Athletic Programs
- Our student-athletes succeed in the game and in the classroom.
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In the Game
The success of the Hawkeyes, Cyclones, and Panthers is a source of great excitement and pride for Iowans and alumni of our universities, and the 2009-2010 athletic seasons provided many reasons to be proud.
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Cyclone Football
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In October 2009, the Iowa State Cyclones football team, under first-year coach Paul Rhoads, celebrated a major road win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Cyclones’ first win at Nebraska since 1977. The team earned a spot in the post-season Insight Bowl in Tempe, Arizona, where they defeated the University of Minnesota 14-13. |
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Lisa Koll
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For the ISU women, the basketball and volleyball teams each reached the Sweet 16 in their respective NCAA tournaments, and the track and field team finished in the top 10 in both the NCAA indoor and outdoor track and field championships – this included three individual championships for ISU’s Lisa Koll. |
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UI Orange Bowl Victory
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In January 2010, the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, led by Coach Kirk Ferentz, took its 11-2 season record and national ranking to the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami and soundly defeated Georgia Tech 24-14. |
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UI senior Brent Metcalf, one of three Hawkeyes to win NCAA individual titles at the 2010 NCAA championships
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In March 2010, the Hawkeye wrestling team won its third-straight national team title at the NCAA championships in Omaha, scoring the tenth highest point total in NCAA history. This is Hawkeye wrestling’s 23rd NCAA team title. |
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UI Women’s Volleyball Team
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For the University of Iowa women, the UI tennis team and members of the UI track and field team qualified for their respective NCAA championships, and the volleyball team matched the best start in its history and ranked 23rd nationally in home attendance. |
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UNI vs. Michigan State in NCAA Sweet 16
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In March 2010, the University of Northern Iowa Panthers men’s basketball team took its 27 – 4 season record to the NCAA Tournament, where the team drew national attention with a stunning defeat of the University of Kansas, the number one tournament seed, to advance to the Sweet 16 in men’s college basketball. |
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UNI Women’s Basketball
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The UNI women’s basketball and volleyball teams also celebrated winning seasons and participated in their respective NCAA tournaments. |
In the Classroom
Beyond our successes in the game, our student-athletes are students first. In FY 2010, Iowa’s Public Universities reported strong student-athlete graduation rates.
| University |
Student-Athlete Graduation Rate |
Noteworthy Fact |
| University of Iowa |
70% |
Increase of 2% over previous year |
| Iowa State University |
79% |
7th highest nationally among
BCS schools |
| University of Northern Iowa |
75% |
100% graduation rate for
women’s volleyball |
The universities’ strong showings reflect the commitment of the student-athletes, as well as institutional commitments to support programs that promote academic success for all student-athletes.
Behind the Scenes
Uncertainty accompanied the realignments of the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences in the spring of 2010, particularly with respect to the Big 12 Conference. With the possibility of multiple Big 12 schools being invited to join a super-sized Pac-10 Conference, the future of the Big 12 Conference was at stake.
However, thanks to the leadership of ISU President Greg Geoffroy and Athletics Director Jamie Pollard, and their skillful negotiations with the leadership of other Big 12 universities, the conference was preserved, and the University’s membership in the conference was maintained, providing a bright future for ISU athletics programs.
Flying Hippo