Iowa Looking To Change Culture With New Postgame Tradition

First year Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum is doing everything in his power to have Iowa become a "basketball school."

The girls program has been stellar for years now, but they still haven't been able to win a National Championship. Second year head coach Jan Jensen is looking to make that happen sooner rather than later, but it's interesting to see two brand new coaches compared to football.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz has held down Iowa's program since 1999, a stellar feat, to say the least. With so much new blood leading the charge for the basketball teams, McCollum brought over a postgame tradition from Drake that he believes is step one to turning things around.

Nov 18, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum greets fans after the game against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa's Postgame Fan Interactions

It may not seem like much, but McCollum has gone out of his way to interact with the fans after every home game. This is something he did at Drake along with a few of the star players that he brought over.

After seeing a few of the guys do it, everyone has bought in. McCollum and company love to stick around after the game and give fans high fives, fist bumps, or whatever it is to put a smile on their face. Ultimately, it's just a simple way to say thank you.

"It’s a cold day. Obviously it’s not a Big Ten opponent. And so, we do want to make sure that we show our level of appreciation. Part of it, too, is if you can kind of brighten their days. People get excited to meet the Hawkeyes. Like, they’re excited. The kids are excited. And so, you make a little bit of difference in those kids' lives just by going around and shaking hands," McCollum said, per the Des Moines Register's Tyler Tachman.

Hawkeyes Players Discuss The New Tradition

Checking in at No. 25 pic.twitter.com/dTpv60uGzC
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) December 15, 2025

Junior Cam Manyawu mentioned, "These guys are coming out and supporting us and they don’t really have to. So it’s just kind of nice to have people out here and continue to build and grow these crowds and get a nice atmosphere at Carver."

“It’s difficult to go on the road and play anytime. So if we can pack Carver, we’re going to continue to show love to everyone. We really appreciate everyone coming to these games, even when it’s really that cold outside. It might not be who people want to see us play but it’s huge when people come and support," Brendan Hauser added.

Cooper Koch chimed in, "It’s a lot of fun. It’s something new for me this year, so it’s kind of cool to be a bit more engaging with the fans and hopefully bring as many as we can to Carver.”

Sitting at 9-2, Iowa has a pair of non-conference home games to end the year. Come January 3, they'll host UCLA as B1G action begins to take center stage.

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