'The ones we play for': Iowa keeps 'wave' for young patients

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Home football games for the University of Iowa won't have the same roar and buzz this season because the usual 69,000 fans won't be there. One beloved tradition will go on uninterrupted.

At the end of the first quarter at the home opener Saturday against Northwestern, players and coaches from both teams will turn to the nearby Stead Family Children’s Hospital and wave, just as they've done every home game since 2017.

“One of the best, if not the best, traditions in college football (is) showing our appreciation and support and love for those families, children, and those health care providers at the children’s hospital,” said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald. "The wave is something I personally look forward to, and I know our players will when we get there. It’s a great tradition in Big Ten sports and in college football.”

There’s plenty of buildup for the first wave of the season, though it won’t look quite the same.

Fans customarily participate along with everyone on the field, but this year the Big Ten has barred the general public from stadiums because of the COVID-19 pandemic, though families of players and staff can attend.

The hospital isn't allowing group gatherings, so patients and their families can't congregate on game days in the “press box,” the event space on the top floor that overlooks the Kinnick Stadium.

“We’ve really had to re-imagine what the tailgate party will look like,” said Emily Baxter, the hospital's child life programming specialist.

Though patients will stay in their rooms and watch the game on television, Baxter and other members of the hospital staff are making sure game days are just as memorable as in years past. Each patient will receive his or her own tailgate bag filled with an...