Review of Kinnick Stadium Experience
I have always appreciated users giving a review of visiting a foreign stadium. I visited Kinnick for the first time and thought I’d share as well. Hope you appreciate it. I’d also like your thoughts if you were there.
Overall- I was very impressed with everything about the game day experience except the crowded concourse situation. Especially the crowd environment and with how they handled TV timeouts
Stadium environment- extremely positive. The fans in every section stood the entire time. That says a lot to me about their engagement with the game. Even during TV timeouts, even when down 20 points!
There were definitely advertisements but it was far more subdued than a professional sporting environment. Every “commercial” I noticed included videos of fans getting free stuff (coke, hotdogs etc, or a coach/personality from the university video endorsement to keep it interesting.
The Burrito ad was so popular the guy in front of me was planning for it during pregame. They want you to put your hands in the air and pump them up and down like you are lifting the burrito then they bounce a burrito on screen and show people lifting the burrito (think kiss cam or whatever) Several people tossed humans in the air during that time. It was certainly entertaining.
Pre-game - this was fantastic. The students arrived EARLY and they all wore the same color. I don’t know if they always do this but it was impressive.
for the team tunnels walk they play Back in Black over the loudspeakers which I know is common but it was accompanied by a live video of the walk down the tunnel from the locker room to the field by the team. The crowd clapped in rhythm the entire time. It was an awesome effect and built anticipation and energy until they took the field.
A live hawk was released from the press box and flew over the crowd down to the field at one point. The band was good but difficult for me to hear.
TV Timeouts- I haven’t been to The big house for several years but last time I went the tv timeouts were grueling. If it is still that way we need to copy Kinnick and fast. They had a sideline reporter and planned interviews for each timeout.
examples -
Women’s bball big ten championship team introduction
The crew that flew the planes for the flyover after the anthem (three were from IOWA one was a MI grad which made for great fan involvment
a child battling cancer who was the honorary captain.
military war hero
famous WWF alumni who was in the crowd led cheers from the end zone
wrestling team inviting you to come watch this season a then did some fun takedowns afterwards (humorously staged)
Of course the hospital wave
The IOWA dance team performed (they were quite good)
20 year anniversary gathering of the big ten champion FB team from 2002.
etc.
Almost every break was very well planned, choreographed and was engaging. Only a couple timeout breaks had only a commercial or some generic voiceover. I am a guy who hates all the gimmicky things between innings at baseball games this was very well done and felt entirely different to me and the crowd was engaged with the majority of it.
Fans- super kind and helpful with just the right amount of trash talking. I didn’t realize it was time for the hospital wave and was responding to texts from my family back home. Anyway, the lady in front of me repeatedly said “sir” louder and louder till I looked up, turned around a waved it was pretty awesome to see them all wave back.
Misc.- As I hinted before the concourses were entirely too narrow for the amount of people. Lots of standing still packed tightly trying to get through. I was “Cayman Nebraska’d” at one point I didn’t know if I should be offended or say “thank you”. It was impossible to tell where the concession line met the bathroom line met people trying to get through
Alcohol was available. Two per ID was the limit The lines were so long no one got too many. At least not near me.
I know it’s long but I didn’t think it deserved a diary but moms feel free to move. I would highly recommend a visit To Kinnick. It was a great experience.
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:13 AM ^
Was in the south end zone and nobody stood for about 75% of the game in our section. Only on 3rd downs and potential scoring tries for Iowa did they get up. Saw absolutely no trash talking except people screaming/cussing at the refs. Even on the shuttle from our parking lot there wasn't any trash talk. I agree on the tv timeouts and thought the same exact thing from my seat: Michigan needs to take a page from this book; especially considering this was a Fox broadcast. The band didnt have microphones on the sidelines so yes, they were extremely hard to hear. The tailgate scene was something I didn't get to experience but walking through thought it looked awesome. Overall, I didn't even wait until the end of the game before telling my girlfriend I would go back in a heartbeat.
Edit* Forgot to say that the fans are pure comedy gold when their offense is on the field. Definitely loved the, "I'm here for the punts" from a guy next to my girlfriend.
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
I was at Kinnick for the 1998 rain-soaked, fumble fest (Tai Streets saved us that day). I also remember the concourse being so overly crowded as to be unsafe - it reminded me of being at Mardi-Gras on Bourbon Street. The difference was that in New Orleans the police would just close the balconies on the crowded blocks to disperse the crowd. At Kinnick you just hoped the crowd spit you out in the direction you wanted to go.
October 3rd, 2022 at 10:48 AM ^
I was also at the game, and had an awesome time. It really was everything that was great about college football, easily my second favorite place to watch a game (so far) behind the Big House. Weird note: I was totally planning on mocking Iowa for being nothing but corn, but I was disarmed by their genuine pride in being a farming community. It really was an extremely likeable place filled with very likeable people. Would definitely watch another game there sometime.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:04 AM ^
Not about the fan experience, but I thought they'd ditched that pink locker room bullshit a few years ago after Harbaugh said publicly that the state of some B1G locker rooms was terrible. When I saw it in the post-game celebration video it struck me as being a childish ploy, or insult, much like never referring to an opponent by their actual name, or prohibiting the use of the first initial of that team's name during the week of the game. Pathetic...and apparently ineffective.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:07 AM ^
I am firmly in the "I'd rather watch from my couch with cheap beer and no bathroom lines" camp any more, but my 13 year old who had never seen Michigan play, and had only been to one Iowa State game right up the road from us has been begging for months to go to this one. So we indulged him. It did not disappoint.
For the record, I went to the 2016 game which was shortly after we moved out this way, and it was a similarly enjoyable experience (other than the 2016 outcome). Iowa fans are mostly very good sports who know who their team is, and has very little animosity toward us, but a lot toward Ohio State. We had a lot of Michigan fans around us, and we had a very good-natured back and forth with the Iowa fans throughout the game.
I did find it funny though that in the pregame intros on the big board, the punter got the loudest reception, with lots of "heisman" chants from the Iowa faithful.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:32 AM ^
and we won....
October 3rd, 2022 at 12:05 PM ^
Our season tickets are near some guys in their late 20s who had over the course of about 5 years had attended games in all Big Ten Stadiums. Their conclusion was that Nebraska and Iowa fans were the nicest and Ohio State fans were the worst. MSU is in a category all of their own-- they can be terrible, but half the time you attend that game with your Sparty cousin/brother/best friend from high school, so....
October 3rd, 2022 at 12:36 PM ^
Great review, and accurate based on my experience.
An additional positive not mentioned in OP's post: the security line was a breeze to get through. No one got hassled or shaken down for a binocular case (as I've been reprimanded many times at Michigan Stadium). It felt nice to be treated like a football fan instead of criminal. Michigan Stadium should learn from other Big Ten schools how to treat their fans.
In my experience, Michigan treats their fans like garbage.
October 3rd, 2022 at 11:28 PM ^
This was my 7th trip to Kinnick for UM-Iowa, now I'm 3-4. Been to several other games there (including a heart breaking loss to PSU when they scored on the last play of the game).
1. Fans are super nice. Yes, some friendly trash talking but nothing like others have experienced at OSU, or even MSU since Dicktonio made the rivalry his personal vendetta against being rejected for admission to UM, which led to MSU fans changing from little bro's to mean prolifically drunk jackasses.
2. Awesome weather, actually a bit too warm being in the north EZ with the sun shining but OK since we'll wish for this come November.
3. Loved the OVERALL gameplan by JH and the execution. Just win, baby. We had season high (vs. Iowa's D) yards and rushing too. We scored as much in 1 game as the other 4 did combined.
4. Enjoyed the tailgate with Iowa fans. Made sure to butter them up with stories about big Iowa wins vs. UM (1981 when Iowa won the B1G, 1985 12-10). Nice that Iowa fans consider the biggest win in school history to be #1 vs #2 1985 vs. us. Hey, would have loved to win that one, but at least we are important.
5. Compared to the east corridor mosh pit at half time in Michigan stadium, Kinnick is NOT crowded per se.