In my head Saturday was to go like this: I would wake in the morning completely rested and recovered from a Friday night of pizza and movies. Spend the morning relaxing and then prepare for the long day of tailgating and game watching ahead. The game wouldn’t start until just after the sun had gone down, allowing the stadium lights to shine down onto the field. The temperature would be a perfect high 60s to low 70s and there would be room to move and breathe. In reality, it was at least 90 degrees, the sun was shining down instead of the lights and there was a sea of gold everywhere.

Having to get up at six in the morning and walk to the west side required a Starbucks.  Before heading to the game we went to a friend’s house to tailgate which was a good way to start the day and get even more excited. About 45 minutes before kick-off, a group of friends and I walked to Kinnick. The entire block was filled with food, drinks, and people. So even if you didn’t want to go tailgating you could easily spend the entire morning right outside of Kinnick just trying different food and meeting new people. I think walking to Kinnick was probably one of my favorite parts of the day just because everywhere you looked someone was wearing gold and ready to cheer on the Hawkeyes.

Once we arrived inside the stadium we grabbed some bottles of water, because on a day like yesterday you’ve got to stay hydrated. Then we headed towards the student section. I have never actually stood in the stands at a football game before, in high school I was always on the sidelines cheering. As much as a loved being down on the field watching the game, the atmosphere in the stands was one of the most amazing I have ever experienced. Unlike my prediction we weren’t jammed in, which means there was actually room to breathe and move which made the experience even better. Because I am such a football fan, I had watched YouTube videos of Iowa football game day before so I had a small idea of some of the traditions to expect. My favorite tradition to watch was the tunnel walk while ACDC’s Back in Black was blaring throughout the stadium. As the boys ran out onto the field, I knew it was going to be a good game. With a touchdown within the first few minutes the crowd was becoming even more passionate. The game continued, with more touchdowns and cheers to follow. At halftime we enjoyed watching marching band and the dance team perform while giving our feet a rest before standing for the second half. The game ended with the Hawkeyes winning 31 to 14 which was definitely the cherry on top.

Even if you aren’t a football fan, I highly suggest going to at least a few games a season. Yes it can be hot, and yes it can be long, but the atmosphere is what makes the game so amazing. I had friends that went with me that had no clue about the rules of football and they enjoyed it just as much as I did. I think it should be on everyone’s college bucket list and who doesn’t want to cheer on their fellow hawks?

 

Thanks for reading and Go Hawks!