It is the 95th birthday today for this monumental site! After a $497,151.42 construction cost, the famed Hawkeye football field was completed on October 5, 1929, and given the name Iowa Stadium. However, Iowa’s famous home field is now referred to as Kinnick Stadium. On its opening day, Iowa faced Monmouth College at home and won 46-0. Today, the stadium is considered the 28th largest college-owned stadium in the U.S. Does the seating capacity contribute to its 28th position? Let’s find out.

It had a capacity of roughly 53,000 spectators at first. Following multiple repairs and reconstructions, today Kinnick Stadium is the seventh-ranked Big Ten stadium with a maximum capacity of 69,250. And it offers several seating choices like club seats, end-zone seats, and premium seats.  The North and South end-zones have a history behind them, they also provide excellent views of the videoboards above the stands. History! Yes.

According to Larry McConahay, a Boy Scout leader, “There was a cemetery on the north end of the stadium. That’s where they would take the horses and the mules that got worked to death. They buried horses and mules in the north end zone.” That is some ominous info, but again doesn’t stop the seats from selling like hotcakes. But why is its name Kinnick? Has the question crossed your mind?

Okay, the stadium gained notoriety in the 1970s when a campaign to honor Nile Kinnick, Iowa’s most well-known football player, got underway. Apart from his impressive feats on the gridiron, Kinnick’s reputation was irrevocably established when, in June 1943, a plane malfunction claimed his life during World War II. In addition, the stadium is home to another startling fact. Through the Kinnick Edge project, a $89 million stadium investment made for the 2019 season created today’s mesmerizing ambiance. Let’s figure out other facilities of this captivating atmosphere at Kinnick Stadium. 

Kinnick Stadium’s stunning facts 

In addition to comfy seats, the stadium offers amenities like FieldTurf, an HD ribbon display, a snack area, a press box, locker rooms, media facilities, a parking lot, and more. According to UI officials, the majority of home games in Iowa were sold out, including 72 of the 107 games played over the previous 17 seasons. Iowa’s record of 36 straight home games was snapped in the 2008 season finale. With 68,043 home attendance on average in 2018, Iowa ranked twenty-first in the United States.

However, on Hawkeyes game days, the stadium has not only seen sizable crowds in the past but also in the present. Most recently, on September 7, 2024, the stadium saw a sizable crowd when Iowa defeated Iowa State 20–19. The stadium will see a crowd again on October 26, 2024, when Iowa plays Northwestern. If you plan to witness that historic day, you must visit Kinnick Stadium to experience the crowd. What’s going on in your mind? Let’s pack!