Iowa Announces New Brand Partnership on Kinnick Stadium

The Iowa Hawkeyes have made continual advancements on the field in what has been one of the team's more promising teams, at least by the campaign's general midway point, in recent memory. At 5-2 (3-1) with an upcoming chance against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Iowa City to break the current five-way tie that binds both teams to fourth place in the B1G, the 2025 Hawkeyes are vying for a tangible sense of conference relevance that they haven't seen in far too long.

Now, off the field, the program is working to make equal progress, both for the football team specifically, as well as for the university on the whole.

Breaking New Ground on the Gridiron

In announcing their extensive partnership with the John Deere corporation, Iowa Athletics has revealed that the company's logo will be present on the 25-yard line at Kinnick Stadium going forward. In an era of NIL in college athletics, corporate insignias are likely to become much more common in multiple facets of the game; presentation, advertisement and merchandise are likely representatives, just to name a few.

As controversial as this new frontier for the NCAA is, especially in the eyes of traditional coaches and disgruntled fans, it's hard not to see this specific partnership in a positive light. Hawkeye Football announced the agreement on X (Twitter) ahead of their matchup with Minnesota this weekend:

Kinnick Stadium 🤝 John Deere pic.twitter.com/I7CB9AsxBU
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 23, 2025

An Expanded Partnership

In addition to the deer emblem itself now being visible on the field, Iowa and John Deere's partnership goes well beyond the cosmetic implementation. The agreement will reportedly contribute scholarships, internships and research opportunities, among much else, to benefit the university and all else involved.

“We are incredibly grateful for John Deere’s continued support of the University of Iowa and our athletics program,” said Iowa Athletics Director Beth Goetz. “This partnership brings together two national brands with deep roots in the state of Iowa. We are excited to build on that momentum and look forward to a long-term relationship.”

Gabe Aguirre, Vice President and General Manager of Hawkeye Sports Properties, also chimed in, saying, “We are excited to highlight an iconic brand that is the perfect fit for Iowa Athletics and proudly display the John Deere logo on the field at home football games and other events at Kinnick Stadium."

As the Hawkeyes prepare for a chance to fully break through on their football season in the coming weeks, announcements like these serve as nice reminders that, one way or another, the program continues to move forward.

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