Hawkeye bowl packages off to slow start, no charter flight

The Iowa Hawkeye and Missouri Tigers football programs finally are getting their Music City matchup Dec. 30, four years after COVID in 2020 derailed their first scheduled faceoff — returning the University of Iowa to Nashville just two years after it shut out Kentucky 21-0 in the 2022 Music City Bowl.

That quick return to Tennessee has travel package sales off to a slower start than previous years, according to Duane Jasper, CEO of the Travel Leaders/Destinations Unlimited agency coordinating Hawkeye bowl game packages.

“We believe that is because we were just in Nashville two years ago,” Jasper said, adding, “We are still taking orders and expect that to continue this week and into next week.”

Similar to the Hawkeyes’ Music City appearance two years ago, Destinations Unlimited this year isn’t offering a chartered fan flight — which had become a decades-old tradition until a crew and pilot shortage in 2022 prevented the travel agency from securing a chartered plane.

The chartered flight tradition resumed last year for the Hawkeyes’ third New Year’s Day appearance in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando. But Jasper said Nashville is closer to Iowa — about a nine-hour drive — making a charter flight less imperative for fan turnout.

“Nashville is within driving distance relative to some other bowl games,” he told The Gazette. “And we learned in 2022 that many fans would drive.”

Iowa State packages

For its third trip to Camping World Stadium in Orlando and its first meeting against the No. 15-ranked Miami Hurricanes in the Dec. 28 Pop-Tarts Bowl, Iowa State University on Monday also opted not to charter a plane for fans.

It instead is offering a two-night land package including hotel accommodations, game tickets, and game-day transportation for between $995 and $1,445 per person.

For fans wanting to get their own accommodations in Florida -- including season ticket holders and members of the general public -- Iowa State received a game allotment of 8,000 tickets, costing $55 to $225.

Iowa State’s all-time bowl record is 5-13, with its last win coming in 2020 against the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl. This season, Iowa State tied for first place in the Big 12 and recorded 10 wins for the first time in the program’s 133-year history.

Hawkeye travel options

Although Destinations Unlimited isn’t getting a chartered flight to Nashville this year for Hawkeye fans, it still is offering a three-night air package using a “group air” contract for a block of 20 seats on a commercial flight.

That air package sold out in just a few hours, Jasper said.

“But we can still book flights for fans and have space for all other packages.”

Other package options include a three-night round-trip motor coach deal with accommodations in the Omni Nashville, Hawkeye Huddle access, game day transportation, a game ticket, and souvenirs — costing between $599 for a child to $1,799 for a single adult room.

A three-night hotel package — without travel to and from Tennessee — costs up to $1,599 for a single adult room.

“The number of motor coaches has not yet been determined,” Jasper said. “But we took two in 2022,” when more than 200 Hawkeye fans joined the travel agency’s group.

UI Athletics said it received a 5,000-ticket allotment for this year’s bowl and began accepting ticket orders from everyone — season ticket holders to the general public — on Monday. Although it will take orders all the way up to the eve of game day, the department will start filling orders Dec. 13 based on priority.

“The athletic department will communicate with those requesting tickets early next week,” UI Athletics spokesman Matthew Weitzel said.

The Hawkeyes have won four of their last six bowl games and boast an 18-17-1 all-time record in bowl appearances. Against Missouri, the Hawkeyes are 6-7 all time — although all but one of those games occurred more than a century ago between 1892 and 1910.

The only recent meeting was a 27-24 Iowa victory.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com