones to Iowa, where Jones became the first Hawkeye – and the first African-American – to win the
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
in 1955. From 1956 to 1960, Evashevski led Iowa to four finishes in the top five of the national rankings, three Big Ten Conference titles, two
Rose Bowl victories (in 1957 and 1959), and the 1958
FWAA national championship. After the 1960 season, Evashevski left coaching to become Iowa's athletic director.
The Forgotten Season
In 1960 the Hawkeyes held on to the No. 1 ranking for much of the season. The Hawkeyes defeated No. 8
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
, No. 15
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, and No. 10
Purdue. Iowa lost to rival No. 3
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. The game was the only loss of the year for the
1960 Hawkeyes and they shared the Big Ten title with Minnesota. However, at that time, the Big Ten did not allow their teams to go to any bowl except for the Rose Bowl. As such, Minnesota was picked over Iowa to go to Pasadena and Iowa was left out, despite a No. 2 ranking in the
Coaches' Poll and a No. 3 ranking in the AP. Minnesota went on to win the National Championship, as the final AP poll was conducted before their Rose Bowl loss to Washington. This season is known as the "Forgotten Season", for despite ending the season with a No. 2/3 ranking and a share of the Big Ten title, the Hawks were left out of January play.
1960s and 70s
Evashevski's departure from the sidelines began a two-decade downturn in Iowa's fortunes.
Jerry Burns
Jerome Monahan Burns (January 24, 1927 – May 12, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. He played in college for the Michigan Wolverines before becoming a coach. He was the head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 1961 to ...
coached from 1961 though 1965. He had a 16–27–2 record. His first team finished 5–4, which would be Iowa's last winning record for 20 years.
Ray Nagel
Raymond Robert Nagel (May 18, 1927 – January 15, 2015) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at the University of Utah from 1958 to 1965 and the University of Iowa from 1966 t ...
followed from 1966 to 1970 with a 16–32–2 record. Consecutive 5–5 records in 1968 and 1969 would be the Hawks' only non-losing records from 1961 to 1980.
Frank Lauterbur
Francis Xavier Lauterbur (August 8, 1925 – November 20, 2013) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Toledo from 1963 to 1970 and at the University of Iowa from 1971 to 1973, compiling a car ...
followed, coaching from 1971 to 1973 with a 4–28–1 record, with a 0–11 record in 1973.
Bob Commings
Bob Commings (December 24, 1932 – February 20, 1992) was a college football player and coach at the University of Iowa. He was also a high school football coach for 24 years in the state of Ohio.
Early life and playing career
Commings was born ...
coached the Hawkeyes from 1974 to 1978. His record was 18 wins and 37 losses.
Hayden Fry era (1979–1998)
Hall of Fame coach
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now known ...
was hired after the 1978 season
to reverse Iowa's fortunes. Considering the awful state of the program upon his arrival, Fry didn't take long to return the Hawkeyes to respectability. In his third year, Fry led the Hawkeyes to their first winning season in 21 years, a share of the Big Ten title, and a berth in
the Rose Bowl–only the third bowl appearance in school history. He had vowed to resign if he didn't get the Hawkeyes to a bowl within four years.
Fry would go on to lead the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten titles (one outright, two shared) and 14 bowl games (including two more Rose Bowls in 1986 and 1991). His best team was the 1985 unit, which won a then school-record 10 games and garnered Iowa's first outright Big Ten title in 27 years. That team spent most of October ranked No. 1 in both major polls, the highest they had been ranked that far into the season in two decades. Among the legacies that Fry left behind is the now iconic Tiger Hawk logo and a widely reviled pink visitors locker room (better to “calm” the opponents). Fry retired in 1998, turning the program over to his former assistant
Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
.
Kirk Ferentz era (1999–present)
![Iowa Beats Michigan (11034613444)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Iowa_Beats_Michigan_%2811034613444%29.jpg)
Ferentz led Iowa to three consecutive top-10 finishes from 2002 to 2004 and two Big Ten titles. The Hawkeyes have been invited to 19 bowl games in the past 21 seasons, and in 33 bowl games over the last 40 seasons. Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach since Hayden Fry's retirement after the 1998 season, and has led the team to a number of Bowl appearances, including two Orange Bowls (2003, 2010) and the 2016 Rose Bowl. Iowa has cracked the Top 25 at the end of the season ten times during the Kirk Ferentz era – No. 8 in 2002, 2003, and 2004, No. 20 in 2008, No. 7 in 2009, No. 9 in 2015, No. 25 in 2018, No. 15 in 2019, No.16 in 2020, and No. 23 in 2021. Under Ferentz, Iowa has won the Big Ten West division twice (2015 & 2021).
Conference affiliations
* Independent (1889–1891)
*
Western Interstate University Football Association
The Western Interstate University Football Association (WIUFA) was one of the first intercollegiate athletic conferences in the United States, existing from 1892 to 1897.
Formation, history and evolution
The football teams from the Universities o ...
(1892–1897)
* Independent (1898–1899)
*
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
(1900–present)
**
Western Conference (1900–1952)
** Big Ten Conference (1953–present)
*
Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) was a college athletic conference and the second college conference formed upon its foundation on January 12, 1907.David A. Campaigne and John R. Thelin, "Big Twelve Conference", in ...
(1907-1911, concurrent with Western Conference membership)
Championships
National championships
Iowa has been selected
national champion five times by NCAA-designated major selectors, in 1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, and 1960.
Iowa claims all five championships.
Iowa finished the 1958 regular season ranked No. 2 in the polls and won the 1959 Rose Bowl convincingly, 38–12, setting or tying six Rose Bowl records. The major wire-services (
AP Poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broad ...
and
Coaches Poll
The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officiall ...
) had named
Louisiana State
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisian ...
as national champions at the end of the regular season.
The
Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) awarded the
Grantland Rice Trophy and their national championship to Iowa after the bowl games were played.
Iowa has never finished a season ranked No. 1 in either the
AP or
Coaches' Poll.
Conference championships
Iowa has won 13 conference championships in school history, eight shared and five outright, winning 12 with the Big Ten or its predecessors the Big Nine or Western Conference, and one with the WIUFA.
† Co-champions
‡ Iowa was a member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1907-1911 in addition to their membership in the Big Ten. In 1928, the MVIAA split in two: the Big Six (which officially retained the MVIAA name; would become the Big Eight in later years) and the Missouri Valley Conference (which retained the MVIAA administrative team). Since both leagues claim the same history from 1907 until the 1928 split, conference champions during that time are listed as conference champions of the respective leagues.
Division championships
Iowa has two Big Ten division championships.
Bowl games
Iowa has appeared in 34 bowl games, including 32 bowl games since 1981. In bowl games, Iowa has a 17–16–1 record. The team also accepted a bid to the
2020 Music City Bowl, which was subsequently canceled due to an outbreak of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
on the opposing team.
Head coaches
^ Eddie Anderson did not coach during the 1943–1945 seasons to serve in World War II.
–Iowa did not hire their first head coach until 1892, even though their football program began in 1889. They have had 25 total head coaches in their program's history.
Rivalries
Iowa State
Iowa plays
Iowa State annually for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, which began in 1977. The teams' first meeting was in 1894. The teams quit meeting after the 1934 season until they renewed their rivalry in 1977. It was in 1977 that the tradition of the Cy-Hawk Trophy began, when the Des Moines Athletic Club donated a trophy dedicated to the rivalry. It was quickly dubbed the "''Cy-Hawk Trophy''". Iowa leads the trophy series 30–14, and the overall series 46–22 through the 2021 season. The game is currently held in early September near
Patriot Day
In the United States, Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year in memory of the people killed in the September 11 attacks of the year 2001.
History
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, carried out by terrorists from Al-Qaeda, Pre ...
.
Minnesota
Iowa plays
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
annually for the Floyd of Rosedale, which is Iowa's oldest trophy game that began in 1935. The teams' first meeting was in 1891.
Floyd of Rosedale was created in 1935 after Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson bet a prize pig that the Gophers would win the game, a goal which the Gophers would accomplish that year. After the death of the pig, its image was cast in bronze, and the Floyd of Rosedale trophy was created. Iowa leads the trophy series 43–42–2 while Minnesota leads the overall series 62–51–2 through the 2021 season.
Nebraska
Iowa plays
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
annually for the Heroes Trophy, which began when Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011. Since the inauguration of the series as a conference game, the game has been played on the
Friday
Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth d ...
following Thanksgiving. Iowa leads the trophy series 8–3, while Nebraska leads the overall series 29–20–3 through the 2021 season.
Wisconsin
Iowa has played
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
for the Heartland Trophy since 2004. The teams' first meeting was in 1894. Wisconsin leads the trophy series at 10–6 and the overall series 49–44–2 through the 2021 season.
Logos and uniforms
![10sIowauniform](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/10sIowauniform.png)
Iowa's home jersey is black with white numerals, with gold and white stripes on the sleeves. The away jersey is white with black numerals, and gold stripes on the sleeves. Players' names are located above the numerals on the back of the jersey. Gold pants with a black stripe are worn with both the home and away jersey. Iowa's helmets are black with a black facemask. They also have a gold stripe and the gold Iowa Hawkeye logo included on both sides of the helmet.
In 1979,
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now known ...
helped to create the Tiger Hawk, the logo seen on Iowa's football helmets. Since both teams shared the colors of black and yellow gold, Fry sought and gained permission from the
Pittsburgh Steelers, the dominant
National Football League (NFL)
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...
team of the 1970s, to overhaul Iowa's uniforms in the Steelers’ image. Fry's idea was that if the team were going to act like winners, they first needed to dress like winners. Fry had originally asked Steelers defensive tackle
"Mean" Joe Greene for a replica helmet and home jersey; Greene was able to send Fry to one of the team owners, and three days later, the owners sent Fry reproduction copies of the home and away uniform of Steelers quarterback
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
, making Iowa one of only a few schools to use the uniform scheme of an NFL team; others include the Blue Devils of
Duke University whose football uniforms resemble those of the
Indianapolis Colts. Although the uniforms appear substantially the same, there are subtle differences, mainly in the font of the numerals, the scheme of the white away jerseys, and the width of the pants and jersey stripes.
The Hawkeyes have removed the Tiger Hawk helmet logo and the single yellow gold stripe from their game helmets on five occasions as a symbolic gesture of mourning. The first instance was on November 2, 1991, in recognition of the six victims of a
fatal campus shooting.
The second occasion was for a December 29, 1996, appearance in the
Alamo Bowl
The Alamo Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Since 2010 it matches the second choice team from the Pac-12 Conference and the secon ...
. It served to commemorate the family of linebacker Mark Mitchell, who were involved in a fatal vehicle accident while en route to the game. The accident resulted in the death of Mitchell's mother and severe injuries to his father and two brothers. Third came on Veterans' Day 2011 when they used a red, white, and blue Tiger Hawk on one side and left the other side blank in honor of our fallen heroes against Michigan. Fourth was September 12, 2015 when they honored
Tyler Sash, former Iowa Safety and NFL Veteran, who had died on September 8, 2015. To honor Sash, one Tiger Hawk was replaced with a large, gold "#9" a tribute to the jersey number Sash wore while he played at Iowa. The Tiger Hawk was removed for a fifth time during the
2019 Holiday Bowl
The 2019 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 27, 2019. Kickoff was at 8:07 p.m. EST (5:07 p.m. local PST). The game was aired on FS1. It was the 42nd edition of the Holiday Bowl, and was one of the 2019 ...
in San Diego, California to honor the passing of former Iowa Hawkeye football coach, Hayden Fry.
The Hawkeyes have won all five memorial games.
The Iowa Athletic Director has okayed only seven stickers on the helmets from 1985 to the present. The first was in 1985, when a gold disk appeared, with the black letters "''ANF''," which stands for America Needs Farmers. This sticker had remained in place until 1992 when the NCAA required teams to remove ‘excessive’ decals. However, it was brought back by head coach Kirk Ferentz in 2009 and has remained in place since. The second was a small black sticker on the back of the helmet, with white letters that spelled out "''EVY''," the nickname of legendary Iowa head coach, and athletic director, Forest Evashevski, to commemorate his death in 2009. The third was in memory of Iowa high school football coaching legend Ed Thomas, who was killed in his team's weight room by a former player. A small gold sticker with the black letters "''FFF''" placed near the crown of the helmet represents "Faith, Family, Football," a motto Coach Thomas preached to his players to represent what his players' priorities should be not only through the season, but throughout life. The fourth was a small green sticker, with the number 30 on it to honor former Hawkeye Safety
Brett Greenwood, who had recently fallen into a coma while working out at his old high school. Fifth was a small black sticker with a gold "TS", worn on the back of the helmet to commemorate the death of former Hawkeye safety Tyler Sash. Another decal was commissioned to honor former Polk County deputy sheriff Ron Stewart died on October 9, 2016 at the age of 76. Stewart volunteered his time providing security for the Iowa Football team at home and road games from 1982 to 2014. For the remainder of the season, the Hawkeyes wore a decal on the back of their helmets bearing his initials "RS" within a sheriff's badge in his memory. Most recently, a special helmet decal was worn to honor former Iowa Hawkeye football player Damon Bullock, who died at the age of 25 in March 2019. For the 2019 season opener, the Hawkeyes wore a gold circle with black lettering detailing "DB5" on the back of their helmets, a nod to Bullock's playing number from 2011-2014, in addition to a gold graduation cap, honoring the team's recent graduates.
Kinnick Stadium
![Kinnick east grandstand 092218](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Kinnick_east_grandstand_092218.jpg)
Nile Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as ''Iowa Stadium'', is the home stadium of the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
Hawkeyes in
Iowa City,
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
. It opened as Iowa Stadium in 1929; prior to that time, Iowa played its home games at
Iowa Field
Iowa Field was a stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. It hosted the University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest a ...
. Iowa Stadium was renamed ''Nile Kinnick Stadium'' in 1972 in honor of
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...
, the 1939
Heisman Trophy winner and the only Heisman winner in university history, who died in service during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. It holds 69,250 people, making it the 25th largest college football stadium in America and the 82nd largest sports stadium in the world.
Notable games
1953: No. 20 Iowa vs No. 1 Notre Dame
On Nov. 21, 1953, an undefeated No. 1 ranked
Notre Dame team was set to face the Hawkeyes in South Bend. In the first quarter, Iowa defensive back Dusty Rice intercepted the Irish, which allowed the Hawkeyes to drive the ball 72 yards for an Iowa touchdown and a 7–0 lead. With only 2 seconds left in the first half, Irish tackle
Frank Varrichione fell down with an injury which stopped the clock (Notre Dame had no time outs left). Varrichione went in that same play and the Irish scored on a touchdown pass to Dan Shannon, to tie the game 7–7 at the half. With the score still deadlocked late into the fourth quarter, Iowa intercepted a pass on their own 48-yard line. The Hawkeyes then scored on a touchdown pass to end
Frank Gilliam to give the Hawkeyes a 14–7 lead with 2:06 left in the game, with Notre Dame having no time outs remaining. With only 6 seconds left and the clock ticking away Frank Varrichione came down with another injury which stopped the clock (again he went back in that very same play). Notre Dame then scored a touchdown to tie the game up and stay unbeaten. After the game, sportswriters such as
Grantland Rice
Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio.
Early years
Rice wa ...
and others were infuriated calling it unfair, and the Irish earned the label: "The Fainting Irish of Notre Dame". Iowa head coach Forest Evashevski said after the game: "When the One Great Scorer comes to write against our name, He won't write whether we won or lost, but how come we got gypped at Notre Dame". The Hawkeyes, who were ranked No. 20 before the game, jumped teams with better records to gain the No. 9 ranking. Varrichione has since admitted that the injuries were fake, in Steve Delsohn's book, ''Talking Irish: The Oral History Of Notre Dame Football''. In addition, Notre Dame Heisman winner
Johnny Lattner
John Joseph Lattner (October 24, 1932 – February 12, 2016) was an American football player. While playing college football for the University of Notre Dame, he won the Heisman Trophy in 1953. He also won the Maxwell Award twice, in 1952 and ...
praised his team's tactics calling it "Pretty smart thinking, wasn't it?". Because of this game, the NCAA changed the rules making players sit out at least one down before returning to the game.
1956: No. 6 Ohio State at No. 7 Iowa
On November 17, Iowa (ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll) defeated Ohio State (ranked No. 6), 6–0, before a crowd of 57,732 at Iowa Stadium. Ohio State went into the game with the second best rushing attack in the country but were held to 147 rushing yards, their lowest rushing yardage total in two years. The result broke Ohio State's winning streak of 17 games against conference opponents and clinched for Iowa the conference championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl. After time expired, Iowa fans hauled down the goal posts and paraded through Iowa City.
1957 Rose Bowl: No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 10 Oregon State
Aided by three rushing touchdowns, the Big Ten Champion Iowa Hawkeyes got off to a 21–6 start at the half. After the half, Iowa scored two more touchdowns and beat Oregon State 35–19. With the victory, Iowa won their first Rose Bowl Game in program history. Quarterback
Ken Ploen
Kenneth Ploen LAYN (born June 3, 1935) is a former star quarterback in American college football and for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
College football
In 1956, Ploen became the University of Iowa Hawkeyes s ...
was the game's MVP ending the game with one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown.
1959 Rose Bowl: No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 16 California
This game was lopsided and by the end of the third quarter, with a 22–6 advantage over the
California Golden Bears, Iowa could smell victory (eventually winning by a final margin of 38–12). With their win in the Rose Bowl in 1959, the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes (8–1–1) won the
Grantland Rice Trophy (in recognition of the national champion) as awarded by the
Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) following the bowl games.
No. 1
Louisiana State
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisian ...
(11–0) was crowned
national champions
National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...
in both major polls,
AP and
Coaches', before the bowl games were played. The LSU Tigers went on to claim victory in the
Sugar Bowl.
1981: No. 7 Nebraska at Iowa
Official recap—There weren't many among the 60,160 who jammed Iowa's Kinnick Stadium who thought they were watching a matchup of the eventual Midwest entries in the Rose and Orange Bowls. There probably weren't a whole lot more who thought Iowa would avenge a 57–0 slaughter the Hawkeyes had suffered in Lincoln the year before. However, Iowa took advantage of excellent field position to jump to a 10–0 first-half lead, then held on to win a 10–7 stunner over the seventh-ranked Huskers.
The Hawkeye defense held the Huskers to their lowest total offense output of the season—234 yards—and stopped the Nebraska offense three straight times in Iowa territory after Roger Craig's one-yard TD had pulled the Huskers within 10–7 early in the final period. NU was stymied in the fourth quarter by a missed 30-yard field goal, a fumble, and Lou King's diving interception, which secured Iowa's victory with 39 seconds remaining.
In the first half, the Hawkeyes capitalized on a short punt and an interception to set up a two-yard TD run by Eddie Phillips and a 35-yard field goal by Lon Olejniczak. Meanwhile, the Huskers were held scoreless through three quarters for the first time since 1973 and didn't get out of their own territory until late in the second period, partly because of Iowa punter Reggie Roby's 50-plus yard average. NU quarterbacks Mark Maurer and Nate Mason completed only 8-of-18 passes for 81 yards and rushed 12 times for minus-2 yards.
Iowa used its upset win as a launching pad to defeat such teams as UCLA, Michigan and Purdue and post its first winning season since 1961.
“At this minute, this is the greatest victory of my life," Iowa coach Hayden Fry said. "I’m getting to be an old man and I don’t want to hurt any of my other teams that pulled off some upsets. But while I’ve been at Iowa, this is far and away the greatest victory.
“If you stay with this game long enough, the worm is bound to turn. Don’t think we didn’t earn this one, either. We did it fair and square, plus we showed a lot of character.”
1985: No. 2 Michigan at No. 1 Iowa
The Hawkeyes trailed 10–9 late in the fourth quarter, in what may be considered the greatest game played at
Kinnick Stadium. Iowa got the ball, with 5:27 left, on their own 22-yard line. Led by their All-American Quarterback,
Chuck Long
Charles Franklin Long Jr. (born February 18, 1963) is a former American football player and coach who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden F ...
, Iowa drove the ball to the
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
12-yard line. As the clock expired, kicker
Rob Houghtlin
Rob Houghtlin (January 4, 1965) is a former kicker for the University of Iowa's football team from 1985 to 1987. He made four game-winning field goals in his career, the most memorable of which led Iowa to a victory over Michigan in 1985.
Early ...
sent one through the uprights, to give Iowa the win. The Hawkeyes would go on to accept an invitation to the
1986 Rose Bowl
The 1986 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1986. It was the 72nd edition and was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The UCLA Bruins upset the Iowa Hawkeyes 45–28. UCLA tailback Eric Ball was named the ...
.
2005 Capital One Bowl: No. 11 Iowa vs. No. 12 LSU ("The Catch")
The game has gone down in Hawkeye history known simply as "The Catch". Iowa was set to play the defending National Champion
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
. Despite leading the entire game, Iowa found itself down 24–25 and got the ball with only 46 seconds left on the clock. With only a few seconds left in the game, Iowa found itself on their own 44-yard line facing a 2nd and 6. Iowa Quarterback
Drew Tate
Drew Tate (born October 8, 1984) is an American gridiron football coach and former player. He is the tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he had held since 2022. He played college football as a quarterback at the Univer ...
threw the ball 56 yards to Warren Holloway for an Iowa touchdown that gave the Hawkeyes a 30–25 victory over
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
's defending champion Tigers. The touchdown was Holloway's first and only career touchdown.
2008: No. 3 Penn State at Iowa
The undefeated
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interc ...
came into the game ranked No. 3 in the country with hopes of a BCS national championship. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, were 5–4 and coming off a tough loss at
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early lead following a Penn State sack-fumble on 3rd down during its first drive, but the Nittany Lions would come back to take a 13–7 lead into halftime. With less than four minutes left in the game, and trailing 23–21, Iowa strong safety
Tyler Sash intercepted Penn State quarterback
Daryll Clark
Daryll Lawrence Clark (born February 5, 1986) is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League as a free agent in 2010. He played collegiately for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Fro ...
's pass inside Iowa territory. The Hawkeyes drove to within field goal range where kicker Daniel Murray made a 31-yard field goal with :01 left to play. Iowa would go on to win 24–23 and hand Penn State its only regular season loss of the year. The Hawkeyes would go on to beat
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
in the
Outback Bowl
The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
. The win would be the first in a 13-game winning streak for Iowa stretching into the
2009 season.
2010 Orange Bowl: No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Iowa
The game pitted the ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against No. 10 Iowa. On Iowa's second drive of the game, quarterback
Ricky Stanzi
Richard Joseph Stanzi (born September 3, 1987) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa.
Early years
Born ...
drove the Hawkeyes 80 yards, culminating in a 3-yard touchdown pass to
Marvin McNutt
Marvin McNutt, Jr. (born July 4, 1989) is a former American football wide receiver. After playing college football for Iowa, where he became the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns and yardage (single season & career), he was drafted by the ...
, putting Iowa on top 7–0. Iowa scored another touchdown on their next drive, following a Georgia Tech punt, with Stanzi hitting Colin Sandeman for 21 yards, extending the Hawkeyes lead to 14–0. On the ensuing drive, GT punted for the third time in a row. On Iowa's next drive, Stanzi was intercepted by Jerrard Tarrant who returned the pick for a touchdown, cutting Iowa's lead to 14–7. Georgia Tech received the ball at the start of the second half. Iowa took over on downs after Georgia Tech missed a 41-yard field goal. On Iowa's next drive, they extended their lead by three thanks to a 33-yard field goal from kicker Daniel Murray. At the start of the 4th Quarter, Iowa had a 17–7 lead. This lead was cut when Georgia Tech drove down the field for its first and only offensive touchdown of the game. The touchdown cut Iowa's lead to 17–14. However, Iowa running back Brandon Wegher sealed the win for the Hawkeyes with his 32-yard rushing touchdown late in the 4th Quarter. Iowa beat Georgia Tech by a final score of 24–14.
The win marked the first BCS Bowl win for the Iowa program (Iowa had won two Rose Bowls prior to the formation of the BCS). The win also marked Iowa's first Orange Bowl victory. Iowa is one of only five Big Ten teams to compete in and win an Orange Bowl.
2016: No. 2 Michigan at Iowa
Iowa entered this matchup against the
9–0 Wolverines with a 5–4 record, a letdown given the high expectations entering the season. Michigan arrived in Iowa City with the No. 1 scoring defense and the No. 3 scoring offense in the country. A week after being humbled 41–14 at
Penn State, in the midst of a three-game home losing streak, and after trailing 10–0 in the second quarter of this game, the Hawkeyes put forth a gritty, spirited effort. Freshman
Keith Duncan
Keith Duncan (born February 19, 1998) is an American football placekicker. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes football, Iowa Hawkeyes.
Early life and high school
Duncan grew up in Weddington, North Carolina and attended Weddington H ...
drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired to deliver Iowa a much needed win.
Akrum Wadley
Akrum Wadley (born March 13, 1995) is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He played college football at Iowa.
Early years
Akrum was born on March 13, 1995, in Newark, ...
was the offensive standout for the Hawkeyes with 115 yards rushing, and another 52 yards receiving that included a touchdown late in the first half. The Hawkeye defense did their part as well, allowing only 201 total yards and scoring a safety in the 14–13 win.
With Clemson and Washington both losing, this marked only the second time No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 fell during the same day in the regular-season. The other time was October 19, 1985, and one of the games that day was No. 1 Iowa's 12–10 win over No. 2 Michigan.
2017: No. 3 Ohio State at Iowa
Iowa entered this matchup against the
7–1 Buckeyes with a 5–3 record. At kickoff, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 6 in the nation and although the game was being played at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, Ohio State was a 21-point favorite to win. Early on, it was an even contest as the teams traded scores on their way to a 17–17 midway through the second quarter. However, in the last 3 minutes of the first half, Iowa TE Noah Fant was on the receiving end of two Nate Stanley TD passes, sending Iowa into the locker room with a 31–17 lead. The second half belonged to the Hawkeyes as they sliced through the Ohio State defense on TD drives of 78, 60 and 47 yards on their way to a resounding 55–24 win. Notable performances from the game were five TD passes by Iowa QB Nathan Stanley, Iowa CB Joshua Jackson's 3 interceptions, Iowa RB Akrum Wadley rushing for 118 yards on 20 carries (5.9) and Ohio State QB
J. T. Barrett throwing four INT's along with three TD's. On the day Iowa racked up a total of 487 yards against an Ohio State defense that came into the game only allowing 302 yards per contest. Many pundits remarked after the season that the lop-sided loss to Iowa was the reason that Ohio State was excluded from the College Football Playoff, even though the Buckeyes had won the Big Ten championship.
2019: No. 8 Minnesota at No. 20 Iowa
The Hawkeyes entered this game following a close road loss (22–24) at
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. Minnesota, on the other hand, was coming in with an undefeated 9–0 record and just off a home win against then-undefeated Penn State.
However, the Gophers' undefeated season would end during this match, as they fell 19–23 to the Hawkeyes, despite a late comeback rally. Iowa kept the Gophers outside the end zone for two quarters, forcing two Gopher field goals. At the end of the half, the Hawkeyes were up 20–6. The Gophers would respond mightily in the second half, both on offense and defense, outscoring their opponent 13–3 with two touchdowns, one in the third and one in the fourth quarter. They forced a turnover late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game, but back to back sacks on first and second down sidelined quarterback
Tanner Morgan
Tanner Morgan (born April 17, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Minnesota.
Early life and high school career
Morgan was born on April 17, 1 ...
with an injury, and Cole Kramer had to step in on a 3rd down and 21. His hail mary attempt was ultimately intercepted by
Riley Moss, clinching the Hawkeyes' upset.
Minnesota would clinch the Big Ten West and play
Ohio State
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
in the Big Ten Championship if they won this match, even if they were to later fall to Wisconsin in the season finale, since the Badgers had two conference losses. However, this loss opened the door for Wisconsin to regain a shot at winning the West, which they were able to pull off by upsetting the Gophers on the road.
This was also the first of four straight wins for Iowa to end the season. Many pundits called them the "strongest 3-loss team in the country" prior to the game, as they lost in three road games by a total of 14 points. Since 2008, Iowa is 5–1 against AP-top 10 teams at home, their lone loss coming in 2017 to Penn State on a touchdown pass as the clock expired.
2021: No. 3 Iowa vs No. 4 Penn State
Extending from the previous season, Penn State was on a 10 game winning streak and Iowa was on a 12 game winning streak. Both teams were ranked in the Top 5 and
Fox's
Big Noon Kickoff
''Big Noon Kickoff'' is a college football studio show broadcast by Fox, and simulcast on sister network Fox Sports 1 (FS1). Premiering on August 31, 2019, it serves as the pre-game show for ''Fox College Football'', and in particular, ''Big Noon ...
came to Iowa City for the game.
Penn State jumped out to an early 17-3 lead before Iowa closed the gap to 7 by the end of the half. In the 3rd Quarter Penn State would extend the lead to 20-10, but the Nittany Lions would not score again in the game. Iowa would again close the gap to 7 points with a field goal to close out scoring in the 3rd Quarter. Iowa scored another field goal and a touchdown in the 4th Quarter which was enough to give Iowa the 24-20 win. After the game, Iowa extended its season record to 6-0 and obtained its third win over a ranked team in the early season. As a result of Alabama's loss to Texas A&M, Iowa would go on to be ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Poll the following week.
Final Rankings
Since the 2021 season, Iowa has been ranked in the final
Associated Press poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
25 times and the
Coaches
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
25 times. The Hawkeyes have finished the season ranked in the Top 10 in the
Associated Press poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
13 times. The 1940s and 1970s are the only decades that the Iowa Hawkeyes have not had a team finish in the
Associated Press poll
The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
Top 10 since the poll's inception in 1936.
The Hawkeyes have also been ranked in the final College Football Playoff Rankings four times since its inception in 2014.
Traditions
Songs
Iowa's official fight song is the "
Iowa Fight Song The "Iowa Fight Song" is one of three fight songs currently used by the University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band along with " On Iowa" and " Roll Along Iowa". The music and lyrics were written by Iowa native Meredith Willson, also author of ''The ...
" which is sung by the marching band and the fans. Iowa's school song is "
On Iowa "On Iowa" is one of three fight songs currently used by the University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band along with the Iowa Fight Song and Roll Along Iowa. The lyrics were written W.R. Law in 1919.
Music LinkMP3 and lyrics
Roll Along Iowa "Roll Along Iowa" is one of three fight songs currently used by the University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band along with On Iowa and the Iowa Fight Song The "Iowa Fight Song" is one of three fight songs currently used by the University of Iowa Hawke ...
". After victories the band plays the
Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier Polka, which translates to "In Heaven There is No Beer". Before the game (since 2005) the team has exited the tunnel together to "
Back in Black
''Back in Black'' is the seventh studio album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It was released on 25 July 1980 by Albert Productions and Atlantic Records. It is the band's first album to feature lead singer Brian Johnson, following the death ...
" by
AC/DC before joining hands and running onto the field in unison to "
Enter Sandman
"Enter Sandman" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the opening track and lead single from their self-titled fifth album, released in 1991. The music was written by Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Vocalist an ...
" by
Metallica.
Mascot
Iowa's mascot is
Herky the Hawk, a black and gold caricature of a Hawk. Herky was created as a cartoon in 1948, and first appeared at a sporting event in 1959. Herky was actually named after the Greek God Hercules. The term "Hawkeye" originally appeared in the 19th century historical novel
The Last of the Mohicans
''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.
It is the second book of the ''Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder ...
by
James Fenimore Cooper; it was later used in its plural form to describe the people of the state of Iowa. The University of Iowa adopted this as the nickname for its athletic teams.
Hawkeye Marching Band
![Hawkeye Marching Band](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Hawkeye_Marching_Band.jpg)
Founded in 1881, the
Hawkeye Marching Band
The Hawkeye Marching Band (or HMB) is the marching band for the University of Iowa. The band performs at all home Hawkeye football games at Kinnick Stadium in addition to other events. It is the largest and most visible musical ensemble at t ...
now performs at all Iowa Hawkeye home football games. The band also travels with the team to usually one away game per year and any post-season bowl games.
Kinnick Wave
In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, Hawkeyes fans created what
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
called "college football's coolest new tradition". In February of that year, the university's
children's hospital
A children's hospital is a hospital that offers its services exclusively to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In certain special cases, they may also treat adults. The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th ...
, which has long had a close relationship with the Iowa football program, opened a new 12-story building across the street from Kinnick Stadium, with the top few floors featuring an unobstructed view of the playing field.
The top floor of the hospital features the Press Box Café, a lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the field that is reserved for patients and their families on Hawkeyes game days, with big-screen TVs available when Iowa plays on the road.
Following a suggestion posted to a Hawkeyes fan page on Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
, by Iowan Krista Young, fans now face the hospital and wave to the children and their families at the end of the first quarter of every home game. For home night games, the first of which was against Penn State on September 23, 2017, "The Wave" features fans waving with their cell phone flashlights turned on.[ Two weeks after the Penn State game, with the Hawkeyes at home against ]Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, the Hawkeye Marching Band joined in this new tradition, forming a hand moving side-to-side and "waving" at the children during its halftime show. The Wave was even seen in the offseason—on February 15, 2018, inspired by a suggestion from nurses at the children's hospital, the stadium's maintenance crew created a pattern of a waving hand in snow that was covering the playing field. At least one patient was reported to have seen the crew creating the design, and upon completion, the crew went into the Press Box Café to see their final product.
The tradition has even spread beyond the Iowa fan base. With Iowa playing at Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
on September 30, ESPN's '' College GameDay'' aired a six-minute feature on The Wave, followed by the feature's reporter, Tom Rinaldi
Tom Rinaldi is a reporter for Fox Sports. He previously contributed to ESPN's tennis coverage at Wimbledon and the US Open, ESPN's golf coverage, ''SportsCenter'', ''Outside the Lines'', '' College GameDay'' and '' Sunday NFL Countdown''. H ...
, leading the crowd at the Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
campus in a wave of their own. A few hours later at the end of the first quarter of the Iowa–Michigan State game, Spartans fans joined in The Wave with visiting Iowa fans.
Disney Sports announced it would present the Iowa football program with its Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award
Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award is presented annually to college football's most inspirational individual or team. The award is one of 21 that are part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).
Previous winners
R ...
, which annually goes to college football's most inspirational figure on November 20, 2017. The award was presented to the University of Iowa for The Wave on ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
on December 7, 2017.
Honors and awards
First team All-Americans
An Iowa player has been selected as a Consensus All-Americans
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
31 times, with 29 players having been honored as such (two players Cal Jones
Calvin Jack Jones (February 7, 1933 – December 9, 1956) was a college football player for the University of Iowa. Jones is one of only two Iowa football players (along with Nile Kinnick) to have his jersey number retired by the school. Jon ...
and Larry Station
Larry W. Station Jr. (born December 5, 1963) is a former American football player. He played college football at the University of Iowa as a linebacker. He is Iowa's leader in career tackles and was twice named as a consensus first-team All-Am ...
received the honor twice). A total of 13 Hawkeyes have been named as unanimous All-American
The College Football All-America Team is an honorific college football all-star team compiled after each NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) season to recognize that season's most outstanding performers at their respective positions. ...
.
; Consensus All-Americans
; Unanimous All-Americans
Kinnick Stadium Wall of Honor
In 2013, Iowa introduced the Kinnick Stadium Wall of Honor. Players inducted into the Kinnick Wall of Honor have their name and number placed on the Kinnick Stadium Press Box.
Individual award winners
; National College Football Awards Association
The Hawkeyes have won 16 NCFAA individual player awards. Iowa also won the 2017 Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award
Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award is presented annually to college football's most inspirational individual or team. The award is one of 21 that are part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).
Previous winners
R ...
bringing Iowa's total NCFAA awards to 17.
• Heisman Trophy
:Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...
– 1939
•Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best al ...
:Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...
– 1939
:Chuck Long
Charles Franklin Long Jr. (born February 18, 1963) is a former American football player and coach who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden F ...
– 1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
• Davey O'Brien Award
:Chuck Long
Charles Franklin Long Jr. (born February 18, 1963) is a former American football player and coach who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden F ...
– 1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
: Brad Banks – 2002
•John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, a ...
:Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is a former American football tight end who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was reco ...
– 2002
: T. J. Hockenson – 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
•Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
:Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and ...
– 2002
•Butkus Award
The Butkus Award, instituted in 1985 by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, is given annually to the top linebackers at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of football. The award, named in honor of College Football Hall of Fame ...
: Jack Campbell – 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
•Doak Walker Award
Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football Le ...
: Shonn Greene – 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
•Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Payco ...
: Desmond King – 2015
•Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
:Cal Jones
Calvin Jack Jones (February 7, 1933 – December 9, 1956) was a college football player for the University of Iowa. Jones is one of only two Iowa football players (along with Nile Kinnick) to have his jersey number retired by the school. Jon ...
– 1955
: Alex Karras – 1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...
:Robert Gallery
Robert J. Gallery (born July 26, 1980) is a former American football offensive guard who played for eight seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Iowa, and received unanimous All-American recogn ...
– 2003
: Brandon Scherff – 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
•Dave Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982.
A member of the National College ...
:Tyler Linderbaum
Tyler Linderbaum (born April 7, 2000) is an American football center for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Early years
Lind ...
– 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
; Other Awards
•AP Athlete of the Year
The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931. At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to ...
:Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...
– 1939
• AP Player of the Year
: Brad Banks – 2002
• UPI Lineman of the Year
: Alex Karras – 1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th year ...
• Ozzie Newsome Award
: T. J. Hockenson – 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
•Jack Tatum Trophy
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More th ...
: Desmond King – 2015
: Josh Jackson – 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
• Jack Lambert Trophy
:Josey Jewell
Josey Jewell (born December 25, 1994) is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa.
Early years
Jewell attended Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa, wher ...
– 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
•Lott IMPACT Trophy
The Lott IMPACT Trophy is presented annually to the college football defensive IMPACT player of the year. IMPACT is an acronym for: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity. The award purports to equally recognize the ...
:Josey Jewell
Josey Jewell (born December 25, 1994) is an American football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa.
Early years
Jewell attended Decorah High School in Decorah, Iowa, wher ...
– 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
• Jim Brown Award
: Shonn Greene – 2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Coaching award winners
• AFCA Coach of the Year
: Eddie Anderson – 1939
• AP Coach of the Year Award
:Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
– 2002
•Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award
The Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football head coach adjudged by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches and sports in ...
:Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
– 2002
•Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, ...
:Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
– 2015
• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award
:Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
– 2015
•Woody Hayes Trophy
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...
:Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach. He is the current head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the ...
– 2015
•Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year
The ''Sporting News'' College Football Coach of the Year Award is an award that is given annually to NCAA college football's national coach of the year. ''The Sporting News'' (now known as '' Sporting News'') established the award beginning in ...
:Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now known ...
– 1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
•Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
:''There is a separate " Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award".
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the "individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in t ...
:Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now known ...
– 2005
• The National Football Foundation Gridiron Club Legends Award
:Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now known ...
– 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
Team awards
• Joe Moore Award
:Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
– 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
•Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award
Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award is presented annually to college football's most inspirational individual or team. The award is one of 21 that are part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).
Previous winners
R ...
:Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
– 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
• Laureus World Sports Award for Best Sporting Moment
:Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
– 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
Retired numbers
Two numbers have been retired by the Hawkeye football program, Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...
's No. 24 and Cal Jones
Calvin Jack Jones (February 7, 1933 – December 9, 1956) was a college football player for the University of Iowa. Jones is one of only two Iowa football players (along with Nile Kinnick) to have his jersey number retired by the school. Jon ...
' No. 62. Both Kinnick and Jones were consensus first team All-Americans, and both men died in separate plane crashes before their 25th birthday.
Kinnick won the University of Iowa's only Heisman Trophy in 1939 and is the man for whom Kinnick Stadium is named.
Jones was the first African-American to win the Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
and is one of only two Hawkeyes to be named Consensus All-American two times. Jones also finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting, an impressive finish for a lineman.
Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Five Hawkeyes have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
College Football Hall of Fame
Iowa has 15 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
The Rose Bowl has inducted four Iowa coaches and players into the Rose Bowl Game Hall of Fame.
Iowa and the NFL
First round NFL draft picks
Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
since 1978. Through the 2020 NFL Draft, Iowa has had 294 draft picks. 254 in the NFL, 21 in the AFL, and 7 in the AAFC (the AFC and AAFC both merged with the NFL). and 83 players have gone in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Iowa has had 24 first round NFL Draft selections:
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of June 28, 2022
References
Additional sources
*75 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, by Bert McCrane & Dick Lamb (ASIN: B0007E01F8)
*25 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, 1964–1988, by Al Grady (ASIN: B0006ES3GS)
*Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow ()
*University of Iowa Football, by Chuck Bright ()
*Black & Gold Memories, by George Wine ()
*Greatest Moments In Iowa Hawkeyes Football History, by Mark Dukes & Gus Schrader ()
*Tales From The Iowa Sidelines, by Ron Maly ()
*Stadium Stories: Iowa Hawkeyes, by Buck Turnbull ()
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iowa Hawkeyes Football
American football teams established in 1889
Hawkeyes Football