Does your college town suck? University of Iowa

New to the line up this season: we will be examining the various college towns of Wisconsin’s opponents. We’ll be answering all of the important questions – Is it a state capital? What is the population? Does it have a Culver’s?

Facts:

City: Iowa City, Iowa

Size: 26.14 square miles

Location: 41.66°N 91.53°W

Population: 74,828 (2020)

State Capital? No

Time zone: Central Standard Time

Landmarks: Plum Grove Historical House, Old Capitol Museum, University of Iowa, World’s Largest Wooden Nickel (just outside of Iowa City)

About:

Iowa City…such a creative name for a city in the state of Iowa.

Iowa City was once the capital of the state of Iowa, but then Iowa City lost out to Des Moines, which became the capital in 1857. Iowa City was created in 1839, so that the then governor, Robert Lucas, could move the capitol from Burlington to a more centralized location within the territory.

Iowa City officially became the capital in 1841, once the capitol building was erected (construction was completed in 1842). Iowa City lost out to Des Moines as the capital, again…allow me to repeat that they lost to Des Moines…following an influx of settlers moved to Iowa once the territory became a state in 1846. The citizens felt the state capital should have an even-more centralized location, given its newfound statehood, and the Iowa General Assembly then chose Des Moines as the new capital.

Iowa is a boring place, so it you like corn fields, it’s the place to be. However, if you’re looking to do some “exciting” tourist-ing, just outside of Iowa City is the world’s largest wooden nickel in Johnson County.

The nickel is 16 feet across and is mounted between two telephone poles. It was built in 2006 as a local political protest by Jim Glasgow. It was created as part of a campaign to stop a road paving project…

Because who wants paved roads?

Another historical tourist location is the Plum Grove Historical House, which features what I can only assume is a painting of Vigo the Carpathian’s brother…

Or, as the interwebs tell me, it is Robert Lucas, who was the governor that wanted to move the capital to Iowa City. Either way, I don’t trust it. Keep your babies away from it.

Bars:

Thanks to playia.com, we have a list of the five best places to watch Iowa Hawkeyes football. Now, I personally have no desire to do that, but some people might…

Brothers Bar & Grill, which is located on S. Dubuque St, is the quintessential sports bar, with televisions viewable from any angle and some pizza that can contend with any other in Iowa City.

Bo James, another on the list, offers 32 oz beers...32 ounces. It also has a hard-to-beat game-day menu, with burger baskets for $6.99. Bo James also has an outdoor patio, with televisions to boot.

Finally, Short’s Burgers and Shine is considered one of the best places to get food on the Iowa campus, with beef that comes from local cows and whiskey that is made especially for their establishment. While the seating area is not vast, it is worth the wait and they have multiple televisions, so there should be no fear of missing any of the action.

DC’s and Dublin Underground round out the list, visit the link above to learn more.

Now, most importantly, Iowa City does have one Culver’s and it is open until midnight, so if you happen to leave one of the bars above in time, with a hankering for a concrete mixer, or a cone of the flavor of the day, you’re in luck.

Stadium:

Kinnick Stadium is the home of the Iowa Hawkeye football team. It first opened in 1929 and has a capacity of 69,250, making it the 27^th largest college football stadium.

The playing surface is currently made of synthetic FieldTurf, which was installed in 2009. Given it’s capacity, if Kinnick were filled to the brim, it would be considered the sixth largest city in Iowa.

Prior to reaching the playing field, opposing team first have to suit up in Kinnick’s famous pink locker room. The tradition was started by legendary Iowa coach, Hayden Fry, who believed it would put the opposing team in a passive mood and because he thought some believed that pink was a “sissy color.”

Recent renovations have been done to add pink urinals and pink lockers.

However, my personal favorite thing about Kinnick is the tradition it started in 2017, when the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital finished construction.

The “Iowa Wave” started when Krista Young, a fan of the program posted in an Iowa Facebook group, suggesting that the fans should wave to the kids in the children’s hospital.

Ever since, at the end of the first quarter, everyone in attendance turns and faces the children’s hospital, above the stadium walls and waves to the children, who are battling illness.

I’m not crying… you’re crying…

Since starting the tradition, Iowa is 22-7 at Kinnick Stadium.

Does your college town suck?

Ugh. I love love love their waving tradition, but it is Iowa and it’s filled with Idiots out wandering around.

I have also been to Iowa City before and it was just.... meh.

It sucks.

Again, cannot say this enough, the wave is amazing, but the city sucks.