Iowa's Orange Bowl practice site has no football field

The headline tells the truth, Ruth. It doesn't mean anything, but it's the truth.

While in Miami, Iowa's football team will practice at Division II Barry University. Barry has no football team. It has no football field.

Not to worry. Buccaneer Field, normally used for Barry soccer, works just fine. Most years, an Orange Bowl team is assigned to practice there. Among those who have are Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Michigan and Oklahoma and Iowa.

Cincinnati practiced there before last year's Orange Bowl. The Bearcats lost to Virginia Tech.

Iowa practiced at Barry in the days leading up to the Jan. 2, 2003 Orange Bowl. It lost to USC, 38-17.

But some of the teams that practiced at Barry did go on to win Orange Bowls, so it can be done.

Turning a soccer field into a football field isn't exactly changing a sow's ear into a silk purse. Barry slaps up its lone goal post, chalks some different lines, and voila! Get out the pigskins.

Plus ... it's in Miami. The Bermuda grass won't be brown or full of chewed-up spots.

It isn't as if Georgia Tech will have an upper-hand, facilities-wise. The Yellow Jackets will practice at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. Nova Southeastern has no football team.

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NSU Soccer Complex has been used as an Orange Bowl practice site since 2003.