Sept. 4, 2004
Gazing at early construction photos of Kinnick Stadium, it’s hard to envision the swarms of contemporary Hawkeye football fans milling outside the wrought-iron gates on game days, not to mention the swarm of University of Iowa student athletes taking the field inside. Vacant space surrounds the site. UI Hospitals and Clinics and its familiar Boyd Tower landmark look tiny, even distant, in the background. Such early images are almost unfathomable today. Missing are the mammoth parking garages, the water tower, and the numerous hospital pavilions which now crowd the adjacent stadium. The home of Hawkeye football is celebrating its 75th anniversary this fall. While Kinnick’s surroundings have changed significantly over the decades, some things have remained the same: the athletic facility’s looming brick and stone exterior and telltale arches, the east and west stands that dip 30 feet into a former ravine and rise 45 feet above ground level, and the reverence with which Hawkeye fans–including many UI employees–hold the stadium. Click HERE for the full story.