FROM THE IOWA ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
The nationally-recognized University of Iowa Tigerhawk logo, which has served as the national brand logo for Hawkeye athletics since 1979, will be featured at midfield in Kinnick Stadium when the Hawkeyes open the 2017 season on Sept. 2, against Wyoming.
The playing surface in Kinnick Stadium will feature an Iowa logo for the first time since the conclusion of the 1980 football season, as the Tigerhawk will be installed at midfield when the new FieldTurf is put in place in the coming weeks.
The Tigerhawk logo will be black with gold trim, and will face north to south between the 45-yardlines, so that television cameras will show the logo facing left to right. The Kinnick Stadium playing surface is being replaced this summer as part of the first phase of the Kinnick Edge project, which will see the entire north end zone stands replaced following the 2017 season.
Fans who would like to get a glimpse of the Kinnick Stadium turf removal and installation can watch the live webcam on hawkeyesports.com/swarm17. The webcam is live and will be active throughout the process.
“The passion for the Tigerhawk is amazing. Wherever you go in the state, across the country, or throughout the world, when you wear the logo on your shirt, a friendly ‘GO HAWKS’ shout is inevitable,” said Gary Barta, UI director of athletics. “The current Kinnick Stadium renovation provided an opportunity to add the Tigerhawk to the field. It will provide another great touch to an already iconic stadium.”
The stadium playing surface has not had a University logo since a block “I” adorned the center of the field from 1972 through 1980. Artificial turf was first installed prior to the 1972 season and the block “I”appeared at midfield until a new surface was installed prior to the 1981 season, without a logo at midfield.
With the Tigerhawk at midfield, the north end zone will now feature the familiar IOWA, without the Tigerhawk. The south end zone will continue to display “Hawkeyes” and will not change. The end zone surface will remain black, with the lettering in each end zone in gold featuring the Hawkeye Font of Iowa Athletics. Also in the Hawkeye Font will be the yard line numbers on the east and west side of the field.