Ready for the Boom: Football Season
Game days start with tradition. Two hours before kickoff, the Hawkeye drum line performs in the parking lot northwest of Kinnick Stadium, then joins the band in the Recreation Building for a pregame pep rally. “The Iowa Fight Song,” “On Iowa,” and other familiar tunes fill the entire building, up to the high ceilings and out across the stands. This performance serves two purposes: to boost Hawkeye spirit before the game, and to warm up for pregame and halftime. It’s free, open to all, and the perfect way to get ready for the boom.
PHOTO: JOHN EMIGH
The Hawkeye Marching Band performs its pregame show at the Recreation Center.
PHOTO: John Emigh
PHOTO: John Emigh
PHOTO: JOHN EMIGH
Allie Lensch poses for a photo opp with her tenor drums.
Bowl Tradition
The Hawkeye Marching Band performed in its first bowl game, the Rose Bowl, in 1957— and it was also the band’s first appearance on national television.
When band members perform at a bowl game, it quickly becomes a highlight of their time at Iowa that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. The culmination of months of rehearsing, bowl game performances offer a larger platform for the band to share its talent with the world.
Yet band members don’t just join for the performances; they join for the camaraderie. And once a member, you’re forever part of the Hawkeye Marching Band family.
PHOTO: JOHN EMIGH
PHOTO: Alyssa Skala/hawkeyesports.com
PHOTO: John Emigh
PHOTO: Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com
Dr. Eric Bush conducts the Hawkeye Marching Band after the boom.
PHOTO: John Emigh
PHOTO: John Emigh