Iowa Hawkeyes football The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City , Iowa . The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900 , and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) . Beginning in 2011 , Iowa will compete in the Big Ten ' s Legends Division . History . Football was first played as a club sport at Iowa in 1872 , with intramural games against other colleges played as early as 1882 , but it was not until 1889 that the University of Iowa first officially recognized a varsity football team . In 1899 , Iowa completed its first undefeated football season , which led to an invitation to join the Western Conference , now known as the Big Ten Conference , the following year . In 1900 , the Hawkeyes secured another undefeated season and won a share of the Western Conference title in their first year in the league . Iowa claimed consecutive Big Ten titles in 1921 and 1922 . The Hawkeyes won 20 straight games in the early 1920s under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Howard Jones . Jones soon left Iowa and established a powerhouse at Southern California , and the Hawkeyes were abysmal for most of the 1930s . As a result , little was expected of Iowa ’ s 1939 team , led by new coach Eddie Anderson . Nicknamed the “ Ironmen ” , the 1939 Hawkeyes scored several upset victories and vaulted into the national rankings . Though Iowa fell a game short of the Big Ten title , team MVP Nile Kinnick won almost every major national award , including the 1939 Heisman Trophy . Forest Evashevski was hired as Iowa ’ s head coach in 1952 . He lured Calvin Jones to Iowa , where Jones became the first Hawkeye – and the first African - American – to win the Outland Trophy in 1955 . From 1956 to 1960 , Evashevski led Iowa to four finishes in the top five of the national rankings , three Big Ten Conference titles , two Rose Bowl victories , and the 1958 FWAA national championship . After the 1960 season , Evashevski left coaching to become Iowa ’ s athletic director . The result was nineteen consecutive non - winning seasons for the Hawkeyes from 1962 to 1980 . Four head coaches after Evashevski were hired and left without success . Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry was hired after the 1978 season to try to reverse Iowa ’ s fortunes . After decades of losing , Fry revived the Iowa program . In 20 years at Iowa , he led the Hawks to 14 bowl games , three Big Ten titles , and three Rose Bowl appearances . Fry retired in 1998 , turning the program over to former assistant Kirk Ferentz . Ferentz led Iowa to three consecutive top ten finishes from 2002 to 2004 and two Big Ten titles . The Hawkeyes have played in eight bowl games in the past nine seasons and in 22 bowl games over the last 29 seasons . Iowa has cracked the top 25 at the end of the season five times during the Kirk Ferentz era - No . 8 in 2002 – 04 , No . 20 in 2008 , and No . 7 in 2009 . Iowa will begin its 122nd season of football , and its 111th season in the Big Ten , in 2010 . Notable seasons . Season records . The Hawkeyes began playing football as a club sport in 1872 , and began playing intramural games against other colleges in 1882 , but it was not until 1889 when Iowa challenged Grinnell College to an interscholastic varsity football game . Since then , the Hawkeyes have played over 1 , 000 games , including 24 bowl game s . Current team . The 2010 season began with Iowa in the top ten in the national rankings . Despite a non - conference road loss to Arizona and a 31 - 30 defeat by Wisconsin , the Hawkeyes were in Big Ten title contention until November . Iowa began the season with a 7 - 2 record , highlighted by a 37 - 6 victory over previously unbeaten and # 5 ranked Michigan State . But the Hawkeyes faded down the stretch , losing their last three games and dropping out of the national rankings . Iowa completed the 2010 regular season with a 7 - 5 record and are bowl eligible for the tenth straight season . The Hawkeyes defeated the Missouri Tigers 27 - 24 in the 2010 Insight Bowl on December 28 in Tempe , AZ . National championships . Iowa finished the 1958 regular season ranked # 2 in the AP poll , behind 11 – 0 LSU , although that vote was taken before the bowl games . Iowa convincingly won the 1959 Rose Bowl , 38 – 12 , setting or tying six Rose Bowl records . The Football Writers Association of America , arguably the most prestigious organization at the time to vote on a national champion after the bowls were played , gave their national championship trophy , the Grantland Rice Award , to Iowa . Conference championships . Iowa has won 12 major conference championships in school history . Iowa was a member of the Western Interstate University Football Association prior to joining the Western Conference , now known as the Big Ten , in 1900 . Iowa currently claims 11 Big Ten Conference championships : Appearances in the final Associated Press Poll . Iowa has made 284 appearances in the Associated Press poll over 36 seasons , including 112 weeks in the top 10 . Iowa has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season 21 times : Bowl games . Iowa has appeared in 25 bowl games , including 23 bowl games the past 30 seasons . In bowl games , Iowa has a 14 - 10 - 1 record : Individual honors . Over the course of the team ' s history , individual Hawkeye players of exceptional ability have received many accolades . Iowa has had several players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame , College Football Hall of Fame , Canadian Football Hall of Fame , and Iowa Sports Hall of Fame . Individual Hawkeyes have won many prestigious national awards , including the Outland Trophy , the Davey O ' Brien Award , Doak Walker Award , and the Heisman Trophy . 92 Hawkeyes have been named a first - team or second - team All - American , and 22 have been named consensus first - team All - Americans . The Iowa Hawkeyes have had ten players win the Big Ten Most Valuable Player Award , and 219 Hawks have earned All - Big Ten recognition . Iowa has had 229 NFL draft picks , and several former Hawkeye players have gone on to become NFL head coaches or Division I college head coaches . Only two numbers have ever been retired by the Hawkeye football program , Nile Kinnick ' s # 24 and Cal Jones ' # 62 . Kinnick won the University of Iowa ' s only Heisman Trophy in 1939 , while Jones was the first African - American to win the Outland Trophy in 1955 . Kinnick Stadium . Kinnick Stadium , formerly known as Iowa Stadium , is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City , Iowa . It opened as Iowa Stadium in 1929 ; prior to that time , Iowa played its home games at Iowa Field . Iowa Stadium was renamed " Kinnick Stadium " in 1972 in honor of Nile Kinnick , the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner and the only Heisman winner in university history , who died in service during World War II . It currently holds up to 70 , 585 people , making it the 27th largest college football stadium in America and the 86th largest sports stadium in the world . Traditions . Trophy games . The Hawkeyes play three annual rivalry trophy games . By far , Iowa ' s oldest rivalry trophy is Floyd of Rosedale , which has been awarded to the winner of the Iowa - Minnesota game every season since 1935 . Iowa plays Iowa State for the Cy - Hawk Trophy , which was created when the Iowa - Iowa State series resumed in 1977 . Iowa has played Wisconsin for the Heartland Trophy since 2004 . Starting in 2011 , the Hawkeyes and Badgers will no longer compete every year since they are in opposite divisions . Iowa ' s new top rival is the Nebraska Cornhuskers . While the matchup has no trophy named yet , these two teams will compete in the final regular - season game each season on the Friday after Thanksgiving . Songs . Iowa ' s official fight song is the Iowa Fight Song which is sung by the marching band and the fans . Iowa ' s school song is On Iowa . Iowa also plays a third fight song , entitled Roll Along Iowa . After victories the band plays " In Heaven There Is No Beer " . Mascot . Iowa ' s mascot is Herky the Hawk , a black and gold caricature of a Hawk . Herky was created as a cartoon in 1948 , and first appeared at a sporting event in 1959 . Hawkeye Marching Band . Originally founded in 1881 , the Hawkeye Marching Band now performs at all Iowa Hawkeye home football games . The band also travels with the team to usually one away game per year and any post - season bowl games . Logos and uniforms . In 1979 , Hayden Fry helped to create the Tigerhawk , the logo seen on Iowa ' s football helmets . Since both teams shared the colors of black and gold , Fry gained permission from the Pittsburgh Steelers , the dominant NFL program of the 1970s , to overhaul Iowa ’ s uniforms in the Steelers ’ image . Fry ' s idea was that if the team were going to act like winners , they first needed to dress like winners . Fry had originally asked Steelers Defensive Tackle " Mean " Joe Greene for a replica helmet and home jersey ; Greene was able to send Fry to one of the team owners , and three days later , the owners sent Fry reproduction copies of the home and away uniform of Steeler Quarterback Terry Bradshaw , making Iowa one of only a few schools to use the uniform scheme of an NFL team . Although the uniforms appear the same , there are subtle differences , mainly in the scheme of the white away jerseys , the Steeler jerseys have the players names in yellow , while the Hawkeyes use black . The Hawkeyes have twice removed the Tigerhawks , and the single gold stripe from their game helmets as a symbolic gesture of mourning . The first instance was on November 2 , 1991 , in recognition of the six victims of a fatal campus shooting . The second occasion was for a December 29 , 1996 , appearance in the Alamo Bowl . It served to commemorate the family of linebacker Mark Mitchell , who were involved in a fatal vehicle accident while en route to the game . The accident resulted in the death of Mitchell ' s mother and severe injuries to his father and two brothers . Both games resulted in Iowa victories . Hayden Fry introduced " the swarm " upon his arrival at Iowa in 1979 . When entering Kinnick Stadium , players jog slowly onto the field , hands locked and with the captains in front . It is designed to show the team ' s unity as they take the field as a group . The Hawkeye team is led onto the field by four giant black and gold flags , spelling I - O - W - A . Each flag then moves to the four corners of the field . After every Hawkeye touchdown , fans in the four corners of the field , initially aided by the flags , spell out I - O - W - A . After every Hawkeye victory , the Hawkeye Marching Band plays the Hawkeye Victory Polka , the band ' s adaptation of the polka song , " In Heaven There Is No Beer " . Many Hawkeye fans sing along as well . After losses , only the Iowa Fight Song is played . Before the Hawkeyes enter the field , the stadium plays " Back in Black " by AC / DC and the video board shows the Hawkeye football players walking from the locker room to the field entrance . The Hawkeyes enter the field to the song Enter Sandman by Metallica . The big screen shows Iowa ' s equipment semi running into the opposing team ' s logo as the Hawks swarm onto the field . The Hawkeye Marching Band will perform the Imperial March after the defense forces a 4th down , while the fans clap in an up and down motion , imitating the beak of a Hawk chomping . When the defense on the field during 3rd down , The beginning of AC / DC ' s Hell ' s Bells is played to incite a reaction from the fans .