August is an Exciting Month
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By Gary Barta
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I have said often that the month of August is an exciting time for me.
Our student-athletes have returned to campus for the start of the fall semester of classes
and our fall sports teams — football, volleyball, soccer, field hockey, and cross country
— are deep into final preparations for the start of their championship seasons.
Kinnick Stadium is getting its final touches, street banners are being hung, fans are
finalizing their plans for FRYfest, and the buzz of excitement and anticipation begins to
fill the air.
Yes, it is great to be a Hawkeye.
This is also a time of year when I am grateful for the support our fans provide our programs. Here's something you're probably not aware of: Did you know that Iowa is one
of only four NCAA Division I programs to have its football team, its women's basketball
team, and its men's basketball team ranked in the Top 25 in game-day attendance?
That's pretty remarkable. When you add to that list the fact that Iowa again ranked No.
1 in attendance in wrestling, you have a tall stack of evidence showing how extraordinary Hawkeye fans are.
It's also likely you didn't know that contributions to the Hawkeyes reached an all-time
high last year with more than $28 million generated for everything from capital projects
like the Iowa Football Operations Center and the new Hoak Family Golf Facility, to annual giving to the National I-Club, premium seating, and scholarship support.
These gifts, which are the generosity of more than 19,000 members of the I-Club, help
pay the expenses associated with scholarships, athletic facilities, team travel, equipment,
medical services, and more for all 24 of our Hawkeye teams.
So, as we get ready to gather at Kinnick Stadium for the Hawkeyes' 2013 season-opener
against Northern Illinois, I want to say thank you on behalf of the more than 200 staff of
the UI Athletics Department, and the more than 650 male and female student-athletes
who wear the black and gold of the Iowa Hawkeyes with pride.
Go Hawks!
