View source for Iowa Hawkeyes football

{{Short description|University of Iowa football team}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox NCAA football school
| TeamName         =Iowa Hawkeyes
| CurrentSeason    = 2025 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
| image = Iowa_Hawkeyes_wordmark.svg
| FirstYear        = [[1889 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1889]]; {{Years or months ago|1889}}
| AthleticDirector = [[Beth Goetz]]
| HeadCoach        = [[Kirk Ferentz]]
| HeadCoachYear    = 27th
| HCWins           = 213
| HCLosses         = 128
| Stadium          = [[Kinnick Stadium]]
| FieldName        = [[Duke Slater Field]]
| StadCapacity     = 69,250
| StadSurface      = [[FieldTurf]]
| Location         = [[Iowa City, Iowa]]
| NCAAdivision     = I FBS
| Conference       = [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]]
| PastAffiliations = [[Western Interstate University Football Association|WIUFA]] (1892–1896)<br>[[Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association|Missouri Valley]] (1907–1908)
| WebsiteName      = hawkeyesports.com
| WebsiteURL       = https://hawkeyesports.com/sports/football
| ATWins           = 707
| ATLosses         = 581
| ATTies           = 39<ref>{{cite web|title=2022 NCAA FBS Records|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2022/FBS.pdf}}</ref>
| BowlWins         = 19
| BowlLosses       = 18
| BowlTies         = 1
| NatlTitles       = [[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1921]], [[1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1922]], [[1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1956]], [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]], [[1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1960]]<ref name="storage.googleapis.com">{{cite web|url=https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2023/07/e1d1e392-2023-media-guide-compressed.pdf|title=Iowa Football - 2023 Media Guide|website=hawkeyesports.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250309234239/https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2023/07/e1d1e392-2023-media-guide-compressed.pdf|archive-date=9 March 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>
| ConfTitles       = [[Western Interstate University Football Association|WIUFA]]: [[1896 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1896]]<hr>[[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]]: [[1900 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1900]], [[1907 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1907]], [[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1921]], [[1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1922]], [[1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1956]], [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]], [[1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1960]], [[1981 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1981]], [[1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1985]], [[1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1990]], [[2002 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2002]], [[2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2004]]<hr>[[Missouri Valley Conference|MVC]]: [[1907 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1907]]
| DivTitles        = [[Big Ten Conference|Big Ten]] West: [[2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2015]], [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2021]], [[2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2023]]
| Heismans         = [[Nile Kinnick]] – 1939
| AllAmericans     = 37
| uniform          = [[File:Iowa hawkeyes football unif.png|250px]]
| FightSong        = [[Iowa Fight Song]]
| MascotDisplay    = [[Herky the Hawk]]
| MarchingBand     = [[Hawkeye Marching Band]]
| PagFreeLabel     = Outfitter
| PagFreeValue     = [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]
| Rivalries        = [[Illinois Fighting Illini football|Illinois]] ([[Illinois–Iowa rivalry#Football|rivalry]])<br />[[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]] ([[Iowa–Iowa State football rivalry|rivalry]])<br />[[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]] ([[Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry|rivalry]])<br />[[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] ([[Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry|rivalry]])<br />[[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]] ([[Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry|rivalry]])
|GeneralManager=Tyler Barnes}}
The '''Iowa Hawkeyes football''' program represents the [[University of Iowa]] in [[college football]]. The Hawkeyes compete in the [[Big Ten Conference]]. Iowa joined the Conference (then known as the Western Conference or Big Nine) in 1899 and played their first Conference football season in 1900. They are a [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Division I Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS) member of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA). The Hawkeyes play their home games in [[Iowa City, Iowa]], at [[Kinnick Stadium]], with a capacity of 69,250. The Hawkeyes are coached by [[Kirk Ferentz]], who is in<!--will begin--> his 27th season as the head coach and is the longest current tenured head coach in NCAA Division I FBS. The Hawkeyes have won 13 conference championships (including 11 in the Big Ten). Iowa has been ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Poll 15 times.

==History of the team==
{{Main|History of Iowa Hawkeyes football}}
{{See also|List of Iowa Hawkeyes football seasons}}

===Early history===
[[Image:Iowa vs. Nebraska 1916.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Iowa plays Nebraska on November 25, 1916.]]
Football was first played as a club sport at Iowa in 1872, with intramural games against other colleges played as early as 1882, but it was not until 1889 that the [[University of Iowa]] first officially recognized a varsity football team. Beginning in 1892, Iowa played for six seasons as a member of the [[Western Interstate University Football Association]] against three other Midwestern flagship state universities. In 1899, again playing as an independent, Iowa completed its first undefeated football season, which led to an invitation to join the Western Conference, now known as the [[Big Ten Conference]]. In 1900, the Hawkeyes finished another undefeated season and won a share of the Western Conference title in their first year of conference play. In 1907, Iowa helped form the new [[Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association]] with the other three university members of the former WIUFA and participated in football in the new league, while retaining its existing membership in the Western Conference. Iowa tied for the league championship in the first season of competition, but would leave the conference soon thereafter to return to sole competition in the Western Conference.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bigeightsports.com/Schools/Iowa/Football/IowaFootball.htm |title=Iowa Football |website=Bigeightsports.com |access-date=2016-07-31}}</ref>

===Howard Jones era and 1920s===
Iowa claimed consecutive Big Ten titles in [[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1921]] and [[1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1922]], and were recognized as national champions in those years. The Hawkeyes won 20 straight games in the early 1920s under the guidance of [[College Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] coach [[Howard Jones (American football coach)|Howard Jones]]. But Jones soon left Iowa and established a powerhouse at [[USC Trojans football|Southern California]], and the Hawkeyes were abysmal for most of the 1930s.

===1929 Big Ten suspension===
Iowa was expelled from the Big Ten on May 25, 1929. The reasons were officially unstated and university president Walter Jessup professed not to know why the faculty committee voted to expel the university. Suspicions of [[National Collegiate Athletic Association#Player compensation proposals|player compensation]] and Iowa's inaction to address alleged ethics violations appear to have been the main cause.<ref name=ChicTrib1929>{{cite web|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1929/06/01/page/19/article/reveal-why-iowa-was-ousted-from-big-10|title=Reveal why Iowa was ousted from Big Ten|access-date=2016-10-31|first=Westbrook|last=Pegler|author-link=Westbrook Pegler|date=1 June 1929}}</ref> Following the 1929 season, the Big Ten faculty committee unanimously voted to reinstate Iowa to the conference on February 1, 1930. On December 11, 1929, Iowa had disqualified 27 players, presumably due to compensation issues, and was advised not to seek reinstatement of any of those players.<ref>{{cite web|last=Demby |first=Bert |title=Iowa given clean slate by Big Ten |url-status=live |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GcoaAAAAIBAJ&pg=4969,502078&dq=iowa+reinstated+to+big+10&hl=en |publisher=The Pittsburgh Publisher |access-date=2 November 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130902003159/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GcoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DEsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4969,502078&dq=iowa+reinstated+to+big+10&hl=en |archive-date=2 September 2013 }}</ref>

===Eddie Anderson era (1939–1942, 1946–1949)===
Little was expected of Iowa's 1939 team based upon its overall record in the decade, but led by their new coach [[Eddie Anderson (American football coach)|Eddie Anderson]] the team exceeded expectations and had a glorious run. Nicknamed the "Ironmen" because a small number of players shouldered the brunt of the time played, the [[1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1939 Hawkeyes]] scored several upset victories and vaulted into the national rankings. Though Iowa fell a game short of winning the Big Ten title, team MVP [[Nile Kinnick]] won almost every major national award, including the 1939 [[Heisman Trophy]].

===Forest Evashevski era (1952–1960)===
[[File:Forest Evashevski.jpg|thumb|upright|Coach [[Forest Evashevski]]]]

[[Forest Evashevski]] was hired as Iowa's head coach in 1952. He lured [[Cal Jones|Calvin Jones]] to Iowa, where Jones became the first Hawkeye – and the first African-American – to win the [[Outland Trophy]] in 1955. From 1956 to 1960, Evashevski led Iowa to four finishes in the top five of the national rankings, three Big Ten Conference titles, two [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]] victories (in 1957 and 1959), and the 1958 [[Grantland Rice Trophy|FWAA national championship]]. After the 1960 season, Evashevski left coaching to become Iowa's athletic director.

====The Forgotten Season====
{{Main|1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

In 1960 the Hawkeyes held on to the No. 1 ranking for much of the season. The Hawkeyes defeated No. 8 [[1960 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]], No. 15 [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State]], and No. 10 [[Purdue Boilermakers football|Purdue]]. Iowa lost to rival No. 3 [[1960 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]]. The game was the only loss of the year for the [[1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1960 Hawkeyes]] and they shared the Big Ten title with Minnesota. However, at that time, the Big Ten did not allow their teams to go to any bowl except for the Rose Bowl. As such, Minnesota was picked over Iowa to go to Pasadena and Iowa was left out, despite a No. 2 ranking in the [[Coaches' Poll]] and a No. 3 ranking in the AP. Minnesota went on to win the National Championship, as the final AP poll was conducted before their Rose Bowl loss to Washington. This season is known as the "Forgotten Season",{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} for despite ending the season with a No. 2/3 ranking and a share of the Big Ten title, the Hawks were left out of January play.

===1960s and 70s===
Evashevski's departure from the sidelines began a two-decade downturn in Iowa's fortunes. [[Jerry Burns]] coached from 1961 though 1965. He had a 16–27–2 record. His first team finished 5–4, which would be Iowa's last winning record for 20 years. [[Ray Nagel]] followed from 1966 to 1970 with a 16–32–2 record. A 3-3-2 record in 1963 and consecutive 5–5 records in 1968 and 1969 would be the Hawks' only non-losing records from 1962 to 1980. [[Frank Lauterbur]] followed, coaching from 1971 to 1973 with a 4–28–1 record, with a 0–11 record in 1973. [[Bob Commings]] coached the Hawkeyes from 1974 to 1978. His record was 18 wins and 37 losses.

===Hayden Fry era (1979–1998)===
Hall of Fame coach [[Hayden Fry]] was hired after the 1978 season<ref name="FrysHire">{{cite news| newspaper=[[The Daily Iowan]] | page=1 | title=Hayden Fry named head coach | url=http://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/1978/di1978-12-11.pdf | date=December 11, 1978 | access-date=August 18, 2019}}</ref> to reverse Iowa's fortunes. Considering the awful state of the program upon his arrival, Fry didn't take long to return the Hawkeyes to respectability. In his third year, Fry led the Hawkeyes to their first winning season in 21 years, a share of the Big Ten title, and a berth in [[1982 Rose Bowl|the Rose Bowl]]–only the third bowl appearance in school history. He had vowed to resign if he didn't get the Hawkeyes to a bowl within four years.

Fry would go on to lead the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten titles (one outright, two shared) and 14 bowl games (including two more Rose Bowls in 1986 and 1991). His best team was the 1985 unit, which won a then school-record 10 games and garnered Iowa's first outright Big Ten title in 27 years. That team spent most of October ranked No. 1 in both major polls, the highest they had been ranked that far into the season in two decades. Among the legacies that Fry left behind is the now iconic Tiger Hawk logo and a widely reviled pink visitors' locker room (better to "calm" the opponents). Fry retired in 1998, turning the program over to his former assistant [[Kirk Ferentz]].

===Kirk Ferentz era (1999–present)===
[[File:Iowa Beats Michigan (11034613444).jpg|thumb|Coach [[Kirk Ferentz]] talking to players during a 2013 game]]
Ferentz led Iowa to three consecutive top-10 finishes from 2002 to 2004 and two Big Ten titles. The Hawkeyes have been invited to 21 bowl games in the past 23 seasons, and in 35 bowl games over the last 42 seasons. Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach since Hayden Fry's retirement after the 1998 season, and has led the team to a number of Bowl appearances, including two Orange Bowls (2003, 2010) and the 2016 Rose Bowl. Iowa has cracked the Top 25 at the end of the season eleven times during the Kirk Ferentz era – No. 8 in 2002, 2003, and 2004, No. 20 in 2008, No. 7 in 2009, No. 9 in 2015, No. 25 in 2018, No. 15 in 2019, No.16 in 2020, No. 23 in 2021 and No. 24 in 2023. Under Ferentz, Iowa won the Big Ten West division three times (2015, 2021 & 2023).

==Conference affiliations==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2019}}
* Independent (1889–1891)
* [[Western Interstate University Football Association]] (1892–1897)
* Independent (1898–1899)
* [[Big Ten Conference]] (1900–present)
** [[Western Conference (Big Ten Conference)|Western Conference]] (1900–1952)
** Big Ten Conference (1953–present)
* [[Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association]] (1907–1911, concurrent with Western Conference membership)

==Championships==

===National championships===
Iowa has been selected [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national champion]] five times by NCAA-designated major selectors, in 1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, and 1960.<ref name="2018ncaabook">{{cite book | url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2018/FBS.pdf  | title=2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records | publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association | date=August 2017 | location=Indianapolis| access-date=September 6, 2018}}</ref>{{rp|111, 113}} Iowa claims national championships for all five seasons.<ref name="storage.googleapis.com"/>

Iowa finished the 1958 regular season with a 7–1–1 record and a No. 2 ranking in the major wire-service polls—the [[AP National Championship Trophy|AP Poll]] and the [[AFCA National Championship Trophy|Coaches' Poll]]—and won the [[1959 Rose Bowl]] convincingly over No. 16 and 7–3 [[1958 California Golden Bears football team|California]], 38–12, setting or tying six Rose Bowl records. The AP and Coaches' Polls had named 10–0 [[1958 LSU Tigers football team|Louisiana State]] as national champions as well as 37 other selectors<ref name="redeag">{{Cite news |last=Riegner |first=Bob |date=December 1, 1958 |title=LSU Tigers voted college football champs |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DrQhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DpwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3827%2C199134 |work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |page=18 |agency=UPI|via=Google News}}</ref> The [[Football Writers Association of America]] (FWAA) awarded the [[Grantland Rice Trophy]] and their national championship to Iowa after the bowl games were played.<ref name="1958FWAAGrantlandRice">{{cite news |agency=United Press International |date=January 5, 1959 |title=Football Writers Name Iowa No. 1 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112401770/1958-grantland-rice-award-fwaa-iowa/ |work=The Tribune |place=New York |publication-place=Scrantno, Pennsylvania |access-date=November 1, 2022}}</ref> Auburn (9–0–1) was named national champions by the Montgomery Full Season Championship after the bowls were played. 

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Season|Coach|Selectors|Record|Final AP|Final Coaches}}
|-
| [[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1921]] || [[Howard Jones (American football coach)|Howard Jones]] || [[Billingsley Report|Billingsley]], [[Parke H. Davis|Parke Davis]] || 7–0 || – || –
|-
| [[1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1922]] || Howard Jones || Billingsley || 7–0 || – || –
|-
| [[1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1956]] || [[Forest Evashevski]] || Football Research || 9–1 || No. 3 || No. 3
|-
| [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]] || Forest Evashevski || [[Football Writers Association of America|Football Writers]]<ref name="1958FWAAGrantlandRice"/>|| 8–1–1 || No. 2 || No. 2
|-
| [[1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1960]] || Forest Evashevski || [[Berryman (QPRS)|Berryman]], [[Boand System|Boand]], [[Litkenhous]], [[Jeff Sagarin|Sagarin]], Sagarin (ELO-Chess) || 8–1 || No. 3 || No. 2
|}

===Conference championships===
Iowa has won 13 conference championships in school history, eight shared and five outright, winning 11 with the Big Ten and 2 in other conferences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bigeightsports.com/Sports/Football/FootballChampionships.htm |title=Big Eight Conference Football Championship History Sponsored by the Big Eight Conference (1907–1995) |website=Bigeightsports.com |access-date=2016-07-31}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|border=2|Season|Coach|Conference|Conference Record|Overall Record}}
|- 
| [[1896 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1896]] || [[Alfred E. Bull]] || [[Western Interstate University Football Association]] || 3–0–1 || 7–1–1
|- 
| [[1900 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1900]]† || [[Alden Knipe]] || [[Big Ten Conference]] || 2–0–1 || 7–0–1 
|- 
| [[1907 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1907]]† || [[Mark Catlin Sr.]] || [[Big Eight Conference]]/[[Missouri Valley Conference]]‡ || 1–0 || 3–2 
|- 
| [[1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1921]] || [[Howard Jones (American football coach)|Howard Jones]] || Big Ten Conference || 5–0 || 7–0 
|- 
| [[1922 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1922]]† || Howard Jones || Big Ten Conference || 5–0 || 7–0 
|- 
| [[1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1956]] || [[Forest Evashevski]] || Big Ten Conference || 5–1 || 9–1 
|- 
| [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]] || Forest Evashevski || Big Ten Conference || 5–1 || 8–1–1 
|- 
| [[1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1960]]† || Forest Evashevski || Big Ten Conference || 5–1 || 8–1 
|- 
| [[1981 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1981]]† || [[Hayden Fry]] || Big Ten Conference || 6–2 || 8–4 
|- 
| [[1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1985]] || Hayden Fry || Big Ten Conference || 7–1 || 10–2 
|- 
| [[1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1990]]† || Hayden Fry || Big Ten Conference || 6–2 || 8–4 
|- 
| [[2002 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2002]]† || [[Kirk Ferentz]] || Big Ten Conference || 8–0 || 11–2 
|-
| [[2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2004]]† || Kirk Ferentz || Big Ten Conference || 7–1 || 10–2 
|}
† Co-champions

‡ Iowa was a member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1907 to 1911 in addition to their membership in the Big Ten. In 1928, the MVIAA split in two: the Big Six (which officially retained the MVIAA name; would become the Big Eight in later years) and the Missouri Valley Conference (which retained the MVIAA administrative team). Since both leagues claim the same history from 1907 until the 1928 split, conference champions during that time are listed as conference champions of the respective leagues.

===Division championships===
Iowa has three Big Ten division championships.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Season|Division|Opponent|CG Result}}
|- 
| [[2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2015]] || rowspan="3"| Big Ten – West || [[2015 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]] || [[2015 Big Ten Football Championship Game|L 13–16]]
|-
| [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2021]] || [[2021 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]] || [[2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game|L 3–42]]
|-
| [[2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2023]] || [[2023 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]] || [[2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game|L 0–26]]
|}

==Bowl games==
Iowa has appeared in 37 bowl games, including 35 bowl games since 1981. In bowl games, Iowa has a 18–18–1 record.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/iowa/|title=Iowa Hawkeyes Bowls|website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com}}</ref> The team also accepted a bid to the [[2020 Music City Bowl]], which was subsequently canceled due to an outbreak of [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19]] on the opposing team.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2020 Music City Bowl canceled as COVID-19 outbreak forces Missouri to pull out of game vs. Iowa|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2020-music-city-bowl-canceled-as-covid-19-outbreak-forces-missouri-to-pull-out-of-game-vs-iowa/|access-date=2021-07-19|website=CBSSports.com|date=27 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Season|Coach|Bowl|Opponent|Result}}
|-
| [[1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1956]] || [[Forest Evashevski]] || [[1957 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] || [[1956 Oregon State Beavers football team|Oregon State]] || '''W''' 35–19
|- 
| [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]] || Forest Evashevski || [[1959 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] || [[1958 California Golden Bears football team|California]] || '''W''' 38–12
|- 
| [[1981 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1981]] || [[Hayden Fry]] || [[1982 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] || [[1981 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] || L 0–28
|- 
| [[1982 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1982]] || Hayden Fry || [[1982 Peach Bowl|Peach Bowl]] || [[1982 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] || '''W''' 28–22
|- 
| [[1983 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1983]] || Hayden Fry || [[1983 Gator Bowl|Gator Bowl]] || [[1983 Florida Gators football team|Florida]] || L 6–14
|- 
| [[1984 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1984]] || Hayden Fry || [[1984 Freedom Bowl|Freedom Bowl]] || [[1984 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]] || '''W''' 55–17
|- 
| [[1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1985]] || Hayden Fry || [[1986 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] || [[1985 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]] || L 28–45
|- 
| [[1986 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1986]] || Hayden Fry || [[1986 Holiday Bowl|Holiday Bowl]] || [[1986 San Diego State Aztecs football team|San Diego State]] || '''W''' 39–38
|- 
| [[1987 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1987]] || Hayden Fry || [[1987 Holiday Bowl|Holiday Bowl]] || [[1987 Wyoming Cowboys football team|Wyoming]] || '''W''' 20–19
|- 
| [[1988 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1988]] || Hayden Fry || [[1988 Peach Bowl (December)|Peach Bowl]] || [[NC State Wolfpack football|North Carolina State]] || L 23–28
|- 
| [[1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1990]] || Hayden Fry || [[1991 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] || [[1990 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] || L 34–46
|- 
| [[1991 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1991]] || Hayden Fry || [[1991 Holiday Bowl|Holiday Bowl]] || [[1991 BYU Cougars football team|BYU]] || '''T''' 13–13
|- 
| [[1993 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1993]] || Hayden Fry || [[1993 Alamo Bowl|Alamo Bowl]] || [[1993 California Golden Bears football team|California]] || L 3–37
|- 
|[[1995 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1995]] || Hayden Fry || [[1995 Sun Bowl|Sun Bowl]] || [[1995 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] || '''W''' 38–18
|- 
| [[1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1996]] || Hayden Fry || [[1996 Alamo Bowl|Alamo Bowl]] || [[1996 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]] || '''W''' 27–0
|- 
| [[1997 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1997]] || Hayden Fry || [[1997 Sun Bowl|Sun Bowl]] || [[1997 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]] || L 7–17
|- 
| [[2001 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2001]] || [[Kirk Ferentz]] || [[2001 Alamo Bowl|Alamo Bowl]] || [[2001 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]] || '''W''' 19–16
|- 
| [[2002 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2002]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2003 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] || [[2002 USC Trojans football team|USC]] || L 17–38
|- 
| [[2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2003]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2004 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]] || [[2003 Florida Gators football team|Florida]] || '''W''' 37–17
|- 
| [[2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2004]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2005 Capital One Bowl|Capital One Bowl]] || [[2004 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]] || '''W''' 30–25
|- 
| [[2005 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2005]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2006 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]] || [[2005 Florida Gators football team|Florida]] || L 24–31
|- 
| [[2006 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2006]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2006 Alamo Bowl|Alamo Bowl]] || [[2006 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]] || L 24–26
|- 
| [[2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2008]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2009 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]] || [[2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]] || '''W''' 31–10
|- 
| [[2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2009]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2010 Orange Bowl|Orange Bowl]] || [[2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team|Georgia Tech]] || '''W''' 24–14
|- 
|[[2010 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2010]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2010 Insight Bowl|Insight Bowl]] || [[2010 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] || '''W''' 27–24 
|- 
| [[2011 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2011]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2011 Insight Bowl|Insight Bowl]] || [[2011 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]] || L 14–31 
|- 
| [[2013 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2013]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2014 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]] || [[2013 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]] || L 14–21
|- 
| [[2014 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2014]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2015 Gator Bowl|TaxSlayer Bowl]] || [[2014 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] || L 28–45
|- 
| [[2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2015]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2016 Rose Bowl|Rose Bowl]] || [[2015 Stanford Cardinal football team|Stanford]] || L 16–45
|- 
| [[2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2016]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2017 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]] || [[2016 Florida Gators football team|Florida]] || L 3–30
|- 
| [[2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2017]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2017 Pinstripe Bowl|Pinstripe Bowl]] || [[2017 Boston College Eagles football team|Boston College]] || '''W''' 27–20
|- 
| [[2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2018]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2019 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]] || [[2018 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]] || '''W''' 27–22
|- 
| [[2019 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2019]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2019 Holiday Bowl|Holiday Bowl]] || [[2019 USC Trojans football team|USC]] || '''W''' 49–24
|-
| [[2020 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2020]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2020 Music City Bowl|Music City Bowl]] || [[2020 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] || ''No Contest''
|- 
| [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2021]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2022 Citrus Bowl|Citrus Bowl]] || [[2021 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]] || L 17–20
|-
| [[2022 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2022]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2022 Music City Bowl|Music City Bowl]] || [[2022 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]] || '''W''' 21–0
|- 
| [[2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2023]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2024 Citrus Bowl (January)|Citrus Bowl]] || [[2023 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] || L 0–35
|-
| [[2024 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2024]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2024 Music City Bowl|Music City Bowl]] || [[2024 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri]] || L 24–27
|-
| [[2025 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2025]] || Kirk Ferentz || [[2025 ReliaQuest Bowl|ReliaQuest]] || [[2025 Vanderbilt Commodores football team|Vanderbilt]] || '''W''' 34-27
|}

==Head coaches==
{{Main|List of Iowa Hawkeyes head football coaches}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Coach|Season|Games|Wins|Losses|Ties|Pct.}}
|-
| [[NO COACH]] (1889-1891) 
|-
| [[Edward A. Dalton]] (1892) || 1 || 6 || 3 || 2 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|3|2|1}}
|-
| [[Ben "Sport" Donnelly]] (1893) || 1 || 7 || 3 || 4 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|3|4|0}}
|-
| [[Roger Sherman (American football)|Roger Sherman]] (1894) || 1 || 9 || 4 || 4 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|4|4|1}}
|-
| [[NO COACH]] (1895)
|-
| [[Alfred E. Bull]] (1896) || 1 || 9 || 7 || 1 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|7|1|1}}
|-
| [[Otto Wagonhurst]] (1897) || 1 || 8 || 4 || 4 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|4|4|0}}
|-
| [[Alden Knipe]] (1898–1902) || 5 || 44 || 29 || 11 || 4 || {{Winning percentage|29|11|4}}
|-
| [[John Chalmers (coach)|John Chalmers]] (1903–1905) || 3 || 32 || 24 || 8 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|24|8|0}}
|-
| [[Mark Catlin Sr.|Mark Catlin]] (1906–1908) || 3 || 17 || 7 || 10 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|7|10|0}}
|-
| [[John G. Griffith|John Griffith]] (1909) || 1 || 7 || 2 || 4 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|2|4|1}}
|-
| [[Jesse Hawley (American football)|Jesse Hawley]] (1910–1915) || 6 || 42 || 24 || 18 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|24|18|0}}
|-
| [[Howard Jones (American football coach)|Howard Jones]] (1916–1923) || 8 || 60 || 42 || 17 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|42|17|1}}
|-
| [[Burt Ingwersen]] (1924–1931) || 8 || 64 || 33 || 27 || 4 || {{Winning percentage|33|27|4}}
|-
| [[Ossie Solem|Oscar "Ossie" Solem]] (1932–1936) || 5 || 40 || 15 || 21 || 4 || {{Winning percentage|15|21|4}}
|-
| [[Irl Tubbs]] (1937–1938) || 2 || 16 || 2 || 13 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|2|13|1}}
|-
| [[Eddie Anderson (American football coach)|Eddie Anderson]] ^ (1939–1942, 1946-1949) || 8 || 70 || 35 || 33 || 2 || {{Winning percentage|35|33|2}}
|-
| [[Slip Madigan|Edward "Slip" Madigan]] (1943–1944) || 2 || 16 || 2 || 13 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|2|13|1}}
|-
| [[Clem Crowe]] (1945) || 1 || 9 || 2 || 7 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|2|7|0}}
|-
| [[Leonard Raffensperger]] (1950–1951) || 2 || 18 || 5 || 10 || 3 || {{Winning percentage|5|10|3}}
|-
| [[Forest Evashevski]] (1952–1960) || 9 || 83 || 52 || 27 || 4 || {{Winning percentage|52|27|4}}
|-
| [[Jerry Burns]] (1961–1965) || 5 || 45 || 16 || 27 || 2 || {{Winning percentage|16|27|2}}
|-
| [[Ray Nagel]] (1966–1970) || 5 || 49 || 16 || 32 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|16|32|1}}
|-
| [[Frank Lauterbur]] (1971–1973) || 3 || 33 || 4 || 28 || 1 || {{Winning percentage|4|28|1}}
|-
| [[Bob Commings]] (1974–1978) || 5 || 55 || 18 || 37 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|18|37|0}}
|-
| [[Hayden Fry]] (1979–1998) || 20 || 238 || 143 || 89 || 6 || {{Winning percentage|143|89|6}}
|-
| '''[[Kirk Ferentz]]''' (1999–present)|| 27 || 340 || 213 || 128 || 0 || {{Winning percentage|212|128|0}}
|}
^ Eddie Anderson did not coach during the 1943–1945 seasons to serve in World War II.

–Iowa did not hire their first head coach until 1892, even though their football program began in 1889. They have had 25 total head coaches in their program's history.

==Rivalries==
===Illinois===
{{main|Illinois–Iowa rivalry#Football}}

The series dates back to the first meeting in 1899 and has been played 79 times.<ref>https://fightingillini.com/sports/football/opponent-history/iowa/29</ref><ref>https://mcubed.net/ncaaf/series/il/iw.shtml</ref> When the Big Ten split into non-geographical "Leaders" and "Legends" divisions in 2011,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sports |first=IndyStar |title=Legends and Leaders? Really? |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/hoosier-insider/1/01/01/legends-and-leaders-really/2556093/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}</ref> The Illini and Hawkeyes were placed in opposite divisions and weren't designated as protected annual cross-divisional so the series became intermittent again.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Big Ten divisions named Legends, Leaders - UPI.com |url=https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2010/12/13/Big-Ten-divisions-named-Legends-Leaders/67461292278848/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> However, in 2014, the conference scrapped that divisional format in favor of a more geographically friendly "East" and West" divisional arrangement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-20 |title=Sources: Big Ten realigning, renaming divisions |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/9191768/big-ten-conference-realign-teams-replace-division-names-east-west-sources-say |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> In so doing, the Big Ten placed both Illinois and Iowa in the West division which revived the annual rivalry once again.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hinnen |first=Jerry |date=2013-04-28 |title=Big Ten announces East, West divisions, nine-game schedule |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-announces-east-west-divisions-nine-game-schedule/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=CBS Sports |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=joecstrib |date=2013-04-28 |title=Big Ten officially adopts new East and West football divisions for 2014 |url=https://www.startribune.com/big-ten-officially-adopts-new-east-and-west-football-divisions-for-2014/205141891 |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=www.startribune.com |language=en}}</ref>

Perhaps the 1952 game is the most notable matchup in the history of the football rivalry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobi |first=Adam |title=Classic Big Ten Football: Illinois at Iowa, 1952 |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1172245-classic-big-ten-football-illinois-at-iowa-1952 |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=bleacherreport.com |language=en}}</ref> Illinois won 33–13, but the game is more known for egregious Hawkeye penalties, angry Iowa fans throwing apples at Illini football players and a punch thrown between players on both teams that lead to the Big Ten suspending the series indefinitely.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How penalties, apples and a punch nearly canned the Iowa-Illinois football rivalry |url=https://www.thegazette.com/sports/how-penalties-apples-and-a-punch-nearly-canned-the-iowa-illinois-football-rivalry/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |language=en-US}}</ref> The conference would not lift the indefinite suspension until 1967, the longest break in the history of the football rivalry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Binder |first=Ross |date=2011-06-14 |title=Bad Calls, Hurled Fruit, and Thrown Punches: Why Iowa Stopped Playing Illinois In Football |url=https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2011/6/14/2222936/bad-calls-hurled-fruit-and-thrown-punches-why-iowa-stopped-playing |access-date=2025-11-12 |website=Black Heart Gold Pants |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Special report: How pass interference, a jawbreaker and tossed apples nearly canned the Iowa-Illinois football rivalry |url=https://www.thegazette.com/columns-blogs/special-report-how-pass-interference-a-jawbreaker-and-tossed-apples-nearly-canned-the-iowa-illinoi-2/ |access-date=2025-11-12 |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Brandon Scherff hawkeyes.jpg|thumb|296x296px|[[Brandon Scherff]] carries off the [[Cy-Hawk Trophy|Cy-Hawk trophy]] after a victory in [[Ames, Iowa|Ames]] against [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]].]]

===Iowa State===
{{Main|Iowa–Iowa State football rivalry}}

Iowa plays [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]] annually for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, which began in 1977. The teams' first meeting was in 1894. The teams quit meeting after the 1934 season until they renewed their rivalry in 1977. It was in 1977 that the tradition of the Cy-Hawk Trophy began, when the Des Moines Athletic Club donated a trophy dedicated to the rivalry. It was quickly dubbed the "''Cy-Hawk Trophy''". Iowa leads the trophy series 31–17, and the overall series 47–25 through the 2025 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winsipedia - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Iowa State Cyclones football series history|url=http://www.winsipedia.com/iowa/vs/iowa-state|access-date=19 July 2021|website=Winsipedia}}</ref> The game is currently held in early September near [[Patriot Day]].

===Minnesota===
{{Main|Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry}}

Iowa plays [[Minnesota Golden Gophers football|Minnesota]] annually for the [[Floyd of Rosedale]], which is Iowa's oldest trophy game that began in 1935. The teams' first meeting was in 1891. 
Floyd of Rosedale was created in 1935 after Minnesota Governor [[Floyd B. Olson|Floyd Olson]] bet a prize pig that the Gophers would win the game, a goal which the Gophers would accomplish that year. After the death of the pig, its image was cast in bronze, and the Floyd of Rosedale trophy was created. Iowa leads the trophy series 46–43–2 while Minnesota leads the overall series 63–54–2 through the 2025 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winsipedia - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers football series history|url=http://www.winsipedia.com/iowa/vs/minnesota|access-date=19 July 2021|website=Winsipedia}}</ref>

===Nebraska===
{{Main|Iowa–Nebraska football rivalry}}

Iowa plays [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]] annually for the Heroes Trophy, which began when Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011. Since the inauguration of the series as a conference game, the game has been played on the [[American football on Thanksgiving#College|Friday]] following Thanksgiving. Iowa leads the trophy series 11–4, while Nebraska leads the overall series 30–23–3 through the 2025 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.winsipedia.com/iowa/vs/nebraska|title=Winsipedia - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers football series history|website=Winsipedia}}</ref>

===Wisconsin===
{{Main|Iowa–Wisconsin football rivalry}}

Iowa has played [[Wisconsin Badgers football|Wisconsin]] for the Heartland Trophy since 2004. The teams' first meeting was in 1894. <!--Wisconsin leads t-->The trophy series is tied 10–10 and Wisconsin leads the overall series 49–48–2 through the 2025 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winsipedia - Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers football series history|url=http://www.winsipedia.com/iowa/vs/wisconsin|access-date=19 July 2021|website=Winsipedia}}</ref>

==Logos and uniforms==
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2018}}
[[File:10sIowauniform.png|thumb|1910s football uniform]]
Iowa's home jersey is black with white numerals, with gold and white stripes on the sleeves. The away jersey is white with black numerals, and gold stripes on the sleeves. Players' names are located above the numerals on the back of the jersey. Gold pants with a black stripe are worn with both the home and away jersey. Iowa's helmets are black with a black facemask. They also have a gold stripe and the gold Iowa Hawkeye logo included on both sides of the helmet.

In 1979, [[Hayden Fry]] helped to create the Tiger Hawk, the logo seen on Iowa's football helmets.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wine|first=George|title=Tigerhawk Turns 30|url=http://www.hawkeyesports.com/genrel/083109aac.html|publisher=Iowa Hawkeyes|date=August 31, 2009|access-date=November 27, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208043836/http://www.hawkeyesports.com/genrel/083109aac.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Since both teams shared the colors of black and yellow gold, Fry sought and gained permission from the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], the dominant [[National Football League|National Football League (NFL)]] team of the 1970s, to overhaul Iowa's uniforms in the Steelers' image. Fry's idea was that if the team were going to act like winners, they first needed to dress like winners. Fry had originally asked Steelers defensive tackle [[Joe Greene|"Mean" Joe Greene]] for a replica helmet and home jersey; Greene was able to send Fry to one of the team owners, and three days later, the owners sent Fry reproduction copies of the home and away uniform of Steelers quarterback [[Terry Bradshaw]], making Iowa one of only a few schools to use the uniform scheme of an NFL team; others include the Blue Devils of [[Duke University]] whose football uniforms resemble those of the [[Indianapolis Colts]]. Although the uniforms appear substantially the same, there are subtle differences, mainly in the font of the numerals, the scheme of the white away jerseys, and the width of the pants and jersey stripes.

The Hawkeyes have removed the Tiger Hawk helmet logo and the single yellow gold stripe from their game helmets on five occasions as a symbolic gesture of mourning. The first instance was on November 2, 1991, in recognition of the six victims of a [[University of Iowa shooting|fatal campus shooting]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Leonard|first=Tod|date=23 December 2019|title=Iowa will go without helmet logo in Holiday Bowl to honor former coach Hayden Fry|work=The San Diego Union-Tribune|url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/college/story/2019-12-23/iowa-helmet-logo-tiger-hawk-removed-for-holiday-bowl-usc-san-diego|access-date=19 July 2021}}</ref> The second occasion was for a December 29, 1996, appearance in the [[1996 Alamo Bowl|Alamo Bowl]]. It served to commemorate the family of linebacker Mark Mitchell, who were involved in a fatal vehicle accident while en route to the game. The accident resulted in the death of Mitchell's mother and severe injuries to his father and two brothers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.valeroalamobowl.com/main/bowl_history_detail.php?uid%3D4 |title=Valero Alamo Bowl - Bowl History |access-date=2009-08-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090722140617/http://www.valeroalamobowl.com/main/bowl_history_detail.php?uid=4 |archive-date=2009-07-22 }}</ref> Third came on Veterans' Day 2011 when they used a red, white, and blue Tiger Hawk on one side and left the other side blank in honor of our fallen heroes against Michigan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=RossWB|date=2011-11-05|title=Iowa Unveils Veterans Day-Inspired Helmets For Michigan Game|url=https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2011/11/5/2539954/iowa-football-unveils-veterans-day-inspired-helmets-for-michigan-game|access-date=2021-07-19|website=Black Heart Gold Pants|language=en}}</ref> Fourth was September 12, 2015, when they honored [[Tyler Sash]], former Iowa Safety and NFL Veteran, who had died on September 8, 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iowa to honor former Hawkeye Tyler Sash with helmet decal vs. Iowa State|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/iowa-to-honor-former-hawkeye-tyler-sash-with-helmet-decal-vs-iowa-state/|access-date=2021-07-19|website=CBSSports.com|date=11 September 2015 |language=en}}</ref> To honor Sash, one Tiger Hawk was replaced with a large, gold "#9" a tribute to the jersey number Sash wore while he played at Iowa. The Tiger Hawk was removed for a fifth time during the [[2019 Holiday Bowl]] in San Diego, California to honor the passing of former Iowa Hawkeye football coach, Hayden Fry.<ref name=":0" /> The Hawkeyes have won all five memorial games.

The Iowa Athletic Director has okayed only seven stickers on the helmets from 1985 to the present. The first was in 1985, when a gold disk appeared, with the black letters "''ANF''", which stands for America Needs Farmers. This sticker had remained in place until 1992 when the NCAA required teams to remove 'excessive' decals. However, it was brought back by head coach Kirk Ferentz in 2009 and has remained in place since. The second was a small black sticker on the back of the helmet, with white letters that spelled out "''EVY''", the nickname of legendary Iowa head coach, and athletic director, Forest Evashevski, to commemorate his death in 2009. The third was in memory of Iowa high school football coaching legend Ed Thomas, who was killed in his team's weight room by a former player. A small gold sticker with the black letters "''FFF''" placed near the crown of the helmet represents "Faith, Family, Football," a motto Coach Thomas preached to his players to represent what his players' priorities should be not only through the season, but throughout life. The fourth was a small green sticker, with the number 30 on it to honor former Hawkeye Safety [[Brett Greenwood]], who had recently fallen into a coma while working out at his old high school. Fifth was a small black sticker with a gold "TS", worn on the back of the helmet to commemorate the death of former Hawkeye safety Tyler Sash. Another decal was commissioned to honor former Polk County deputy sheriff Ron Stewart died on October 9, 2016, at the age of 76. Stewart volunteered his time providing security for the Iowa Football team at home and road games from 1982 to 2014. For the remainder of the season, the Hawkeyes wore a decal on the back of their helmets bearing his initials "RS" within a sheriff's badge in his memory.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Batterson |first=Steve |date=2016-10-22 |title=Iowa football: Jewell lowers boom on Badgers |url=https://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/iowa/iowa-football-jewell-lowers-boom-on-badgers/article_a56ed65e-08c7-5049-991e-a5e0ed50a460.html |access-date=2024-09-23 |website=Courier |language=en}}</ref> Most recently, a special helmet decal was worn to honor former Iowa Hawkeye football player Damon Bullock, who died at the age of 25 in March 2019. For the 2019 season opener, the Hawkeyes wore a gold circle with black lettering detailing "DB5" on the back of their helmets, a nod to Bullock's playing number from 2011 to 2014, in addition to a gold graduation cap, honoring the team's recent graduates.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-30|title=Iowa To Wear Helmet Stickers To Remember Damon Bullock And Recognize Graduates|url=https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-hawkeyes-football/2019/08/4096/iowa-to-wear-helmet-stickers-to-remember-damon-bullock-and-recognize-graduates|access-date=2021-07-19|website=Go Iowa Awesome|language=en|archive-date=July 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719072925/https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-hawkeyes-football/2019/08/4096/iowa-to-wear-helmet-stickers-to-remember-damon-bullock-and-recognize-graduates|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Kinnick Stadium==
[[File:Kinnick east grandstand 092218.jpg|thumb|Kinnick Stadium]]

{{Main|Kinnick Stadium}}

Nile Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as ''Iowa Stadium'', is the home stadium of the [[University of Iowa]] Hawkeyes in [[Iowa City, Iowa|Iowa City]], [[Iowa]]. It opened as Iowa Stadium in 1929; prior to that time, Iowa played its home games at [[Iowa Field]]. Iowa Stadium was renamed ''Nile Kinnick Stadium'' in 1972 in honor of [[Nile Kinnick]], the 1939 [[Heisman Trophy]] winner and the only Heisman winner in university history, who died in service during [[World War II]]. It holds 69,250 people,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-30|title=Kinnick Stadium|url=https://hawkeyesports.com/kinnick-stadium/|access-date=2021-07-19|website=University of Iowa Athletics|language=en-US}}</ref> making it the 25th largest college football stadium in America and the 82nd largest sports stadium in the world.

==Notable games==

===1953: No. 20 Iowa vs No. 1 Notre Dame===
{{Main|1953 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

On Nov. 21, 1953, an undefeated No. 1 ranked [[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame team]] was set to face the Hawkeyes in South Bend. In the first quarter, Iowa defensive back Dusty Rice intercepted the Irish, which allowed the Hawkeyes to drive the ball 72 yards for an Iowa touchdown and a 7–0 lead. With only 2 seconds left in the first half, Irish tackle [[Frank Varrichione]] fell down with an injury which stopped the clock (Notre Dame had no time outs left). Varrichione went in that same play and the Irish scored on a touchdown pass to Dan Shannon, to tie the game 7–7 at the half. With the score still deadlocked late into the fourth quarter, Iowa intercepted a pass on their own 48-yard line. The Hawkeyes then scored on a touchdown pass to end [[Frank Gilliam (American football)|Frank Gilliam]] to give the Hawkeyes a 14–7 lead with 2:06 left in the game, with Notre Dame having no time outs remaining. With only 6 seconds left and the clock ticking away Frank Varrichione came down with another injury which stopped the clock (again he went back in that very same play). Notre Dame then scored a touchdown to tie the game up and stay unbeaten. After the game, sportswriters such as [[Grantland Rice]] and others were infuriated calling it unfair, and the Irish earned the label: "The Fainting Irish of Notre Dame". Iowa head coach Forest Evashevski said after the game: "When the One Great Scorer comes to write against our name, He won't write whether we won or lost, but how come we got gypped at Notre Dame". The Hawkeyes, who were ranked No. 20 before the game, jumped teams with better records to gain the No. 9 ranking. Varrichione has since admitted that the injuries were fake, in Steve Delsohn's book, ''Talking Irish: The Oral History Of Notre Dame Football''. In addition, Notre Dame Heisman winner [[Johnny Lattner]] praised his team's tactics calling it "Pretty smart thinking, wasn't it?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leatherhelmetillus.com/v_four_fainting/faint.html |title=Fainting Irish of Notre Dame |access-date=2011-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713193614/http://www.leatherhelmetillus.com/v_four_fainting/faint.html |archive-date=2011-07-13 }}</ref> Because of this game, the NCAA changed the rules making players sit out at least one down before returning to the game.

===1956: No. 6 Ohio State at No. 7 Iowa===
{{Main|1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

On November 17, Iowa (ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll) defeated Ohio State (ranked No. 6), 6–0, before a crowd of 57,732 at Iowa Stadium. Ohio State went into the game with the second best rushing attack in the country but were held to 147 rushing yards, their lowest rushing yardage total in two years. The result broke Ohio State's winning streak of 17 games against conference opponents and clinched for Iowa the conference championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl. After time expired, Iowa fans hauled down the goal posts and paraded through Iowa City.<ref>{{cite news|title=Iowa to Rose Bowl, 6–0: Hawks Hobble Ohio, Earn at Least Tie for Big Ten Title|newspaper=The Des Moines Register|author=Bert McGrane|date=November 18, 1956|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8292030/iowa_to_rose_bowl_60_hawks_hobble/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>

===1957 Rose Bowl: No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 10 Oregon State===
{{Main|1957 Rose Bowl}}

Aided by three rushing touchdowns, the Big Ten Champion Iowa Hawkeyes got off to a 21–6 start at the half. After the half, Iowa scored two more touchdowns and beat Oregon State 35–19. With the victory, Iowa won their first Rose Bowl Game in program history. Quarterback [[Ken Ploen]] was the game's MVP ending the game with one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown.

===1959 Rose Bowl: No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 16 California===
{{Main|1959 Rose Bowl}}

This game was lopsided and by the end of the third quarter, with a 22–6 advantage over the [[California Golden Bears football|California Golden Bears]], Iowa could smell victory (eventually winning by a final margin of 38–12). With their win in the Rose Bowl in 1959, the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes (8–1–1) won the [[Grantland Rice Trophy]] (in recognition of the national champion) as awarded by the [[Football Writers Association of America]] (FWAA) following the bowl games.

No. 1 [[1958 LSU Tigers football team|Louisiana State]] (11–0) was crowned [[College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS|national champions]] in both major polls, [[AP National Championship Trophy|AP]] and [[AFCA National Championship Trophy|Coaches']], before the bowl games were played. The LSU Tigers went on to claim a shutout victory in the [[1959 Sugar Bowl|Sugar Bowl]] over No. 12 Clemson.

===1981: No. 7 Nebraska at Iowa===
{{Main|1981 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

Official recap—There weren't many among the 60,160 who jammed Iowa's Kinnick Stadium who thought they were watching a matchup of the eventual Midwest entries in the Rose and Orange Bowls. There probably weren't a whole lot more who thought Iowa would avenge a 57–0 slaughter the Hawkeyes had suffered in Lincoln the year before. However, Iowa took advantage of excellent field position to jump to a 10–0 first-half lead, then held on to win a 10–7 stunner over the seventh-ranked Huskers.

The Hawkeye defense held the Huskers to their lowest total offense output of the season—234 yards—and stopped the Nebraska offense three straight times in Iowa territory after Roger Craig's one-yard TD had pulled the Huskers within 10–7 early in the final period. NU was stymied in the fourth quarter by a missed 30-yard field goal, a fumble, and Lou King's diving interception, which secured Iowa's victory with 39 seconds remaining.

In the first half, the Hawkeyes capitalized on a short punt and an interception to set up a two-yard TD run by Eddie Phillips and a 35-yard field goal by Lon Olejniczak. Meanwhile, the Huskers were held scoreless through three quarters for the first time since 1973 and didn't get out of their own territory until late in the second period, partly because of Iowa punter Reggie Roby's 50-plus yard average. NU quarterbacks Mark Maurer and Nate Mason completed only 8-of-18 passes for 81 yards and rushed 12 times for minus-2 yards.

Iowa used its upset win as a launching pad to defeat such teams as UCLA, Michigan and Purdue and post its first winning season since 1961.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huskermax.com/games/1981/01iowa.html |title=Nebraska Iowa 1981 : HuskerMax |website=Huskermax.com |date=1981-09-12 |access-date=2016-07-31}}</ref>

"At this minute, this is the greatest victory of my life," Iowa coach Hayden Fry said. "I'm getting to be an old man and I don't want to hurt any of my other teams that pulled off some upsets. But while I've been at Iowa, this is far and away the greatest victory.

"If you stay with this game long enough, the worm is bound to turn. Don't think we didn't earn this one, either. We did it fair and square, plus we showed a lot of character."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thegazette.com/2008/04/14/iowa-gets-revenge-hawks-stun-nebraska-before-record-crowd/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204032126/http://thegazette.com/2008/04/14/iowa-gets-revenge-hawks-stun-nebraska-before-record-crowd/|url-status=dead|title=Iowa gets revenge: Hawks stun Nebraska before record crowd &No. 124; TheGazette|access-date=2012-11-07|archive-date=2013-02-04}}</ref>

===1985: No. 2 Michigan at No. 1 Iowa===
{{Main|1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

The Hawkeyes trailed 10–9 late in the fourth quarter, in what may be considered the greatest game played at [[Kinnick Stadium]]. Iowa got the ball, with 5:27 left, on their own 22-yard line. Led by their All-American Quarterback, [[Chuck Long]], Iowa drove the ball to the [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan]] 12-yard line. As the clock expired, kicker [[Rob Houghtlin]] sent one through the uprights, to give Iowa the win. The Hawkeyes would go on to accept an invitation to the [[1986 Rose Bowl]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLzSpaEnA64 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211103/QLzSpaEnA64| archive-date=2021-11-03 | url-status=live|title=1985 No. 2 Michigan at No. 1 Iowa Jim Zabel and Ed Podolak Radio Call of Game Winning FG | date=10 May 2010|publisher=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2016-07-31}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===2005 Capital One Bowl: No. 11 Iowa vs. No. 12 LSU ("The Catch")===
{{Main|2005 Capital One Bowl}}

The game has gone down in Hawkeye history known simply as "The Catch". Iowa was set to play the defending National Champion [[LSU Tigers football|LSU Tigers]]. Despite leading the entire game, Iowa found itself down 24–25 and got the ball with only 46 seconds left on the clock. With only a few seconds left in the game, Iowa found itself on their own 44-yard line facing a 2nd and 6. Iowa Quarterback [[Drew Tate]] threw the ball 56 yards to Warren Holloway for an Iowa touchdown that gave the Hawkeyes a 30–25 victory over [[Nick Saban]]'s defending champion Tigers. The touchdown was Holloway's first and only career touchdown.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=250012294&period=4 |title=LSU vs. Iowa – Play-By-Play – January 1, 2005 – ESPN |website=[[ESPN]] |date=2005-01-01 |access-date=2016-07-31}}</ref>

===2008: No. 3 Penn State at Iowa===
{{Main|2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

The undefeated [[2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State Nittany Lions]] came into the game ranked No. 3 in the country with hopes of a BCS national championship. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, were 5–4 and coming off a tough loss at [[2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]]. The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early lead following a Penn State sack-fumble on 3rd down during its first drive, but the Nittany Lions would come back to take a 13–7 lead into halftime. With less than four minutes left in the game, and trailing 23–21, Iowa strong safety [[Tyler Sash]] intercepted Penn State quarterback [[Daryll Clark]]'s pass inside Iowa territory. The Hawkeyes drove to within field goal range where kicker Daniel Murray made a 31-yard field goal with :01 left to play. Iowa would go on to win 24–23 and hand Penn State its only regular season loss of the year. The Hawkeyes would go on to beat [[2008 South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]] in the [[2009 Outback Bowl|Outback Bowl]]. The win would be the first in a 13-game winning streak for Iowa stretching into the [[2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2009 season]].

===2010 Orange Bowl: No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Iowa===
{{Main|2010 Orange Bowl}}

The game pitted the ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against No. 10 Iowa. On Iowa's second drive of the game, quarterback [[Ricky Stanzi]] drove the Hawkeyes 80 yards, culminating in a 3-yard touchdown pass to [[Marvin McNutt]], putting Iowa on top 7–0. Iowa scored another touchdown on their next drive, following a Georgia Tech punt, with Stanzi hitting Colin Sandeman for 21 yards, extending the Hawkeyes lead to 14–0. On the ensuing drive, GT punted for the third time in a row. On Iowa's next drive, Stanzi was intercepted by Jerrard Tarrant who returned the pick for a touchdown, cutting Iowa's lead to 14–7. Georgia Tech received the ball at the start of the second half. Iowa took over on downs after Georgia Tech missed a 41-yard field goal. On Iowa's next drive, they extended their lead by three thanks to a 33-yard field goal from kicker Daniel Murray. At the start of the 4th Quarter, Iowa had a 17–7 lead. This lead was cut when Georgia Tech drove down the field for its first and only offensive touchdown of the game. The touchdown cut Iowa's lead to 17–14. However, Iowa running back Brandon Wegher sealed the win for the Hawkeyes with his 32-yard rushing touchdown late in the 4th Quarter. Iowa beat Georgia Tech by a final score of 24–14.

The win marked the first BCS Bowl win for the Iowa program (Iowa had won two Rose Bowls prior to the formation of the BCS). The win also marked Iowa's first Orange Bowl victory. Iowa is one of only five Big Ten teams to compete in and win an Orange Bowl.

===2016: No. 2 Michigan at Iowa===
{{Main|2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

[[File:PAB FB Iowa2016 72 (30895510701).jpg|thumb|264x264px|[[Emmanuel Rugamba|Manny Rugamba]] intercepts a Michigan pass at Kinnick Stadium in 2016.]]
Iowa entered this matchup against the [[2016 Michigan Wolverines football team|9–0 Wolverines]] with a 5–4 record, a letdown given the high expectations entering the season. Michigan arrived in Iowa City with the No. 1 scoring defense and the No. 3 scoring offense in the country. A week after being humbled 41–14 at [[2016 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]], in the midst of a three-game home losing streak, and after trailing 10–0 in the second quarter of this game, the Hawkeyes put forth a gritty, spirited effort. Freshman [[Keith Duncan]] drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired to deliver Iowa a much needed win. [[Akrum Wadley]] was the offensive standout for the Hawkeyes with 115 yards rushing, and another 52 yards receiving that included a touchdown late in the first half. The Hawkeye defense did their part as well, allowing only 201 total yards and scoring a safety in the 14–13 win.

With Clemson and Washington both losing, this marked only the second time No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 fell during the same day in the regular-season. The other time was October 19, 1985, and one of the games that day was No. 1 Iowa's 12–10 win over No. 2 Michigan.

===2017: No. 3 Ohio State at Iowa===
{{Main|2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

Iowa entered this matchup against the [[2017 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|7–1 Buckeyes]] with a 5–3 record. At kickoff, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 6 in the nation and although the game was being played at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, Ohio State was a 21-point favorite to win. Early on, it was an even contest as the teams traded scores on their way to a 17–17 midway through the second quarter. However, in the last 3 minutes of the first half, Iowa TE Noah Fant was on the receiving end of two Nate Stanley TD passes, sending Iowa into the locker room with a 31–17 lead. The second half belonged to the Hawkeyes as they sliced through the Ohio State defense on TD drives of 78, 60 and 47 yards on their way to a resounding 55–24 win.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stanley, Hawkeyes throttle No. 3 Ohio State 55-24 |url=http://collegefootball.ap.org/article/stanley-hawkeyes-throttle-no-3-ohio-state-55-24 |work=[[Associated Press]]|date=November 4, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2025}}</ref> Notable performances from the game were five TD passes by Iowa QB Nathan Stanley, Iowa CB Joshua Jackson's 3 interceptions, Iowa RB Akrum Wadley rushing for 118 yards on 20 carries (5.9) and Ohio State QB [[J. T. Barrett]] throwing four INT's along with three TD's. On the day Iowa racked up a total of 487 yards against an Ohio State defense that came into the game only allowing 302 yards per contest. Many pundits remarked after the season that the lop-sided loss to Iowa was the reason that Ohio State was excluded from the College Football Playoff, even though the Buckeyes had won the Big Ten championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2017/12/03/college-football-playoff-ohio-state-alabama-iowa-loss-rankings-kirby-hocutt/917388001/|title=CFP chair: Ohio State's loss at Iowa gave Alabama edge|first=Aaron|last=Young|website=Hawk Central}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iowa routs Ohio State to squash the Buckeyes' playoff path |url=http://www.espn.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/143246/iowa-routs-ohio-state-to-squash-the-buckeyes-playoff-path |work=[[ESPN]]|date=November 4, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2025}}</ref>

===2019: No. 8 Minnesota at No. 20 Iowa===
{{Main|2019 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

The Hawkeyes entered this game following a close road loss (24–22) at [[2019 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]]. Minnesota, on the other hand, was coming in with an undefeated 9–0 record and just off a home win against then-undefeated Penn State.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/penn-state-vs-minnesota-score-takeaways-golden-gophers-stun-nittany-lions-in-huge-upset-win/|title=Penn State vs. Minnesota score, takeaways: Golden Gophers stun Nittany Lions in huge upset win|website=CBSSports.com|date=9 November 2019 }}</ref>

However, the Gophers' undefeated season would end during this match, as they fell 23–19 to the Hawkeyes, despite a late comeback rally. Iowa kept the Gophers outside the end zone for two quarters, forcing two Gopher field goals. At the end of the half, the Hawkeyes were up 20–6. The Gophers would respond mightily in the second half, both on offense and defense, outscoring their opponent 13–3 with two touchdowns, one in the third and one in the fourth quarter. They forced a turnover late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game, but back to back sacks on first and second down sidelined quarterback [[Tanner Morgan]] with an injury, and Cole Kramer had to step in on a 3rd down and 21. His hail mary attempt was ultimately intercepted by [[Riley Moss]], clinching the Hawkeyes' upset.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401112199|title=Minnesota vs. Iowa - Game Recap - November 16, 2019 - ESPN|website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

Minnesota would clinch the Big Ten West and play [[2019 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] in the Big Ten Championship if they won this match, even if they were to later fall to Wisconsin in the season finale, since the Badgers had two conference losses. However, this loss opened the door for Wisconsin to regain a shot at winning the West, which they were able to pull off by upsetting the Gophers on the road.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/college/2019/12/01/wisconsin-minnesota-paul-bunyans-axe|title=Wisconsin Beats Minnesota, Takes Back Axe|agency=Associated Press|magazine=Sports Illustrated}}</ref>

This was also the first of four straight wins for Iowa to end the season. Many pundits called them the "strongest 3-loss team in the country" prior to the game, as they lost in three road games by a total of 14 points to conference powers Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/iowa-a-tough-place-to-visit-and-not-just-for-gophers/564781582/|title=Iowa a tough place to visit, and not just for Gophers|website=Star Tribune|date=November 12, 2019 }}</ref> Since 2008, Iowa is 5–1 against AP-top 10 teams at home, their lone loss coming in 2017 to Penn State on a touchdown pass as the clock expired.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/9/23/16356016/iowa-penn-state-final-score-results-2017|title=Penn State averts Iowa upset with walk-off TD pass|first=Alex|last=Kirshner|date=September 23, 2017|website=SBNation.com}}</ref>

===2021: No. 3 Iowa vs No. 4 Penn State===
{{Main|2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}

Extending from the previous season, Penn State was on a 10-game winning streak and Iowa was on a 12-game winning streak. Both teams were ranked in the Top 5 and [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s [[Big Noon Kickoff]] came to Iowa City for the game.

Penn State jumped out to an early 17–3 lead before Iowa closed the gap to 7 by the end of the half. In the 3rd Quarter Penn State would extend the lead to 20–10, but the Nittany Lions would not score again in the game. Iowa would again close the gap to 7 points with a field goal to close out scoring in the 3rd Quarter. Iowa scored another field goal and a touchdown in the 4th Quarter which was enough to give Iowa the 23–20 win.<ref>{{cite web |title=No. 3 Iowa Beats No. 4 Penn State 23-20, Fans Storm Field |url=https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/no-3-iowa-beats-no-4-penn-state-23-20-fans-storm-field |publisher=[[Associated Press]] | date=October 9, 2021 |access-date=November 29, 2025 }}</ref> After the game, Iowa extended its season record to 6–0 and obtained its third win over a ranked team in the early season. As a result of Alabama's loss to Texas A&M, Iowa would go on to be ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Poll the following week.

==Traditions==

===Songs===
Iowa's official fight song is the "[[Iowa Fight Song]]" which is sung by the marching band and the fans. Iowa's school song is "[[On Iowa]]". Iowa also plays a third fight song, entitled "[[Roll Along Iowa]]". After victories the band plays the [[Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier]] Polka, which translates to "In Heaven There is No Beer". Before the game (since 2005) the team has exited the tunnel together to "[[Back in Black (song)|Back in Black]]" by [[AC/DC]] before joining hands and running onto the field in unison to "[[Enter Sandman]]" by [[Metallica]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegazette.com/2011/11/11/back-in-black-now-a-hawkeye-gameday-tradition |title=> 'Back in Black' now a Hawkeye gameday tradition |publisher=The Gazette |date=2014-04-03 |access-date=2016-07-31}}</ref>  This became known as "The Swarm."

===Mascot===
Iowa's mascot is [[Herky the Hawk]], a black and gold caricature of a Hawk. Herky was created as a cartoon in 1948, and first appeared at a sporting event in 1959. Herky was actually named after the Greek God Hercules. The term "Hawkeye" originally appeared in the 19th century historical novel [[The Last of the Mohicans]] by [[James Fenimore Cooper]]; it was later used in its plural form to describe the people of the state of Iowa. The University of Iowa adopted this as the nickname for its athletic teams.

===Hawkeye Marching Band===
[[File:Hawkeye Marching Band.jpg|thumb|[[Hawkeye Marching Band]]]]
Founded in 1881, the [[Hawkeye Marching Band]] now performs at all Iowa Hawkeye home football games. The band also travels with the team to usually one away game per year and any post-season bowl games.

===Kinnick Wave===
In [[2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2017]], Hawkeyes fans created what [[ESPN]] called "college football's coolest new tradition". In February of that year, the university's [[University of Iowa Children's Hospital|children's hospital]], which has long had a close relationship with the Iowa football program, opened a new 12-story building across the street from Kinnick Stadium, with the top few floors featuring an unobstructed view of the playing field.<ref name=Sherman>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20744480/iowa-hawkeyes-hospital-wave |title=Inside college football's coolest new tradition: Iowa's hospital wave |first=Mitch |last=Sherman |work=[[ESPN.com]] |date=September 18, 2017 |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref> The top floor of the hospital features the Press Box Café, a lounge area with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the field that is reserved for patients and their families on Hawkeyes game days, with big-screen TVs available when Iowa plays on the road.<ref name=Sherman/><ref name=Bain>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2017/09/23/cell-phone-flashlights-made-hawkeye-wave-even-cooler-saturday-night/696488001/ |title=If it's possible, cell phone flashlights made the Hawkeye Wave even cooler Saturday night |first=Matthew |last=Bain |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=September 23, 2017 |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref> Following a suggestion posted to a Hawkeyes fan page on [[Facebook]], by Iowan Krista Young, fans now face the hospital and wave to the children and their families at the end of the first quarter of every home game. For home night games, the first of which was against [[2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] on September 23, 2017, "The Wave" features fans waving with their [[Mobile phone|cell phone]] flashlights turned on.<ref name=Bain/> Two weeks after the Penn State game, with the Hawkeyes at home against [[2017 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]], the Hawkeye Marching Band joined in this new tradition, forming a hand moving side-to-side and "waving" at the children during its halftime show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sportsnation/story/_/page/QTP_171007_IowaBandWave/iowa-hawkeyes-band-joins-hospital-wave-tradition |title=Give Iowa's band a hand for wave to children's hospital |work=SportsNation |publisher=ESPN.com |date=October 7, 2017 |access-date=October 7, 2017}}</ref> The Wave was even seen in the offseason—on February 15, 2018, inspired by a suggestion from nurses at the children's hospital, the stadium's maintenance crew created a pattern of a waving hand in snow that was covering the playing field. At least one patient was reported to have seen the crew creating the design, and upon completion, the crew went into the Press Box Café to see their final product.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Snow-wave-drawn-at-Kinnick-Stadium-474184423.html |title=Snow wave drawn at Kinnick Stadium |first1=Ethan |last1=Fickau |first2=Ellyn |last2=Felton |publisher=[[KCRG-TV]] |location=[[Cedar Rapids, Iowa|Cedar Rapids, IA]] |date=February 15, 2018 |access-date=February 20, 2018}}</ref>

The tradition has even spread beyond the Iowa fan base. With Iowa playing at [[2017 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]] on September 30, ESPN's ''[[College GameDay (football)|College GameDay]]'' aired a six-minute feature on The Wave, followed by the feature's reporter, [[Tom Rinaldi]], leading the crowd at the [[Virginia Tech]] campus in a wave of their own.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2017/09/30/espn-college-gameday-touching-tribute-hawkeye-wave-iowa-football/719661001/ |title=ESPN's 'College GameDay,' Fox Sports offers incredibly touching tributes to Hawkeye Wave |first1=Matthew |last1=Bain |first2=Danny |last2=Lawhon |publisher=Hawk Central |date=September 30, 2017 |access-date=October 1, 2017}}</ref> A few hours later at the end of the first quarter of the Iowa–Michigan State game, Spartans fans joined in The Wave with visiting Iowa fans.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.landof10.com/michigan-state/michigan-state-iowa-kinnick-wave |title=Michigan State teams up with Iowa fans for touching Kinnick Wave at Spartan Stadium |first=Ryan |last=Connors |website=Landof10.com |date=September 30, 2017 |access-date=October 1, 2017 |archive-date=October 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001011758/https://www.landof10.com/michigan-state/michigan-state-iowa-kinnick-wave |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Disney Sports announced it would present the Iowa football program with its [[Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award]], which annually goes to college football's most inspirational figure on November 20, 2017. The award was presented to the University of Iowa for The Wave on ESPN on December 7, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/11/disney-salutes-the-kinnick-wave-with-the-2017-disney-sports-spirit-award/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205111522/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2017/11/disney-salutes-the-kinnick-wave-with-the-2017-disney-sports-spirit-award/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2017 |title=Disney Salutes the 'Kinnick Wave' with the 2017 Disney Sports Spirit Award |first=Darrell |last=Fry |publisher=[[Walt Disney World]] |date=November 20, 2017 |access-date=December 4, 2017}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
{{Main|List of Iowa Hawkeyes football honorees}}

===Final Rankings===
Since the 2023 season, Iowa has been ranked in the final [[AP Poll|Associated Press poll]] 26 times and the [[Coaches Poll|Coaches]] 25 times. The Hawkeyes have finished the season ranked in the Top 10 in the Associated Press poll 13 times. The 1940s and 1970s are the only decades that the Iowa Hawkeyes have not had a team finish in the AP Poll|Associated Press poll Top 10 since the poll's inception in 1936. 
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Year|AP Ranking|Coaches Poll Ranking|Record}}
|-
| [[1939 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1939]] || No. 9 || NR || 6–1-1
|-
| [[1953 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1953]] || No. 9 || No. 10|| 5–3–1
|-
| [[1955 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1955]] || NR|| No. 19 || 3–5–1
|-
| [[1956 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1956]] || No. 3|| No. 3 || 9–1–0
|-
| [[1957 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1957]] || No. 6|| No. 5 || 7–1–1
|-
| [[1958 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1958]] || No. 2|| No. 2 || 8–1–1
|-
| [[1960 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1960]] || No. 3|| No. 2 || 8–1–0
|-
| [[1981 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1981]] || No. 18|| No. 15 || 8–4–0
|-
| [[1983 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1983]] || No. 14|| No. 14 || 9–3–0
|-
| [[1984 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1984]] || No. 16|| No. 15 || 8–4–1
|-
| [[1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1985]] || No. 10|| No. 9 || 10–2–0
|-
| [[1986 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1986]] || No. 16|| No. 15 || 9–3–0
|-
| [[1987 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1987]] || No. 16|| No. 16 ||10-3-0
|-
| [[1990 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1990]] || No. 18|| No. 16 || 8–4–0
|-
| [[1991 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1991]] || No. 10|| No. 10 || 10–1–1
|-
| [[1995 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1995]] || No. 25|| No. 22 || 8–4–0
|-
| [[1996 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|1996]] || No. 18|| No. 18 || 9–3
|-
| [[2002 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2002]] || No. 8|| No. 8 || 11–2
|-
| [[2003 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2003]] || No. 8|| No. 8 || 10–3
|-
| [[2004 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2004]] || No. 8|| No. 8 || 10–2
|-
| [[2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2008]] || No. 20|| No. 20 || 9–4
|-
| [[2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2009]] || No. 7|| No. 7 || 11–2
|-
| [[2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2015]] || No. 9|| No. 10 || 12–2
|-
| [[2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2018]] || No. 25|| NR || 9–4
|-
| [[2019 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2019]] || No. 15|| No. 15 || 10–3
|-
| [[2020 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2020]] || No. 16|| No. 15 ||  6–2
|-
| [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2021]] || No. 23|| No. 23 ||  10–4
|-
| [[2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2023]] || No. 24|| No. 22 ||  10–4
|-

|}

The Hawkeyes have also been ranked in the final College Football Playoff Rankings six times since its inception in 2014.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Year|CFP Ranking|Record}}
|-
| [[2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2015]] || No. 5 || 12–2
|-
| [[2019 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2019]] || No. 16 || 10–3
|-
| [[2020 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2020]] || No. 15 || 6–2
|-
| [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2021]] || No. 15 || 10–4
|-
| [[2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2023]] || No. 17 || 10–4
|-
| [[2025 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|2025]] || No. 23 || 9–4
|-
|}

===First team All-Americans===

An Iowa player has been selected as a Consensus [[All-Americans]] 37 times, with 35 players having been honored as such (two players [[Cal Jones]] and [[Larry Station]] received the honor twice). A total of 17 Hawkeyes have been named as [[unanimous All-American]].

; Consensus All-Americans
{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Name|Position|Year.}}
|- 
| [[Lester Belding]] || [[End (American football)|End]] || [[1919 College Football All-America Team|1919]]
|- 
| [[Aubrey Devine]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || [[1921 College Football All-America Team|1921]] 
|- 
| [[Gordon Locke]] || [[Fullback (gridiron football)|FB]] || [[1922 College Football All-America Team|1922]]
|- 
| [[Nile Kinnick]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || [[1939 College Football All-America Team|1939]] 
|- 
| [[Cal Jones]] || [[Guard (gridiron football)|G]] || [[1954 College Football All-America Team|1954]], [[1955 College Football All-America Team|1955]] 
|- 
| [[Alex Karras]] || [[Defensive tackle|DT]] || [[1957 College Football All-America Team|1957]] 
|- 
| [[Randy Duncan]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || [[1958 College Football All-America Team|1958]] 
|- 
| [[Reggie Roby]] || [[Punter (football)|P]] || [[1981 College Football All-America Team|1981]] 
|- 
| [[Andre Tippett]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[1981 College Football All-America Team|1981]] 
|- 
| [[Larry Station]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[1984 College Football All-America Team|1984]], [[1985 College Football All-America Team|1985]] 
|- 
| [[Chuck Long]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || [[1985 College Football All-America Team|1985]] 
|- 
| [[Marv Cook]] || [[Tight end|TE]] || [[1988 College Football All-America Team|1988]] 
|- 
| [[Leroy Smith (American football)|Leroy Smith]] || [[Defensive end|DE]] || [[1991 College Football All-America Team|1991]] 
|- 
| [[Tim Dwight]] || [[Return specialist|KR]] || [[1997 College Football All-America Team|1997]] 
|- 
| [[Jared DeVries]] || [[Defensive end|DE]] || [[1998 College Football All-America Team|1998]] 
|- 
| [[Dallas Clark]] || [[Tight end|TE]] || [[2002 College Football All-America Team|2002]] 
|- 
| [[Eric Steinbach]] || [[Guard (gridiron football)|G]] || [[2002 College Football All-America Team|2002]] 
|- 
| [[Robert Gallery]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football)|T]] || [[2003 College Football All-America Team|2003]] 
|- 
| [[Nate Kaeding]] || [[Placekicker|PK]] || [[2003 College Football All-America Team|2003]] 
|- 
| [[Shonn Greene]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || [[2008 College Football All-America Team|2008]] 
|- 
| [[Adrian Clayborn]] || [[Defensive end|DE]] || [[2010 College Football All-America Team|2010]] 
|- 
| [[Brandon Scherff]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football)|T]] || [[2014 College Football All-America Team|2014]] 
|- 
| [[Desmond King (American football)|Desmond King]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || [[2015 College Football All-America Team|2015]] 
|- 
| [[Josey Jewell]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[2017 College Football All-America Team|2017]]
|- 
| [[Josh Jackson (cornerback)|Josh Jackson]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || [[2017 College Football All-America Team|2017]] 
|- 
| [[Keith Duncan]] || [[Placekicker|PK]] || [[2019 College Football All-America Team|2019]] 
|- 
| [[Daviyon Nixon]] || [[Defensive tackle|DT]] || [[2020 College Football All-America Team|2020]] 
|- 
| [[Tyler Linderbaum]] || [[Center (gridiron football)|C]] || [[2021 College Football All-America Team|2021]] 
|- 
| [[Jack Campbell (American football)|Jack Campbell]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[2022 College Football All-America Team|2022]]
|- 
| [[Cooper DeJean]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || [[2023 College Football All-America Team|2023]]
|- 
| [[Tory Taylor]] || [[Punter (gridiron football)|P]] || [[2023 College Football All-America Team|2023]]
|- 
| [[Jay Higgins]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[2024 College Football All-America Team|2024]]
|- 
| [[Kaleb Johnson (running back)|Kaleb Johnson]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || [[2024 College Football All-America Team|2024]]
|- 
| [[Logan Jones]] || [[Center (gridiron football)|C]] || [[2025 College Football All-America Team|2025]] 
|- 
| [[Kaden Wetjen]] || [[Return specialist|KR]] || [[2025 College Football All-America Team|2025]] 
|}

; Unanimous All-Americans
{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Name|Position|Year}}
|- 
| [[Randy Duncan]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || [[1958 College Football All-America Team|1958]] 
|- 
| [[Chuck Long]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || [[1985 College Football All-America Team|1985]] 
|- 
| [[Larry Station]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[1985 College Football All-America Team|1985]] 
|- 
| [[Dallas Clark]] || [[Tight end|TE]] || [[2002 College Football All-America Team|2002]] 
|- 
| [[Robert Gallery]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football)|T]] || [[2003 College Football All-America Team|2003]] 
|- 
| [[Shonn Greene]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || [[2008 College Football All-America Team|2008]] 
|- 
| [[Brandon Scherff]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football)|T]] || [[2014 College Football All-America Team|2014]] 
|- 
| [[Desmond King (American football)|Desmond King]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || [[2015 College Football All-America Team|2015]] 
|- 
| [[Josey Jewell]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[2017 College Football All-America Team|2017]]
|- 
| [[Josh Jackson (cornerback)|Josh Jackson]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || [[2017 College Football All-America Team|2017]] 
|- 
| [[Daviyon Nixon]] || [[Defensive tackle|DT]] || [[2020 College Football All-America Team|2020]] 
|- 
| [[Tyler Linderbaum]] || [[Center (gridiron football)|C]] || [[2021 College Football All-America Team|2021]]
|- 
| [[Jack Campbell (American football)|Jack Campbell]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[2022 College Football All-America Team|2022]]
|- 
| [[Cooper DeJean]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || [[2023 College Football All-America Team|2023]]
|- 
| [[Tory Taylor]] || [[Punter (gridiron football)|P]] || [[2023 College Football All-America Team|2023]]
|- 
| [[Jay Higgins]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || [[2024 College Football All-America Team|2024]]
|- 
| [[Logan Jones]] || [[Center (gridiron football)|C]] || [[2025 College Football All-America Team|2025]]
|}

===Kinnick Stadium Wall of Honor===

In 2013, Iowa introduced the Kinnick Stadium Wall of Honor. Players inducted into the Kinnick Wall of Honor have their name and number placed on the Kinnick Stadium Press Box.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Wall of Honor Members
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Name|Position|Number}}
|- 
| [[Duke Slater]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|T]] || 15
|- 
| [[Aubrey Devine]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 1
|- 
| [[Gordon Locke]] || [[Fullback (gridiron football)|FB]] || 1
|- 
| [[Nile Kinnick]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || 24
|- 
| [[Cal Jones]] || [[Guard (gridiron football)|G]] || 62
|- 
| [[Alex Karras]] || [[Defensive tackle|DT]] || 77
|- 
| [[Randy Duncan]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 25
|- 
| [[Chuck Long]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 16
|- 
| [[Larry Station]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || 36
|- 
| [[Andre Tippett]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || 99
|- 
| [[Robert Gallery]] || [[Guard (gridiron football)|G]] || 78
|}

===Individual award winners===

; National College Football Awards Association

The Hawkeyes have won 18 [[National College Football Awards Association|NCFAA]] individual player awards. Iowa also won the 2017 [[Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award]], Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz won the '''[[Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award]]''' in 2015 and Iowa Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker won the '''[[Broyles Award]]''' in 2023 bringing Iowa's total NCFAA awards to 21.

{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Heisman Trophy]]'''
:[[Nile Kinnick]] – [[1939 college football season|1939]]
•'''[[Maxwell Award]]'''
:[[Nile Kinnick]] – [[1939 college football season|1939]]
:[[Chuck Long]] – [[1985 NCAA Division I-A football season|1985]]
•'''[[Davey O'Brien Award]]'''
:[[Chuck Long]] – [[1985 NCAA Division I-A football season|1985]]
:[[Brad Banks]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I-A football season|2002]]
•'''[[Ray Guy Award]]'''
:[[Tory Taylor]] – [[2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2023]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[John Mackey Award]]'''
:[[Dallas Clark]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I-A football season|2002]]
:[[T. J. Hockenson]] – [[2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2018]]
•'''[[Lou Groza Award]]'''
:[[Nate Kaeding]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I-A football season|2002]]
•'''[[Butkus Award]]'''
:[[Jack Campbell (American football)|Jack Campbell]] – [[2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2022]]
•'''[[Doak Walker Award]]'''
:[[Shonn Greene]] – [[2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2008]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Jim Thorpe Award]]'''
:[[Desmond King (American football)|Desmond King]] – [[2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2015]]
•'''[[Outland Trophy]]'''
:[[Cal Jones]] – [[1955 college football season|1955]]
:[[Alex Karras]] – [[1957 college football season|1957]]
:[[Robert Gallery]] – [[2003 NCAA Division I-A football season|2003]]
:[[Brandon Scherff]] – [[2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2014]]
•'''[[Dave Rimington Trophy]]'''
:[[Tyler Linderbaum]] – [[2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2021]]
:[[Logan Jones (American football)|Logan Jones]] – [[2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2025]]
{{col-end}}

; Other Awards
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Associated Press Athlete of the Year|AP Athlete of the Year]]'''
:[[Nile Kinnick]] – [[1939 college football season|1939]]
•'''[[Associated Press College Football Player of the Year|AP Player of the Year]]'''
:[[Brad Banks]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I-A football season|2002]]
•'''[[UPI College Football Lineman of the Year|UPI Lineman of the Year]]'''
:[[Alex Karras]] – [[1957 college football season|1957]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Ozzie Newsome Award]]'''
:[[T. J. Hockenson]] – [[2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2018]]
•'''[[Jack Tatum Trophy]]'''
:[[Desmond King (American football)|Desmond King]] – [[2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2015]]
:[[Josh Jackson (cornerback)|Josh Jackson]] – [[2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2017]]
•'''[[William V. Campbell Trophy]]'''
:[[Jack Campbell (American football)|Jack Campbell]] – [[2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2022]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Jack Lambert Trophy]]'''
:[[Josey Jewell]] – [[2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2017]]
•'''[[Lott IMPACT Trophy]]'''
:[[Josey Jewell]] – [[2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2017]]
•'''[[Touchdown Club of Columbus#Jim Brown Award|Jim Brown Award]]'''
:[[Shonn Greene]] – [[2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2008]]
•'''[[Jet Award]]'''
:[[Kaden Wetjen]] – [[2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2024]]
{{col-end}}

===Coaching award winners===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
•'''[[AFCA Coach of the Year]]'''
:[[Eddie Anderson (American football coach)|Eddie Anderson]] – [[1939 college football season|1939]]
•'''[[AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year]]'''
:[[Ron Aiken]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2002]]
•'''[[AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year]]'''
:[[Norm Parker]] – [[2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2011]]
•'''[[AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year]]'''
:[[Phil Parker]] – [[2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2023]]
•'''[[Broyles Award]]'''
:[[Phil Parker]] – [[2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2023]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award|AP Coach of the Year Award]]'''
:[[Kirk Ferentz]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I-A football season|2002]]
•'''[[Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award]]'''
:[[Kirk Ferentz]] – [[2002 NCAA Division I-A football season|2002]]
•'''[[Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award]]'''
:[[Kirk Ferentz]] – [[2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2015]]
•'''[[Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award]]'''
:[[Kirk Ferentz]] – [[2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2015]]
•'''[[Woody Hayes Trophy]]'''
:[[Kirk Ferentz]] – [[2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2015]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year]]'''
:[[Hayden Fry]] – [[1981 NCAA Division I-A football season|1981]]
•'''[[Amos Alonzo Stagg Award]]'''
:[[Hayden Fry]] – [[2005 NCAA Division I-A football season|2005]]
•'''[[The National Football Foundation Gridiron Club Legends Award]]'''
:[[Hayden Fry]] – [[2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2018]]
{{col-end}}

===Team awards===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Joe Moore Award]]'''
:[[2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]] – [[2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2016]]
:[[2025 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]] – [[2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2025]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award]]'''
:[[2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]] – [[2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2017]]
{{col-3}}
•'''[[Laureus World Sports Awards#Best Sporting Moment|Laureus World Sports Award for Best Sporting Moment]]'''
:[[2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]] – [[2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2018]]<!--Award was presented in 2018.-->
{{col-end}}

==Retired numbers==
{{see also|List of NCAA football retired numbers}}
[[File:Nile Kinnick.jpg|thumb|150px|HB [[Nile Kinnick]], 1939 [[Heisman Trophy]] winner and one of the two numbers retired by Iowa]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=5 style ={{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes|color=white}} | '''Iowa Hawkeyes retired numbers'''
|-
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}; width=40px| No.
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}; width= 150px| Player
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}; width= px| Pos.
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}; width=100px| Tenure
! style = {{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}; width= px| Ref.
|-
| '''24''' || [[Nile Kinnick]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || 1936–1939 || <ref name=iow>[https://www.thegazette.com/sports/just-two-retired-football-numbers-at-iowa-and-thats-ok/ Just two retired football numbers at Iowa, and that’s OK] by Mike Hlas at ''The Gazette'', Nov. 6, 2014</ref>
|-
| '''62''' || [[Cal Jones]] || [[Guard (gridiron football)|G]] || 1952–1955 || <ref name=iow/>
|}

Two numbers have been retired by the Hawkeye football program, [[Nile Kinnick]]'s No. 24 and [[Cal Jones]]' No. 62. Both Kinnick and Jones were [[College Football All-America Team|consensus first team All-Americans]], and both men died in separate plane crashes before their 25th birthday.

Kinnick won the University of Iowa's only [[Heisman Trophy]] in 1939 and is the man for whom [[Kinnick Stadium]] is named.

Jones was the first African-American to win the [[Outland Trophy]] and is one of only two Hawkeyes to be named Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] two times. Jones also finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting, an impressive finish for a lineman.

==Hall of Fame==

===Pro Football Hall of Fame===
{{See also|Pro Football Hall of Fame}}
Five Hawkeyes have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/colleges.aspx |title=Hall of Famers by College – Hall of Famers &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site |website=Profootballhof.com |access-date=2016-07-31}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Player|Position|Inducted|Teams|Ref.}}
|-
| [[Emlen Tunnell]] || [[Defensive back|DB]] || 1967 || [[New York Giants]], [[Green Bay Packers]] || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/emlen-tunnell/|title=Emlen Tunnell &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>
|- 
| [[Paul Krause (American football)|Paul Krause]] || [[Safety (gridiron football position)|S]] || 1998 || [[Minnesota Vikings]], [[Washington Redskins]] || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/paul-krause/|title=Paul Krause &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>
|- 
| [[Andre Tippett]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || 2008 || [[New England Patriots]] || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/andre-tippett/|title=Andre Tippett &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>
|-
| [[Alex Karras]] || [[Defensive tackle|DT]] || 2020 || [[Detroit Lions]] || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/alex-karras/|title=Alex Karras &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>
|-
| [[Duke Slater]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|T]] || 2020 || [[Milwaukee Badgers]], [[Rock Island Independents]], [[Chicago Cardinals]] || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/players/duke-slater/|title=Duke Slater &#124; Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site|website=www.profootballhof.com}}</ref>
|}
[[File:Paul Krause.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|[[Paul Krause (American football)|Paul Krause]], Hall of Fame safety]]
[[File:Tippett2008.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|[[Andre Tippett]], Hall of Fame linebacker]]

===College Football Hall of Fame===
{{See also|College Football Hall of Fame}}
Iowa has 16 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame.<ref name=cfhof>{{Cite web|url=https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx|title=Hall of Fame|website=National Football Foundation}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Name|Position|Tenure|Inducted|Ref.}}
|- 
| [[Howard Jones (American football coach)|Howard Jones]] || Coach || 1916–1923 || 1951 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Duke Slater]] || [[Tackle (gridiron football position)|T]] || 1918–1921 || 1951 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Nile Kinnick]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 1936–1939 || 1951 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Gordon Locke]] || [[Fullback (gridiron football)|FB]] || 1920–1922 || 1960 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Eddie Anderson (American football coach)|Eddie Anderson]] || Coach || 1939–1949 || 1971 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Aubrey Devine]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 1919–1921 || 1973 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Slip Madigan]] || Coach || 1943–1944 || 1974 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Cal Jones]] || [[Guard (American football)|G]] || 1952–1955 || 1980 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Alex Karras]] || [[Defensive tackle|DT]] || 1954–1957 || 1981 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Randy Duncan]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 1956–1958 || 1997 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Chuck Long]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 1981–1985 || 1999 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Forest Evashevski]] || Coach || 1952–1960 || 2000 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Hayden Fry]] || Coach || 1979–1998 || 2003 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Larry Station]] || [[Linebacker|LB]] || 1982–1985 || 2009 || <ref name=cfhof />
|-
| [[Andre Tippett]] || [[Defensive end|DE]] || 1979–1982 || 2021 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcrg.com/2021/01/11/former-hawkeye-football-star-tippett-elected-to-hall-of-fame/|title=Former Hawkeye football star Tippett elected to hall of fame|first=KCRG News|last=Staff|website=www.kcrg.com|date=11 January 2021 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Robert Gallery]] || [[Guard (American football)|G]] || 1999-2003 || 2023 || <ref>{{cite web | url=https://footballfoundation.org/news/2023/1/9/general-nff-announces-star-studded-2023-college-football-hall-of-fame-class.aspx | title=NFF Announces Star-Studded 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class | date=9 January 2023 }}</ref>
|-
|}

===Rose Bowl Hall of Fame===
{{See also|Rose Bowl Hall of Fame}}

The [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]] has inducted four Iowa coaches and players into the Rose Bowl Game Hall of Fame.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tournamentofroses.com/about/rose-bowl-game-history/|title=Rose Bowl Game History}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|- 
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Rose Bowl Game|Name|Position|Tenure|Inducted|Ref.}}
|-
| [[Bump Elliott]] || Assistant coach<br>[[Athletic director]] || 1952–1956<br>1970–1991 || 1989 || <ref name="HS">{{Cite web|url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2010/12/11/rose-bowl-hall-of-fame-bound/|title=Rose Bowl Hall of Fame Bound|date=December 11, 2010|website=University of Iowa Athletics}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bob Jeter]] || [[Halfback (American football)|HB]] || 1956–1959 || 1994 || <ref name="HS" />
|-
| [[Ken Ploen]] || [[Quarterback|QB]] || 1953–1956 || 1997 || <ref name="HS" />
|-
| [[Hayden Fry]] || [[Head coach]] || 1979–1998 || 2010 || <ref name="HS" />
|-
|}

==Iowa and the NFL==

===First round NFL draft picks===
Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every [[NFL draft]] since 1978. Through the [[2020 NFL draft]], Iowa has had 294 draft picks. 254 in the [[National Football League|NFL]], 21 in the [[American Football League|AFL]], and 7 in the [[All-America Football Conference|AAFC]] (the AFC and AAFC both merged with the NFL). and 83 players have gone in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. Iowa has had 26 first-round NFL draft selections:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/Factbook11.pdf |title=University of Iowa Football : 2011 Media Fact Book |website=Grfx.cstv.com |access-date=2016-07-31 |archive-date=2016-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730233017/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/iowa/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2011-12/misc_non_event/Factbook11.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Iowa Hawkeyes|Season|Player|Team|Selection}}
|-
| 1936 || [[Dick Crayne]] || [[Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] || 4th
|- 
| 1958 || [[Alex Karras]] || [[Detroit Lions]] || 10th
|- 
| 1959 || [[Randy Duncan]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 1st
|- 
| 1966 || [[John Niland (football)|John Niland]] || [[Dallas Cowboys]] || 5th
|- 
| 1973 || [[Craig Clemons]] || [[Chicago Bears]] || 12th
|- 
| 1976 || [[Rod Walters]] || [[Kansas City Chiefs]] || 14th
|- 
| 1982 || [[Ron Hallstrom]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 22nd
|- 
| 1984 || [[John Alt]] || [[Kansas City Chiefs]] || 21st
|- 
| 1986 || [[Chuck Long]] || [[Detroit Lions]] || 12th
|- 
| 1986 || [[Ronnie Harmon]] || [[Buffalo Bills]] || 16th
|- 
| 1986 || [[Mike Haight]] || [[New York Jets]] || 22nd
|- 
| 1997 || [[Tom Knight (American football)|Tom Knight]] || [[Arizona Cardinals]] || 9th
|- 
| 1997 || [[Ross Verba]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 30th
|- 
| 2003 || [[Dallas Clark]] || [[Indianapolis Colts]] || 24th
|- 
| 2004 || [[Robert Gallery]] || [[Oakland Raiders]] || 2nd
|- 
| 2006 || [[Chad Greenway]] || [[Minnesota Vikings]] || 17th
|- 
| 2010 || [[Bryan Bulaga]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 23rd
|- 
| 2011 || [[Adrian Clayborn]] || [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] || 20th
|-
| 2012 || [[Riley Reiff]] || [[Detroit Lions]] || 23rd
|-
| 2015 || [[Brandon Scherff]] || [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] || 5th
|-
| 2019 || [[T. J. Hockenson]] || [[Detroit Lions]] || 8th
|-
| 2019 || [[Noah Fant]] || [[Denver Broncos]] || 20th
|-
| 2020 || [[Tristan Wirfs]] || [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] || 13th
|-
| 2022 || [[Tyler Linderbaum]] || [[Baltimore Ravens]] || 25th
|-
| 2023 || [[Lukas Van Ness]] || [[Green Bay Packers]] || 13th
|-
| 2023 || [[Jack Campbell (American football)|Jack Campbell]] || [[Detroit Lions]] || 18th
|}

==Future non-conference opponents==
Announced schedules as of October 23, 2025<ref name="nonconfopp">{{cite web|url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2022/06/28/iowa-announces-updates-to-future-football-schedules/ |title=IOWA ANNOUNCES UPDATES TO FUTURE FOOTBALL SCHEDULES|date=28 June 2022 |publisher=[[Iowa Hawkeyes|University of Iowa Athletics]]|access-date=July 3, 2022}}</ref><!--<ref name="nonconfopp">{{cite web|url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa/iowa/|title=Iowa Hawkeyes Football Schedules and Future Schedules|publisher=fbschedules.com|access-date=October 23, 2025}}</ref>-->

Iowa was originally scheduled to play Florida Atlantic in 2025, but has instead moved the game to 2030.<ref>{{cite web | last=Steppe | first=John | title=Iowa adds 2025 game against Albany, moves Florida Atlantic game to 2030 | website=The Gazette | date=2024-09-30 | url=https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-football/iowa-football-adds-2025-game-against-albany-moves-florida-atlantic-game-to-2030/ | access-date=2025-06-28}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes|border=0|color=white}};"
| '''2026''' 
| '''2027'''
| '''2028'''
| '''2029'''
| '''2030'''
|-
| Sep 5 vs [[Northern Illinois Huskies football|Northern Illinois]]
| Sep 4 vs [[Ball State Cardinals football|Ball State]]
| Sep 16 vs [[Western Michigan Broncos football|Western Michigan]]
| Sep 1 vs [[Northern Iowa Panthers football|Northern Iowa]]
| Aug 31 vs [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|Florida Atlantic]] 
|-
| Sep 12 vs [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]]
| Sep 11 at [[Iowa State Cyclones football|Iowa State]]
| vs TBD
| Sep 15 vs [[Northern Illinois Huskies football|Northern Illinois]]
| vs TBD
|- 
| Sep 19 vs [[Northern Iowa Panthers football|Northern Iowa]]
| Sep 18 vs [[North Dakota Fighting Hawks football|North Dakota]]
| vs TBD
| vs TBD
 |vs TBD
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Additional sources===
*75 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, by Bert McCrane & Dick Lamb (ASIN: B0007E01F8)
*25 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, 1964–1988, by Al Grady (ASIN: B0006ES3GS)
*Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow ({{ISBN|1-57167-178-1}})
*University of Iowa Football, by Chuck Bright ({{ISBN|0-87397-233-3}})
*Black & Gold Memories, by George Wine ({{ISBN|0-615-12398-8}})
*Greatest Moments In Iowa Hawkeyes Football History, by Mark Dukes & Gus Schrader ({{ISBN|1-57243-261-6}})
*Tales From The Iowa Sidelines, by Ron Maly ({{ISBN|1-58261-574-8}})
*Stadium Stories: Iowa Hawkeyes, by Buck Turnbull ({{ISBN|0-7627-3819-7}})

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Iowa Hawkeyes football navbox}}
{{University of Iowa}}
{{Big Ten Conference football navbox}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iowa Hawkeyes Football}}
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football| ]]
[[Category:American football teams established in 1889]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Iowa|Hawkeyes Football]]