The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are members of the Big Ten Conference. Currently, the school's athletic director is Gary Barta.
The term "Hawkeye" originally appeared in the book The Last of the Mohicans and was later used in its plural form to describe the people of Iowa. The University of Iowa adopted this as the nickname for its athletic teams.
Historically, Iowa has been very successful in wrestling, with 34 team Big Ten championships and 23 team national championships. The Hawkeyes have also won national championships in three other sports: men's gymnastics, football and field hockey. In basketball, Iowa has reached the Final Four on four occasions. The men's team has done this three times, most recently in 1980, while the women's team has done it once, in 1993. The baseball team has reached the College World Series once, in 1972. Iowa's softball team has played in the Women's College World Series on four occasions, most recently in 2001.
Football home games are played at Kinnick Stadium, while basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling events are held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The school's baseball team plays at Duane Banks Field and the softball team plays at Bob Pearl Softball Field.
Read more about Iowa Hawkeyes: Varsity Sports, Pageantry, Athletic Directors, Championship History
Famous quotes containing the word iowa:
“When I was growing up I used to think that the best thing about coming from Des Moines was that it meant you didn’t come from anywhere else in Iowa. By Iowa standards, Des Moines is a mecca of cosmopolitanism, a dynamic hub of wealth and education, where people wear three-piece suits and dark socks, often simultaneously.”
—Bill Bryson (b. 1951)