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Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa Sells Out Season Opener to Start One of Its Strongest Home Schedules in Years

In line with regularly high attendance at Kinnick Stadium, the Iowa Hawkeyes' season-opener against Northern Illinois is officially sold out.
Jennifer Streeter|
Iowa Hawkeyes fans cheer during a football game against the Indiana Hoosiers Sept. 27, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa Hawkeyes fans cheer during a football game against the Indiana Hoosiers Sept. 27, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes have officially sold out the team’s season-opener against Northern Illinois.

The sellout comes as the Huskies will be making their first visit to Kinnick Stadium since 2018. In addition to this development, Iowa’s first four home contests of 2026 are also sold out — Northern Illinois (Sept. 5), Iowa State (Sept. 12), UNI (Sept. 19) and Ohio State (Oct. 3).

Tickets reportedly remain available for home games against Wisconsin (Oct. 31; Homecoming), Purdue (Nov. 14), and Nebraska (Nov. 27).

Aside from the UI Athletics Ticket Office, Hawkeyes fans are encouraged to use SeatGeek — which is the official fan-to-fan marketplace of Hawkeye Athletics.

The Hawkeyes have sold out 28 consecutive games inside Kinnick Stadium, which dates back to the start of the 2022 season.

A Brief History of Kinnick Stadium

Kinnick Stadium is currently the 28th largest college owned stadium in the nation with a capacity of 69,250. A $89 million project called the "Kinnick Edge Project" was completed prior to the 2019 season and provided enhancements to the north end zone of Kinnick Stadium.

The latest upgrade included over 1,600 indoor and outdoor club seats as part of an entirely new north end zone. And they sold out, too.

Iowa Hawkeyes, Kinnick Stadium
Fans watch a military flyover during the National Anthem before kickoff between Iowa football and Michigan State Nov. 22, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Iowa routinely draws sellout crowds for a majority of all home games, including 74 of the last 113 games over the last 18 seasons (though, this does not include 2020 due to pandemic). The Hawkeyes at one time had a sellout streak of 36 straight games snapped in its 2008 home finale.

Overall, the Hawkeyes also ranked No. 20 in home attendance in 2019 with its average of 65,557, and additionally annually ranks among the top 25 schools in the nation in home attendance.

This development is in line with the Big Ten Conference, which annually ranks around either first or second nationally in home attendance.

Kinnick Stadium was originally constructed to be a 53,000-seat stadium; original construction was completed in 1929.

Per a recent report, the 2025 final average attendance for Iowa was 69,250. The numbers will bulk up with everyone jammed in for Iowa State in Week 2, Northern Iowa to follow, and Ohio State to open up the Big Ten season in what should be a blast of a home slate.

Wisconsin, Purdue, and Nebraska come to Iowa City over the second half of the season.

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Jennifer Streeter
JENNIFER STREETER

Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered everything from the 2025 Hughes Bowl, SEC football, Ivy League athletics, the 2023 ALCS and the 2023 World Series, the WNBA, and much more.

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