Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa QB Accepts Invite To East-West Shrine Bowl

The Iowa Hawkeyes continue to add players to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) scrambles for yards against the Michigan State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) scrambles for yards against the Michigan State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski has accepted invites into not one, but two upcoming bowl games. After a stellar performance in the ReliaQuest Bowl, the fifth-year senior has punched his ticket to another game this season.

Gronowski recently accepted an invite to the first ever American Bowl, but now he's also set to join a few of his teammates in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Playing two games in the span of five days isn't for the weak, and there's no doubt Gronowski's work ethic is unmatched. The all-time winningest QB in college football history is ready to take his career to the next level, and these two bowl games will certainly help his case.

Gronowski Set For East-West Shrine Bowl

As of January 5, Gronowski had accepted his invite into the East-West Shrine Bowl. Not often do players get the chance to play in a pair of these post-season bowl games, but Gronowski is being honored in both this and the American Bowl.

Gronowski thought he ended his career with a bang as he threw for 212 yards with a pair of touchdowns and a fluke interception at the two-yard line. He added 54 rushing yards with a touchdown against a No. 14 Vanderbilt squad that thought they deserved a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

34-27 was the final as Gronowski controlled most of this game against the Commodores. Who knows if he would've been invited to either of those bowl games without his stellar performance in Tampa, but either way he's thrilled that his lengthy collegiate career isn't done just yet.

East-West Shrine Bowl

Gronowski is not the first, and hopefully not the last Hawkeyes player participating in this game on January 27. The East-West Shrine Bowl takes place just five days after he'll be done with the American Bowl in the greater Orlando area.

Iowa's QB will then make the trip to Texas as he joins fellow teammates Kaden Wetjen and Karson Sharar. Sharar made his presence felt on Vanderbilt in the bowl game, and Wetjen has been a force to be reckoned with all season long.

Seeing as there are currently no other Iowa players in the American Bowl, this will be Gronowski's final chance to join a few of his teammates out on the field. He won't see significant playing time in either of these games, but he's still getting his name out there as he hopes this isn't the end of his journey playing football.

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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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