Kinnick Stadium

Kinnick Stadium is a stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the University of Iowa "Hawkeyes". Kinnick Stadium opened in 1929 and holds 70,585 people. It is named after Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner and the only Heisman winner in school history. It was named Iowa Stadium until 1972, when longtime lobbying by Cedar Rapids Gazette sportswriter Gus Schrader successfully convinced the UI athletic board to change the name.

Related Topics:
Stadium - Iowa City, Iowa - American football - University of Iowa - 1929 - Nile Kinnick - Heisman Trophy - Cedar Rapids

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The stadium is currently undergoing a $90 million renovation, which will include new locker rooms for both the Hawkeyes and the visiting team, a new scoreboard with a new sound system, a complete replacement of the south end zone bleachers, and a new pressbox. The stadium also underwent major renovations in 1956 (expanded from 53,000 seats to 61,160), 1983 (when it was expanded from 61,160 seats to 67,700) and 1990 (when it was expanded to 70,397).

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The playing surface is currently natural grass, although it was AstroTurf from 1972 until grass was reinstalled for the 1989 season. The installation of artificial turf came at the same time that Iowa Stadium was renamed Kinnick Stadium, in honor of the Heisman winner who had perished 29 years earlier.

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Kinnick Stadium is well-known for its pink visitors' locker rooms, a tradition started by former Iowa coach Hayden Fry. Fry had been a psychology major at Baylor University and remained interested in the subject. Believing that pink tends to supress aggressive and hostile behavior, Fry had the visiting locker rooms decorated completely in pink. The pink locker room tradition has been continued with the newly renovated locker rooms, which include everything from pink urinals to pink lockers.

Related Topics:
Hayden Fry - Psychology - Baylor University - Pink

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