Iowa Football: Why Kinnick Stadium Is Such A College Football Must-See
Living just 12 miles away from Kinnick Stadium has made it easy to attend football games regularly. While some may feel that going to the same place and watching the same team repeatedly may get old, seeing a Hawkeye game at Kinnick is like a new experience every time. What is so appealing that fans keep coming back to watch the Hawks?
My first Hawkeye game was Iowa versus Purdue way back in 1990. The Hawks beat the Boilermakers 38-9 and were led by quarterback Matt Rodgers, running back Nick Bell and a tough defense.
The game was in mid-November, and I don’t remember it being that cold. Perhaps it was the excitement and great play by the Hawks that kept me warm that day.
That is my first memory watching Iowa Hawkeye football in Kinnick stadium.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have given their fans many thrills over the course of their long history.
The first recognition of football at the University of Iowa came in 1889. They continued to grow the program, as did many other colleges and universities and, like the other schools, built a true football powerhouse.
Every powerhouse football program needs a great place to play their home games. The Hawkeyes have had such a place for just about 90 years.
That marvelous magical venue is called Kinnick Stadium.
I would like to share just a little quick history on Kinnick.
Construction on the stadium began in early 1929 and finished the same year.
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The Hawks played their first football game in that stadium happened on October 5th, 1929 against the Monmouth College Fighting Scots. They beat the Scots 46-0.
The venue was originally known as Iowa Stadium until 1972 when it was officially changed to Kinnick Stadium. A reporter from the Cedar Rapids Gazette named Gus Schrader asked the University to name the stadium after Kinnick, and they granted his request.
Why name it Kinnick?
If you don’t know who the stadium is named after, it’s named after Nile Kinnick a Heisman winning halfback from the University of Iowa. He was Iowa’s greatest football talent.
Unfortunately, Kinnick was killed in a training accident while flying planes for the US Navy during World War II.
Now fans from across the country come to Kinnick to watch their favorite team play. There have been many highs and lows but one thing is for sure, watching a football game in Kinnick Stadium is quite the experience.
There have been several games that have been played in Kinnick that have become famous.
No one will forget Iowa’s game against seventh-ranked Nebraska back in 1981. During the previous year, the Cornhuskers had obliterated the Hawkeyes 57-0, so the Hawks were looking for some revenge. While Iowa didn’t put up 57 points on Nebraska, they did win the game 10-7. It was a sweet victory for many of the players and coaches on that Iowa team.
In 1985, second-ranked Michigan came to Iowa City to take on the number one ranked Hawkeyes. Iowa was expected to win this game but found themselves behind as the clock wound down in the fourth quarter. Thanks to a calculated and precise drive, quarterback Chuck long got the Hawks to within 12 yards of the goal line but couldn’t punch it in. With no time on the clock, Iowa kicker Rob Houghtlin kicked a field goal not only to allow the Hawks to escape a loss but get them to the Rose Bowl.
Finally, there is one other game that was made famous in Kinnick that is more recent. Last year, Iowa hosted number three Michigan in a game that no one gave Iowa a shot at winning. The Hawks entered the game in rough shape and seemed to be greatly outmatched.
Iowa Hawkeyes Football
Iowa spotted Michigan ten points but then locked the Wolverines down then squeezed out a last-second 14-13 win. The victory came thanks to a last-second field goal by kicker Keith Duncan, a strong showing by running back Akrum Wadley and a great performance by their defense.
When it comes to the actual stadium itself, there is some interesting history surrounding some of its amenities and features.
The stadium did not have its own lighting system until just two years ago. The school had used the services of a contractor to provide lights for Kinnick’s night games. It’s hard to think they didn’t have permanent lights for as long as they did.
Kinnick’s surface is made up of synthetic field turf. The Field Turf comes from the Field Turf company and is the FieldTurf Revolution 360 system. That surface is used by several other facilities across the country.
The seats in Kinnick help provide plenty of room for fans to see the game. The bench style seating allows for long rows of people to get a great view of the game. One thing you will notice is that the seating helps with allowing for the different game “colors” that the team asks fans to wear to the game.
For instance, during the Hawks’ game against Penn State, the fans wore different colored shirts depending on which section they were in. This made for a colorful and meaningful experience. There have been many other games like this in Kinnick’s history.
Anyone who knows the Hawkeyes well knows that back in the Hayden Fry era, Fry chose to have the visitor’s locker room painted pink. Pink is believed to be a calming color, and it was believed that this would have a calming effect on the visiting team. The locker rooms have garnered a lot of press and a variety of different reactions from people across the country.
Outside of Kinnick, you will notice a 20-foot tall statue of the stadium’s namesake, Nile Kinnick. Ironically, the statue does not show him as a football player but in the outfit of a student complete with books and a letter jacket. Fans flock to this statue every game. It is a symbol of the Iowa Hawkeyes and an important part of their history.
Today, the outside of the stadium is decorated with large photos of several famous players from Iowa’s football past. These are reminders of the rich tradition of Iowa Hawkeye football and those players who have made it one of the most storied programs in all of college football.
I can tell you that the experience of seeing a game at Kinnick is made special not only by the great play on the field or the stadium itself but by its fans. Hawkeye fans are highly devoted to their team and friendly as well as animated during games. Even if the opposing team’s fans are sitting behind them the banter is usually civil, and all in good fun.
In the end, everyone shakes hands no matter who wins or loses.
That’s why an Iowa Hawkeye game at Kinnick special.
If you have a chance to go to an Iowa Hawkeye football game at Kinnick you need to take advantage of it. It’s well worth the experience. And take it from this writer, once you have been to one you will want to go to many more.
Iowa Hawkeye football games at Kinnick can be addicting.