Iowans' love of the Hawkeyes runs deep. Six Saturdays every fall they pack into Kinnick Stadium, making it the fifth largest city in Iowa and more than doubling the population of Iowa City. In 1999, when Iowa went 1-10, they still averaged over 50,000 fans every week.
Iowa has experienced something of a resurgence in the football program lately, posting 10-win seasons in 2002, 2003 and 2004, finishing 8th in the country in each of those seasons. Under Coach Kirk Ferentz Iowa is poised for one breakout season that will put the Hawkeyes permanently on the map as one of the truly great football programs. These links discuss a little bit about the fanaticism surrounding the beloved Hawkeye football team.
Iowa Football FAQ
Q: What is a Hawkeye anyway?
A: The Hawkeye nickname is often-debated, even among Iowans. The closest consensus is that it comes from a character in James Fennimore Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans and, at the time, was a term used in reference to a brave frontiersman. Most Iowa fans regularly shorten "Hawkeyes" to "Hawks".
Q: Why do people get so excited about Iowa football?
A: Do you know where Iowa is? There are no professional major league sports teams within 250 miles of Iowa City so in Eastern Iowa, the Hawkeyes are all there is. Well, there's beer, too. But that usually goes along with the Hawks.
{e-mail me with additional questions for the FAQ at jeffrey -dot- utech -at- gmail -dot- com)
A: The Hawkeye nickname is often-debated, even among Iowans. The closest consensus is that it comes from a character in James Fennimore Cooper's novel The Last of the Mohicans and, at the time, was a term used in reference to a brave frontiersman. Most Iowa fans regularly shorten "Hawkeyes" to "Hawks".
Q: Why do people get so excited about Iowa football?
A: Do you know where Iowa is? There are no professional major league sports teams within 250 miles of Iowa City so in Eastern Iowa, the Hawkeyes are all there is. Well, there's beer, too. But that usually goes along with the Hawks.
{e-mail me with additional questions for the FAQ at jeffrey -dot- utech -at- gmail -dot- com)
Iowa Hawkeye Football Links
These pages will help you understand Iowa football fanaticism.
- The Official Hawkeye Football Site
- The Iowa athletic department-sponsored website for the football program. Features game notes (press guide inserts) for the upcoming football game, updated weekly.
- Hawk Central by the Iowa City Press-Citizen
- A collection of stories, columns and opinions about all Iowa athletics from the staff of the Iowa City Press-Citizen (the local commercial newspaper).
- Hawkeye Football from the Daily Iowan
- Hawkeye football coverage from the staff of the University of Iowa newspaper. Includes question-and-answer sessions with various current Iowa players.
- Hawkeye Report
- Rivals.com portal for Iowa news. Filled with unique insider stories on all Iowa sports including recruiting news, player and coach profiles, press conference transcripts, etc. Also a number of quickly-scrolling message boards.
- The Hawks Nest Online
- Message board with a number of fora for Iowa football, basketball and other sports. No unique content, save for typical internet message board conjecture and rumors.
- Scothawk
- Video clips and montages featuring historical Iowa games from 2002 - 2005 as well as player highlights dating back to the mid-1980's. A Hawkeye fanatic's dream site.
Hawkeye Sports Stories from the Iowa Press-Citizen
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