University of Iowa Football Facts and History
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- Iowa’s first football season: Although football was played as a club sport as early as 1872,
the first officially recognized football team first took the field in 1889. After going through that
season undefeated, the university was invited to join the Western Conference in 1890. That
league eventually changed its name to the Big 10 Conference.
- Iowa Football National championships: The Football Writers Association of America
awarded the 1958 Iowa football team as its national champion. Unlike the AP which
awarded their national championship to LSU prior to the bowl games, the football writers
selected the #2 ranked Iowa squad as their champion after Coach Forest Evashevski’s
team beat California in the Rose Bowl 38-12
- University of Iowa’s first bowl game: The school’s first postseason appearance was
played on January 1, 1957 when the Hawkeyes defeated Oregon State 35-19.
- Iowa’s football uniforms: Not only does the University feature black and gold as their
primary colors, but the school’s uniform have a strong resemblance to ones worn by the
NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. Head Coach Hayden Fry obtained permission in 1979 from the
Steelers to model the university’s football uniforms in the same style of the NFL franchise.
The Rooneys sent Fry replica copies of Terry Bradshaw’s home and away uniforms to help
with the project.
- Iowa football helmets: The Tigerhawk logo has been a fixture on the school’s headgear
since 1979. Prior to that season, the school featured yellow/gold helmets that featured the
word “Iowa”. The first markings on Iowa Helmets appeared in 1956 when numbers
appeared on the helmet’s side. That trend continued until the 1965 squad featured a circled
block I as its logo. The team with without logos on the helmet from 1966-70 and then
featured an “attack hawk” logo from in the late 60s and early 70s.
- Iowa’s football stadium: The University plays its games at Kinnick Stadium. Originally
known as Iowa Stadium with it opened in 1929, the stadium was renamed after University of
Iowa Heisman Trophy Winner Nile Kinnick in 1972. Kinnick won the Heisman in 1939 and
later died in World War II. The Navy pilot died on a training flight when his F4F Wildcat
aircraft developed an oil lead and Kinnick was forced to attempt what became a fatal
emergency landing in the water. A statue of Kinnick stands outside of the stadium named in
his honor.
- Iowa Hawkeyes rivalries: The University’s top rivalry is with Minnesota and the two schools
have played for the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy since 1935. The statue features a bronze pig
and is a travelling trophy that goes home with the game’s winner.
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