Iowa Hawkeyes Gameday Traditions
Football Saturday’s in Iowa City are very exciting and traditional.
Along with cheering on the Hawks and wearing black
and gold, fans love saluting 1939 Heisman Winner Nile Kinnick’s statue outside of the stadium and having fun inside.
The Nile Kinnick Statue
This towering tribute to 1939 Heisman
winner Nile Knnick is a must see when
attending a game at the University’s Nile
Kinnick Stadium.
Iowa’s favorite son died in
a WW II while training as a U.S. Naval
Aviator. The school renamed it’s stadium in
his honor in 1972.
Iowa Gameday Traditions
Include Lots of AC/DC and More
Hawkeye Victory Polka
After every Iowa win, the Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band plays the Hawkeye Victory Polka, the band’s
adaptation of the polka song, “In Heaven There Is No Beer”. Many fans sing along as well.
After losses, only the Iowa Fight Song is played.
Back In Black
Before the runs onto the field, the stadium plays “Back in Black” by AC/DC and the video
board shows the school’s football players walking from the locker room to the field entrance.
Enter Sandman
The Hawkeyes enter the field to the song Enter Sandman by Metallica. The video screen
shows Iowa’s equipment semi smashing into the opposing team’s logo as the Hawks
swarm onto the field.
Imperial March
The Hawkeye Marching Band will perform the Imperial March after the defensive unit forces a
4th down, while the fans clap in an up and down motion, imitating the beak of a Hawk
chomping.
Hell’s Bells
When the defense on the field during 3rd down, The beginning of AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells is
played to get the fans fired up for the upcoming play.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Playing for the “New”
Cy-Hawk Trophy
On one special Football Saturday the
Hawkeyes face off against in-state rival Iowa
State. The two teams play for bragging rights
and the Cy-Hawk Trophy. A new version
(graphic above) has been introduced for 2012
and beyond.
The new trophy depicts the
teams’ mascots, Cy for the Cyclones and
Herky for the Hawkeyes, standing under a
football and in front of corn. A “new” trophy
was unveiled in 2011 that featured a farm
family huddled around a bushel of corn. The
designed was so disliked that it never saw
the light of a Football Saturday.