Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa HC Addresses Bowl Game Opt-Outs

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz discussed who will be playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz runs off the field with his players after becoming the winningest coach in Big Ten history, passing Woody Hayes, with a win over the Massachusetts Minutemen Sept. 13, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz runs off the field with his players after becoming the winningest coach in Big Ten history, passing Woody Hayes, with a win over the Massachusetts Minutemen Sept. 13, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Two years ago, an SEC team won the ReliaQuest Bowl. Last year, a B1G team took it. Now, the Iowa Hawkeyes are in the rubber match against Vanderbilt. With the game taking place on December 31, head coach Kirk Ferentz has plenty of time to get his team prepared for the showdown.

One of the major stories lately with bowl games is either teams opting out entirely, or top players sitting out. That could very well be the case with Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia, but Ferentz issued a blunt assessment as to which Hawkeyes will be playing.

Kirk Ferentz Expect No Iowa Opt-Outs

"Every indication I have right now is our entire roster is ready to roll," Ferentz said. "But that being said we still have a couple of weeks until game time so I'll keep everybody posted. Right now I think our team is really eager to accept this opportunity and I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Ultimately, there aren't a ton of Hawkeyes that are seen as Day 1 draft picks this year. They finished the season 8-4 thanks to a fifth-year QB that has two national championships under his belt. While Mark Gronowski wasn't able to translate that to Iowa, he still put together a solid season and made a case for himself in the draft.

Iowa has a few key defensive players and offensive lineman who may want to stay as fresh as possible as they look to take the next step in their career. According to Ferentz, everyone is good to go now, though he noted that could change in the coming weeks.

Iowa's Quest For Success

Beating Vanderbilt will not be easy, but it would be a huge boost to Iowa as they have a ton of returning players next season. The main aspect is who their QB1 will be, so it'll be interesting to see if that's addressed in Tampa. A few years ago, Heisman winner Jayden Daniels sat for Garrett Nussmeier who became LSU's next man up.

Last year, Michigan defeated Alabama in what many considered an upset. If Iowa gets the job done against Vandy, there's no doubt it will be considered an upset as well. Currently, ESPN Analytics gives the Hawkeyes a 41.5% chance to win. They're four point underdogs, but those lines will change as these teams get closer to bowl time and everyone finds out who's going to be playing.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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