Hawkeye pride exists all over the world

There’s no doubt that the University of Iowa has an outstanding amount of Hawkeye Pride, but the fans spread much further than Iowa City.

Reality is, Hawkeyes are all over, and will most likely go to the end of the earth to show people that their school is the best.

Whether it’s a Hawkeye alum who moved across the country, or just someone who went on vacation and couldn’t help but pack their black and gold, you can always find Iowa fans anywhere, anytime.

And we decided to go hunt them down.

Gulf Shores, Alabama 

Kaitlin Koch, University of Iowa, Junior

“We’ve received so many comments on our Hawkeye clothes. The restaurant we watched the [Iowa vs Temple] game at actually had a huge group of 20 guys all wearing Hawkeye stuff too, and a bunch of other families supporting Iowa. People would just walk by us and be like ‘GO HAWKS’.

“We’re all the way down here and we’ve been running into other students or alum everywhere we go.”

Akumal, Mexico 

Jackson McNally, University of Iowa, Freshman

Apparently the IOWA vs ISU rivalry is alive and well even outside of the country.

“Some turdball wearing an Iowa State shirt looked at my shirt and hat and kinda scoffed and rolled his eyes [typical]. I got a couple of people that said “Hey Iowa!” and of course I said GO HAWKS!”

Cinque Terre, Italy

Heather Yeager, University of Iowa, Junior

“While I was taking this picture someone who was walking by stopped and commented on how I was wearing an Iowa shirt.

“When I told him that I went to school there he said he actually lived in Iowa himself.”

Bonita Springs, Florida

Rylie Figurski, University of Iowa, Junior

“I had my Iowa stuff with me everyday when I went to the beach. I spotted a few other Hawkeyes each day, but I also saw a handful of Iowa State people. My friends and I couldn’t help but yell “GO HAWKS” as the ISU people walked by, and it’s safe to say they were definitely caught off guard.”

Estes Park, Colorado

Amy Schellenberg, University of Iowa, Freshman

“For being in Colorado we were very surprised, and excited, to see cars with Hawkeye stickers on them. There were even stores that sold Hawkeye gear.”

Looks like everyone wants to wear the black and gold.

Bahamas 

Jordyn Landau, University of Iowa, Freshman

“I was surprised a lot of people on our cruise were from Canada and they absolutely loved that we were Iowa fans. Seeing other people wearing Hawkeye gear always sparked conversation.”

Maui, Hawaii 

Sydnie Wallace, University of Iowa, Freshman

“One day I went to Cheeseburger in Paradise for lunch and my friend and I were looking for Iowa on the large wall of license plates. A couple nearby overheard our conversation and asked if we attended the University of Iowa. When we said yes, he told us that he was the first owner of Pints in Iowa City and that he now lived in the Quad Cities.

“When we went to go pay for our meal the waitress told us that it had already been covered and the person said to tell us ‘Go Hawks!’. Never thought I would run into another Iowa fan clear out in the middle of the ocean.”

Now let’s not forget what just may be the most important one of all.

Pasadena, California

Derek Bechtel, University of Iowa, Freshman

Now it’s obvious that a school as prideful at the University of Iowa would erupt at the news of playing in the Rose Bowl. But no one could plan for the number of fans who would actually make the trek out to see the game. Over 50,000 Iowa fans attended the 2016 Rose Bowl game to support the black and gold. From Iowa City, that’s the brave 26 hour car ride or a pretty pricey flight plus the cost of tickets. But hey, it’s worth it right?

“We drove to Minnesota, flew to Vegas and then a day later drove down to Pasadena. It was an awesome experience that I got to share with some great friends. Sure, the loss sucked, but I’m still glad I went and proud to be a hawk.”

So basically, everyone knows who the Hawkeyes are. Sure, some people still think Iowa is the corn state, but there’s no question that we’ve gotten our name out into the public.

I can’t say if this is all simply due to our outstanding football season, or if it’s just because we’re all so awesome, but either way we should all be proud to wear our black and gold, where ever we go.