Iowa will open 2 spring football practices to fans

IOWA CITY — Iowa football announced Thursday it will host two practices open to fans this spring at Kinnick Stadium.

Fans will have the opportunity to attend free open practices at 9:30 a.m. on April 17 and May 1, weather permitting. The limit of 50 percent capacity at the stadium still is in place, and fans will be required to wear masks.

In addition, Iowa will bring back the annual FryFest on Sept. 3, the day before the football season-opener against Indiana, where the National Iowa Varsity Club will celebrate its 2021 Hall of Fame Class.

Home game themes also were announced on Thursday. The Sept. 4 opener will be First Responders' Day. The Sept. 18 game against Kent State will be the Gold Game, where fans are encouraged to wear gold. It also will be the Extra Yard for Teachers Day to celebrate teachers from around the state.

Family Weekend is Sept. 25 against Colorado State, where Iowa will host local bands in its Band Jam event at halftime. The America Needs Farmers game will be Oct. 9 against Penn State, where fans will wear black or gold depending on their seat. Iowa's homecoming game will be against Purdue on Oct. 16, and the Nov. 13 game against Minnesota will honor military.

Senior Day will be the final home game on Nov. 20 against Illinois.

Start times for the first three home games will be released later this spring, while others will be announced 12 days in advance of each game.

There still is no definitive answer to capacity at Kinnick this fall. Right now, Iowa's spring sports allow fans at 50 percent capacity.

'It's not going to be determined solely by me, but I'm going to push for as long as the pandemic continues to subside and the vaccines go up, I'm certainly hoping for a full Kinnick Stadium,' athletics director Gary Barta said in a meeting on Thursday. 'I could envision of either a mandatory or a lot of masks being worn, but I hope it's full or mostly full.'

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