History of the Hawkeye Wave: How Iowa's iconic college football tradition began

Tune into this Saturday's game between the Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes , and at the end of the first quarter, you'll witness one of the best traditions in college football . During the Hawkeye Wave, fans in Kinnick Stadium will turn and show support to kids in the nearby children's hospital.

The Hawkeye Wave has quickly become one of the most touching and uplifting traditions the sport has to offer. For just a moment, fans of both teams will come together to give a boost to children battling illness just across the street.

The fact that the Hawkeye Wave will get both sides of the Cy-Hawk Series to come together says a lot about its impact. So, let's look at the origins of this now famous Saturday tradition.

How long has the Hawkeye Wave been happening?

In terms of college football traditions, the "Hawkeye Wave" is still very much in its infancy. In a sport with over a century of history, this particular tradition has only been in existence since 2017.

Following the first quarter of Iowa's 24-3 win over Wyoming , fans in Kinnick Stadium turned and waved at all the children in the hospital's 12th floor window. That heartwarming gesture immediately stuck, and Hawkeye fans have been doing it at every home game since then.

Over the last couple of years, there has been a minor tweak made to the tradition. For the first several years after its inception, the "Hawkeye Wave" was accompanied by the Pat Green song, "Wave on Wave." Since 2022, the Kid Captain for every home game gets to choose the song that accompanies the wave.

How did the Hawkeye Wave begin?

In early 2017, the University of Iowa Health Stead Family Children's Hospital opened just across the street from Kinnick Stadium. Hospital staff and guests immediately noticed that the large windows on the 12th floor provided a direct view down into the stadium.

That 12th floor was aptly nicknamed "The Press Box," and prior to the first game of the 2017 season, one fan shared an interesting idea on Facebook. Hawkeye fan Krista Young suggested that fans in Kinnick Stadium take a minute to wave to the patients during the team's game against the Cowboys.

That idea spread like wildfire on social media, and sure enough, Iowa fans delivered. When the clock hit zero at the end of the first quarter, fans in Kinnick Stadium stood in unison and waved toward the 12th floor of the children's hospital. Just like that, a new college football tradition was created.

Where to watch Iowa State vs. Iowa

Date: Saturday, Sept. 7 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Kinnick Stadium -- Iowa City, Iowa
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+