Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning is impressed with Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium and didn’t hold back on the challenge of one of the Big Ten’s toughest road environments.
While he acknowledged the stadium’s intensity and the unique atmosphere created by the Hawkeyes’ fans and traditions – Lanning also highlighted the personal significance of the upcoming game. With Iowa City just a few hours from his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, Lanning expects to have friends and family in the crowd.
What Lanning Said About Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium is well-known for the “Wave to Children” tradition. At the end of the first quarter, fans turn to wave to children at the adjacent Children’s Hospital. It’s a nationally recognized and heartwarming ritual that adds an emotional layer to the game-day experience.
“It’s gotta be one of the greatest traditions in college football. To realize that just a few yards away from you there’s some guys fighting a battle that matters a lot more than the game. But for a Saturday every week that they get to maybe be somewhere else other than that hospital is a pretty cool moment,” Lanning said.
Iowa also has pink locker rooms as another nod to the nearby University of Iowa Children’s Hospital…