Kinnick Stadium
Encyclopedia
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, and known in the area simply as Kinnick, is a stadium
located in Iowa City
, Iowa
, United States
. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa
Hawkeyes
, in the sport
of college football
. First opened in 1929, it currently holds up to 70,585 people, making it the 7th largest stadium in the Big Ten, and one of the 20 largest university owned stadiums in the nation and is consistently ranked one of the top 25 loudest stadiums in the country. It is named for Nile Kinnick
, the 1939 Heisman Trophy
winner and the only Heisman winner in university history, who died in service during World War II
. It was named Iowa Stadium until 1972, when longtime lobbying by Cedar Rapids Gazette
sportswriter Gus Schrader successfully convinced the UI athletic board to change the name.
's resignation and a slight redesign, the stadium was completed and the first game was played October 5, 1929 against Monmouth College
. Iowa won the game 46–0. The stadium was dedicated two weeks later, when the Hawkeyes tied Illinois
7–7.
from 1972 until grass was reinstalled for the 1989 through 2008 seasons. The installation of artificial turf came at the same time that Iowa Stadium was renamed Kinnick Stadium in honor of the Heisman winner who had perished 29 years earlier.
When filled to capacity, Kinnick Stadium would be the fifth-largest city in Iowa (after Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport
, and Sioux City).
The stadium does not have field lights; the school contracts Musco Lighting
's portable light trucks for night games.
By capacity, Kinnick Stadium is the 27th largest college football stadium, the 42nd largest sports stadium in the United States, and the 86th largest sports stadium in the world.
Kinnick Stadium is well-known for its pink
visitors' locker rooms, a tradition started by emeritus Iowa coach Hayden Fry
. Believing that pink would put opponents in a "passive mood", and because he thought that some believed pink was a "sissy color", Fry had the visiting locker rooms decorated completely in the color pink.
The pink locker room tradition has been continued with the newly renovated locker rooms, which include everything from pink urinals to pink lockers. Controversy flared during the 2005 season when a visiting law professor, along with other university faculty and students protested the pink coloration as demeaning to women and homosexuals. Despite these protests and with lots of student support, however, the locker room remains pink.
A more recent feature is the 20 feet (6.1 m) bronze statue of Heisman Trophy
winner Nile Kinnick
, the statue depicts Kinnick dressed as a scholar, rather than in his football uniform. The bronze statue is placed near the team entrance to the stadium. When the renovation of the stadium was completed, and the statue unveiled, a tradition among the players began: one player, before entering the locker room, reached out and touched the helmet that was placed at Kinnick's feet. From that point on, all Iowa players, before entering the locker room, and after getting off the bus, walk up to the statue and rub the helmet, as a token of respect for Kinnick - the only Iowa player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
The on field entrances to the stadium all have one thing in common, a picture of Nile Kinnick is placed above the tunnel before exiting the tunnel to the field.
After 75 years of operation, the Iowa Board of Regents endorsed a major renovation of Kinnick Stadium on March 10, 2004. The US$86.8 million project was to build a new state of the art press box, a new scoreboard with a new sound system, replace the "temporary" south endzone bleachers with permanent seating, triple the restroom facilities, and more than double the number of concession stands, as well as smaller changes such as new locker rooms, a bronze statue of Nile Kinnick
and the dedication of the Krause Family Plaza to which Kinnick Stadium is now adjacent. Every brick for the renovation came from the Glen-Gery Brickyard in Redfield, Iowa
, which is located near Nile Kinnick's boyhood home in Adel, Iowa
. The stadium was rededicated on September 1, 2006. Among other things, the rededication featured a flyover
by a F4F Wildcat
, the aircraft that Kinnick flew in World War II
.
The stadium also underwent major renovations in 1956, 1983 and 1990 where capacity was gradually taken from 53,000 to 70,397. The most recent renovations in 2004–06 pushed the capacity to its current level at 70,585.
In the spring of 2009 the grass turf and 20 year old drainage system were replaced with a new state of the art synthetic Field Turf playing surface.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
located in Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, in the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. First opened in 1929, it currently holds up to 70,585 people, making it the 7th largest stadium in the Big Ten, and one of the 20 largest university owned stadiums in the nation and is consistently ranked one of the top 25 loudest stadiums in the country. It is named for Nile Kinnick
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
, the 1939 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner and the only Heisman winner in university history, who died in service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was named Iowa Stadium until 1972, when longtime lobbying by Cedar Rapids Gazette
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
The Gazette is a daily newspaper published in the American city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first paper was published as an evening journal, as the Evening Gazette on Wednesday January 10, 1883 and sold for 3¢; it presently sells for 75¢. The newspaper is distributed throughout northeast and east...
sportswriter Gus Schrader successfully convinced the UI athletic board to change the name.
Construction
Kinnick Stadium was constructed in only seven months between 1928 and 1929. Groundbreaking and construction began on March 6, 1929. Workers worked around the clock using lights by night and horses and mules as the primary heavy-equipment movers. There was a rumor for many years that horses that died during the process were buried under what now is the North end zone. Historians report this is a myth and the animals were disposed of in the nearby Iowa River. The round-the-clock construction came to an end in July. Despite several problems to overcome, including the athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
's resignation and a slight redesign, the stadium was completed and the first game was played October 5, 1929 against Monmouth College
Monmouth College
Monmouth College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Monmouth, Illinois, United States.-History:Monmouth College was founded on April 18, 1853 by the Second Presbytery of Illinois, a frontier arm of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church...
. Iowa won the game 46–0. The stadium was dedicated two weeks later, when the Hawkeyes tied Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
7–7.
Features
The playing surface is currently synthetic Field Turf, although it was AstroTurfAstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
from 1972 until grass was reinstalled for the 1989 through 2008 seasons. The installation of artificial turf came at the same time that Iowa Stadium was renamed Kinnick Stadium in honor of the Heisman winner who had perished 29 years earlier.
When filled to capacity, Kinnick Stadium would be the fifth-largest city in Iowa (after Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, and Sioux City).
The stadium does not have field lights; the school contracts Musco Lighting
Musco Lighting
Musco Lighting is an American privately owned company, based out of Oskaloosa, Iowa that is noted for providing permanent or temporary lighting at major sports events and stadiums including the Super Bowl and Olympics....
's portable light trucks for night games.
By capacity, Kinnick Stadium is the 27th largest college football stadium, the 42nd largest sports stadium in the United States, and the 86th largest sports stadium in the world.
Kinnick Stadium is well-known for its pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
visitors' locker rooms, a tradition started by emeritus Iowa coach Hayden Fry
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University , North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas , and the University of Iowa , compiling a career college football record of 232–178–10...
. Believing that pink would put opponents in a "passive mood", and because he thought that some believed pink was a "sissy color", Fry had the visiting locker rooms decorated completely in the color pink.
The pink locker room tradition has been continued with the newly renovated locker rooms, which include everything from pink urinals to pink lockers. Controversy flared during the 2005 season when a visiting law professor, along with other university faculty and students protested the pink coloration as demeaning to women and homosexuals. Despite these protests and with lots of student support, however, the locker room remains pink.
A more recent feature is the 20 feet (6.1 m) bronze statue of Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Nile Kinnick
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
, the statue depicts Kinnick dressed as a scholar, rather than in his football uniform. The bronze statue is placed near the team entrance to the stadium. When the renovation of the stadium was completed, and the statue unveiled, a tradition among the players began: one player, before entering the locker room, reached out and touched the helmet that was placed at Kinnick's feet. From that point on, all Iowa players, before entering the locker room, and after getting off the bus, walk up to the statue and rub the helmet, as a token of respect for Kinnick - the only Iowa player to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
The on field entrances to the stadium all have one thing in common, a picture of Nile Kinnick is placed above the tunnel before exiting the tunnel to the field.
Renovation
Nile Kinnick
Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. was a student and a college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a training flight while serving as a U.S Navy aviator in World War II...
and the dedication of the Krause Family Plaza to which Kinnick Stadium is now adjacent. Every brick for the renovation came from the Glen-Gery Brickyard in Redfield, Iowa
Redfield, Iowa
Redfield is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States, along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 833 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, which is located near Nile Kinnick's boyhood home in Adel, Iowa
Adel, Iowa
Adel is a city along the North Raccoon River in Dallas County in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 3,435 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dallas County and the birthplace of 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick....
. The stadium was rededicated on September 1, 2006. Among other things, the rededication featured a flyover
Flypast
Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...
by a F4F Wildcat
F4F Wildcat
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service with both the United States Navy and the British Royal Navy in 1940...
, the aircraft that Kinnick flew in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The stadium also underwent major renovations in 1956, 1983 and 1990 where capacity was gradually taken from 53,000 to 70,397. The most recent renovations in 2004–06 pushed the capacity to its current level at 70,585.
In the spring of 2009 the grass turf and 20 year old drainage system were replaced with a new state of the art synthetic Field Turf playing surface.
External links
- Kinnick Stadium at HawkeyeSports.com
- Map of the Kinnick Stadium area