Some things are bigger than football, even with an intense gridiron matchup stealing all the headlines.
No. 14 Iowa welcomes No. 5 Ohio State to Kinnick Stadium for a top-15 matchup that has been talked about all week. "The Pat McAfee Show" and "College GameDay" were in Iowa City for the matchup, with a star-studded group coming out of the woodwork. Kirk Ferentz, Dallas Clark, and McKenna Woliczko are just a few of the names who stopped by "College GameDay," and Caitlin Clark was the guest picker. A ton of noise surrounds the week-five game, but Ohio State head coach Ryan Day did something much more important.
Ryan Day sent a letter to all the kids at the Stead Family Children's Hospital
At the end of the day, football is just a game, and some things matter far more. One of those things is the children at the Stead Family Children's Hospital who are going through something much more difficult than a game. The Iowa Wave has brought well-deserved attention to the kids fighting for their lives, and the Wave has become the best tradition in college football. It has touched the lives of everyone in the Iowa City community and across the country, and Ryan Day is one of those people.
Every patient at the University of Iowa Stead’s Family Children’s Hospital received this from Ryan Day.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) October 3, 2026
One of the coolest things I’ve seen since I started covering Iowa in 2018. pic.twitter.com/FlNCBldXda
Iowa and Ohio State have one of their biggest games of the season, but that didn't stop Day from sending a letter to the kids at the hospital. In a move that showed real class, Day's letter said the Buckeyes program is thinking of them, and that they don't have to fight alone. He finished by saying that they hope they can feel the Buckeyes' support and can't wait to wave to them during the game. Day didn't have to do it, but it shows his character and how much the Wave has meant to college football. Day has definitely earned the respect of everyone in the Iowa City community, and while we can't cheer for them on the football field, we can show him respect as a person.
The "Iowa Wave" began as a social media post in 2017 and became an official tradition during the 2022 season. Fans, players, opposing players, the media, and coaches all turn to wave to the children at the Stead Family Children's Hospital at the end of the first quarter, as a hand-picked song plays in the background. It has become a staple of Iowa home football games and is consistently voted as the best tradition in college football.
This truly was one of the classiest moves by an opposing coach and program, so hats off to Ryan Day and the entire Buckeyes organization.
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