Kinnick Stadium’s ‘Wave’ Draws National Attention

Perhaps the greatest tradition in the world of college sports lives in Iowa City, across the street from the U of I Children’s Hospital.

At the end of the first quarter of every Iowa football home game, the entire crowd turns and waves to the children in the hospital next door. Not only is this completely heartwarming and amazing, but it goes to show that it’s much more than football.

It all started with the idea on Twitter, that the entire crowd waves to the next door neighbor of the children in the hospital. The Children’s Hospital rooms sit just above the top of Kinnick Stadium, making it easy to view the entire field during game time.

This new tradition is now gathering national attention and being addressed everywhere we look. The past night, the Monday Night Football crew contributed. The entire crew waved to the children in the hospital. Yes, the Iowa Children’s Hospital. As it came to me as shocking, I was definitely not expecting that while watching the game.

Everyone in the country, college fans or pro fans, know about this tradition. And it is just getting better every single time it occurs.

Check Twitter every time the wave occurs, you’ll see your entire timeline filled with the wave tradition. And let me tell you, it never gets old. The Washington Post wrote an article, by Cindy Boren, explaining the origin and the significance of the wave. It’s the simplest gesture possible, but with more meaning than could possibly be explained. ESPN wanted the country to get involved, and it so did. ESPN’s College Game Day did an entire segment over the Hawkeye wave in Kinnick this past weekend. A video solely based on the tradition and what it means. When watching the video, you’ll definitely need some tissues.

The video gets me every time, but the significance and what this simple gesture means for the fans, and especially the kids, is just so perfect. So perfect, that for the Clemson and Virginia Tech Game Day location, the campus of Blacksburg, VA, were participating in the wave, that made this tradition spread halfway across the country, all back to the children in the hospital.

It makes sense this tradition gets so much attention around the world, because it’s simply so pure and so right.

Imagine being a child in the hospital, fighting every day and going through so much stress and anxiety, to be able to escape, and simply watch your team play football. Not only that, but to have 70,000+ people every game wave to you. I cannot even imagine how happy and special those kids feel every single time the waving starts. For that moment, that one special moment each game, all attention is on the kids. The entire stadium forgets about what they are there for, and only focuses on the children going through tough times, to make them feel amazing, and ultimately, know they love them. It doesn’t matter if we are down 30-0 or up 30-0, nothing will ever make the wave not enjoyable and beautiful. It’s hands down the greatest thing we’ve ever seen, and will ever see.

From appearances on Sports-Center, to Monday Night Football, to College Game Day, and even major news outlets, this tradition will go down as the greatest to ever take place. And it all started with a simple idea. The simple, yet greatest idea that turned into a truly tear jerking, beautiful tradition that will live on for years to come.