Kinnick Stadium has stood in Iowa City, Iowa, as the home of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team since it opened on October 5, 1929. Originally known as Iowa Stadium, the venue was built in just seven months and could seat 53,000 fans from day one — a remarkable capacity for its era. In 1972, it was renamed in honor of Nile Kinnick, the Iowa halfback who won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and later gave his life serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
After multiple expansions and renovations over the decades, Kinnick Stadium now holds 69,250 spectators, ranking it among the 20 largest university-owned stadiums in the country and seventh largest in the Big Ten Conference. The 2016–2019 north end zone renovation — a project approved by the Iowa Board of Regents at $89.9 million — modernized facilities while slightly reducing overall capacity to its current figure. The playing surface, FieldTurf since 2009, was renamed Duke Slater Field in 2021 to honor the Hawkeyes’ two-time All-American lineman and a founding member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: University of Iowa Hawkeyes
- Location: Iowa City, Iowa
- Opened: October 5, 1929
- Capacity: 69,250
- Conference: Big Ten
- Surface: FieldTurf (Duke Slater Field since 2021)
- Named After: Nile Kinnick, 1939 Heisman Trophy winner
- Notable Record: 55,646 attendance at Crossover at Kinnick women’s basketball game (October 2023)
Kinnick Stadium Gameday Guide (2026 Season)
- Bag policy: Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″, clutch bags up to 4.5″ x 6.5″, or a one-gallon clear plastic bag. No backpacks, purses or handbags.
- Gates open: Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Students enter through Gate B 100 minutes before kickoff. Premium Club doors open two hours before kickoff.
- Parking: Day-of lots at Finkbine Golf Course, Lower Finkbine and Softball are $40 per car and $100 per RV. Hancher, Hawkeye Commuter and Hall of Fame lots are free with a bus shuttle.
- Tailgating: Allowed in UI parking areas. Beer and wine are allowed, hard liquor is not. Grills are allowed in lots but not in parking ramps.
- Payments: Cashless. Concession stands accept only credit or debit cards, and game-day parking accepts credit cards only.
- Re-entry: Patrons may not exit and re-enter Kinnick Stadium, including from Krause Family Plaza and premium areas.
Policies checked against the official team and stadium pages in September 2026. Rules can change game to game, so confirm on the official Iowa football gameday guide and the official football gameday parking page before you go.
Kinnick Stadium Bag Policy (2026)
Iowa lists three bag options for 2026. You can bring a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag that does not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″. You can bring a clutch bag that does not exceed 4.5″ x 6.5″. You can also bring a one-gallon clear plastic bag (Ziploc or similar).
Backpacks, purses and handbags are prohibited. The official pages also list coolers, glass containers, video cameras, umbrellas, personal chairbacks, footballs, noisemakers, weapons of any kind, tobacco of any kind (including e-cigarettes) and animals other than service animals. Blankets and seat cushions without back support are allowed. Medically necessary items are allowed and are subject to inspection, and all bags are searched before entry.
Complimentary bag drop-off is at the Indoor Track Facility. It opens two hours before kickoff and closes one hour after the game ends.
Gates and Entry
Kinnick Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Students can enter through Gate B 100 minutes before kickoff. Premium Club doors open two hours before kickoff.
Patrons are not permitted to exit and re-enter Kinnick Stadium, including through stadium exits from Krause Family Plaza and premium areas. Plan your bag drop, restroom stops and any items in your car before you go through the gate.
Krause Family Plaza opening times are set game by game, and Iowa has announced them in stages. Check the official gameday page for the plaza time for the game you are attending.
Parking at Kinnick Stadium
Game-day parking is cashless, and credit cards are the only accepted form of payment on game day. UI Athletics-managed lots open no more than six hours before kickoff and no earlier than 6:00 a.m.
Day-of parking at the Finkbine Golf Course, Lower Finkbine and Softball lots is $40 for a car and $100 for an RV. Lot 11 and Newton Ramp charge hourly rates. The Hancher, Hawkeye Commuter and Hall of Fame lots are free and served by a bus shuttle. ADA parking is $40 at Hawkeye Ramp and Lot 43N, where the official page notes availability is limited.
Season and single-game passes can be bought until 12:00 p.m. CT the day before each game. Passenger vehicle passes for Lot 3 and Lot 65 are $40 for a single game. RV passes are valid for the Finkbine, Lower Finkbine or Softball lot. Bus parking on Hawkins Drive is $200, with a 10-pass limit. Parking on the night before a home game is limited to RVs only (Lots 43N, 73 and 75S), from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Tailgating Rules
Tailgating takes place in UI parking areas on game days. Beer and wine are allowed. Hard liquor is prohibited, and open containers of any type cannot be carried on public sidewalks or roads leading to campus property.
Liquid propane and charcoal grills are permitted in parking lots when weather permits, but they are prohibited in parking ramps. Each propane device is limited to one 20 lb cylinder, and wood fires are not permitted. Tent owners are asked to follow manufacturer recommendations for set-up, tear down and securing, and they are responsible for any damage caused by their tailgating activities.
Drones and other unmanned or remote-controlled aircraft are prohibited within three miles and up to 3,000 feet above ground level of Kinnick Stadium. According to the official parking page, this Temporary Flight Restriction runs from one hour before each home game starts until one hour after the game ends.
Getting to Kinnick Stadium
Complimentary Cambus service runs continuously from two hours before kickoff, with about one hour of service after the game, from four locations. The free Hancher, Hawkeye Commuter and Hall of Fame lots use the bus shuttle. Complimentary ADA golf cart shuttles run from two hours before kickoff until one hour after the game. The official pages do not list rideshare zones, so check the official gameday page before you go.
Best Seats and Seat Views
Ticket-site seating guides describe the Iowa side as the west sideline and the visitor side as the sunnier side with no cover from sun or rain. Stands on the west side face east, so afternoon shade there is generally better. Those guides place the student section in the southwest part of the stadium, so expect standing and noise there, and a calmer view from the upper deck. The official pages do not publish a seating guide, so confirm your section on your ticket.
Food and Drink
Alcohol is sold inside the stadium until the start of the fourth quarter. Each person can buy a maximum of two alcoholic beverages per transaction. Outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed.
You can bring one factory-sealed water bottle or one empty refillable bottle, less than one gallon. Free hydration stations are at Sections 102 and 120. All concession stands are cashless and accept only credit or debit cards.
Kinnick Stadium Gameday FAQ
What is the bag policy at Kinnick Stadium? Iowa allows clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″, clutch bags up to 4.5″ x 6.5″, and one-gallon clear plastic bags. Backpacks, purses and handbags are prohibited. Medically necessary items are allowed and subject to inspection. Free bag drop-off is at the Indoor Track Facility from two hours before kickoff until one hour after the game.
When do gates open at Kinnick Stadium? Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Students can enter through Gate B 100 minutes before kickoff. Premium Club doors open two hours before kickoff. Patrons may not exit and re-enter the stadium.
Where can I park for a game at Kinnick Stadium? Day-of lots at Finkbine Golf Course, Lower Finkbine and Softball are $40 per car and $100 per RV. The Hancher, Hawkeye Commuter and Hall of Fame lots are free with a bus shuttle. ADA parking is $40 at Hawkeye Ramp and Lot 43N. Parking is cashless, and credit cards are the only accepted payment on game day.
Can you tailgate at Kinnick Stadium? Yes, in UI parking areas. Beer and wine are allowed, but hard liquor is not. LP and charcoal grills are allowed in lots but not in ramps, and each propane device is limited to one 20 lb cylinder. Lots open no more than six hours before kickoff and no earlier than 6:00 a.m.
A Stadium Built on Legacy
Construction on the original Iowa Stadium began on March 6, 1929, with workers laboring around the clock — using horses and mules alongside electric lights at night — to open the venue in time for the fall season. The stadium expanded steadily through the 20th century: south end zone seating was added in 1956 to push capacity to 60,000, the north end zone was enclosed before the 1983 season bringing it to 66,000, and a series of projects between 2004 and 2006 eventually pushed the number past 70,000. The renaming ceremony in 1972 came after a sustained campaign by sportswriter Gus Schrader, cementing the legacy of Kinnick — a war hero and athlete who many Iowans consider the greatest Hawkeye of all time.
A bronze statue of Nile Kinnick stands near the team entrance, and it is a longstanding tradition for Iowa players to touch the helmet on the statue before each home game. The playing field’s renaming to Duke Slater Field added another layer of historical recognition, honoring a Black pioneer who earned All-American honors in 1920 and 1921 at a time when such recognition was rarely extended across racial lines.
Traditions That Define Game Day
Two traditions make Kinnick Stadium unlike almost any other venue in college football. The first is the pink visitors’ locker room — a psychological ploy introduced by head coach Hayden Fry before the 1979 season. A psychology graduate from Baylor University, Fry believed the color pink had a calming, passive effect on opponents. The room grew more elaborate with the 2004 renovation, adding pink lockers, toilets, and showers. Michigan’s legendary coach Bo Schembechler reportedly had his staff bring paper to cover the walls rather than subject his players to the décor.
The second — and far more celebrated — tradition is the Hawkeye Wave. When the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital opened across the street in early 2017 with windows overlooking the stadium, a fan named Krista Young proposed on Facebook that the crowd wave to young patients at the end of the first quarter. On September 2, 2017, nearly 70,000 fans stood and waved for the first time, creating an emotional ritual that has since spread nationwide. Players, coaches, and visiting fans now all join in each home game, making it one of the most universally praised traditions in all of American sport.
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Kinnick Stadium FAQs
Why is Kinnick Stadium named after Nile Kinnick?
The stadium was renamed in 1972 to honor Nile Kinnick, the University of Iowa halfback who won the 1939 Heisman Trophy — the first Hawkeye to do so — and who died in 1943 while serving as a Navy pilot during World War II. The renaming came after a years-long campaign by Iowa sportswriter Gus Schrader.
What is the Hawkeye Wave at Kinnick Stadium?
At the end of the first quarter of every home game, fans, players, and coaches turn and wave toward the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which overlooks the stadium. The tradition started spontaneously on September 2, 2017, after a fan suggested it on social media, and it has become one of the most beloved rituals in college football.
Why is the visitors’ locker room at Kinnick Stadium painted pink?
Iowa head coach Hayden Fry had the visitors’ locker room painted pink before the 1979 season based on his belief — rooted in his psychology studies at Baylor — that the color induces a calm, passive state in opponents. The pink theme was expanded during 2004 renovations to include pink lockers, showers, and fixtures.
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Photo: Count_de_Des_Moines (talk) (Uploads) / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.