Big Ten · Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa Football History
Championships, records and rivalries
Program history
IOWA history
The longest-tenured coach in the sport, and the most affecting tradition in college football.
IOWA history
The Wave
The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital overlooks Kinnick Stadium. At the end of the first quarter of every home game, the entire stadium — players, officials and both sets of supporters — turns and waves to the children watching from the upper floors.
It began in 2017 and became universal almost immediately, including among visiting teams. It is the rare tradition that opposing fans join without hesitation.
IOWA history
Continuity as strategy
Kirk Ferentz has been head coach since 1999, making him the longest-tenured head coach in the FBS by a wide margin. In a sport where staffs turn over constantly, that is close to unheard of.
The identity has been just as consistent: defense, special teams, offensive line play, and a low tolerance for mistakes, producing professional linemen and tight ends from a state that does not generate recruits in volume.
FAQ
IOWA history questions
What is the Iowa Wave?
At the end of the first quarter of each home game, everyone in Kinnick Stadium turns and waves to children watching from the adjacent children's hospital. It began in 2017.
How long has Kirk Ferentz coached Iowa?
Since 1999, which makes him the longest-tenured head coach in major college football by a considerable margin.
What is the Cy-Hawk Trophy?
The trophy awarded to the winner of the annual game between Iowa and Iowa State, the state's main college football rivalry.
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