Today, 9-1-2023 is College Colors Day.
I’m a college football and college basketball fan, and I’m also 60, so College Colors Day is not much more than something to enjoy for maybe five minutes before moving on with my day. But, if you are currently in college, or recently graduated, this day could really be something to greet with enthusiasm. Do colleges even have pep rallies anymore?
University of Iowa – Black and Gold
I would, however like to pay a special tribute to the University of Iowa because of the way they involve the children’s ward of the University of Iowa’s Hospital. It’s called the Hawkeye Wave and it’s turned into a great tradition for the university.
The Hawkeye Wave is the best tradition in college sports. When the Kinnick clock hits zero, at the end of the first quarter, 70,000+ football fans turn their attention from the field to UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. In unison, they wave to the pediatric patients and their families watching the game. The patients and family members view this genuine act of kindness as life-changing, inspiring…a wave of hope.
I remember seeing R.E.M. at the University of Iowa, but that was Hancher Auditorium, not Neil Kinnick Stadium. I did get to go to a Hawkeye football game in my youth, and what I remember is there’s an awful lot of energy flying around in a 60,000 seat stadium. I do remember Minnesota defeating the Hawkeyes, and have to say their band was really enjoying the win, they played their way right onto the bus to go home.
Because of that wave to the Children’s Hospital, I am first and foremost an Iowa Hawkeye fan. So, my first choice for College Colors Day is the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. I don’t bleed black and gold, it’s just the color of my heart.
Iowa State University – Burnt Crimson and Gold
Second, in my parade of college colors, is the Iowa State University Cyclones and the colors Burnt Cardinal and Gold. I have second cousins who went to Ames to attend Iowa State University. When I was about 12, the family joke was that I’d “been through Iowa State” because I walked a dorm looking for my cousin.
Back when I was in Monster high school in the ’70’s, Iowa State had one of the worst male/female ratios in the country. Getting a girlfriend in Ames was supposed to be a real challenge, almost as big a challenge as the engineering classes. I don’t know if all that is true or not about today’s Iowa State, I just know that’s how it used to be, and it wasn’t pretty.
Iowa State’s colors are burnt cardinal and gold. Oh yes, I should also tell you that girl’s and my primary care doctor is an Iowa State Alumnus. Nobody’s perfect, but I’ll be damned if he’s not a Packers fan too. That’s two strikes… (You know I love you Ben, you are my favoritest Doctor ever!) On the other hand Iowa State gets extra credit for having a cyclone as its mascot.
Finally, I saw Pink Floyd at Jack Trice Stadium in the post Roger Waters era, it was a nice concert, but the ushers were absolute Nazi’s about everything. Outside of an indoor concert at Augustana College, I’ve never been treated so poorly, the ushers in Ames almost ruined the concert. We weren’t even allowed to stand in our section, even though two sections up from us everyone was standing.
My second choice for College Colors Day is the crimson and gold of the Iowa State Cyclones.
University of Northern Iowa
I rarely if ever get to see any sports for the University of Northern Iowa, but I do like the school and cheer for them when I can. I saw The Who at the UNI Uni-Dome (a soft domed structure) in 1982 or 1983, but the acoustics were horrendous. The Who were notorious for the volume of their concerts, most of the band ended up nearly deaf, (the ones that didn’t end up totally dead) but a good bit of the sound from the Who was being reflected back by the dome. It made everything sound muddy, it wasn’t pretty.
So I’ve been at every one of these three school’s football stadiums, two for concerts and one for actual football. They are all nice facilities, but none of them offer much for acoustics, I’ll not attend any concerts at these venues in the future. Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City is the venue of choice for music in Iowa I would think.
Since I love history and odd little trivia, I’ll point out that UNI was called Iowa State Teachers College from 1909 until 1961, and State College of Iowa between 1961 and 1967. My third choice of College Colors goes to the University of Northern Iowa.
Honorable Mentions for College Colors Day?
Picking a fourth college for College Colors Day is not easy. I watch a lot of college football and basketball
Now when I was a young Monster, I was a big fan of USC. The entire reason why I liked the University of Southern California? Their mascot was a Trojan! That was such a neat thing for a young kid. My Monster Mom had read a children’s version of the Iliad and Odyssey to me when I was a young child, so I knew that Trojans were soldiers from a long gone era fighting with swords and spears.
However I can’t really say that as a grown Monster I’d pick a team solely due to their mascot, not to mention the fact that the University of Southern California is physically half a continent away. Despite having a Trojan on horseback for their football games, I can’t pick USC as a fourth selection for College Colors Day.
I didn’t attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) but that’s the one college I applied to that I didn’t plan to attend. When I got the MIT acceptance letter I was really proud of myself. For a short time, it was something I could brag about. However, as you get older, you realize things like that don’t really matter. MIT’s mascot is Tim the Beaver, and their colors are cardinal red and silver gray, but I can’t pick them for fourth place in my list of college colors.
Then there are the Augustana Vikings of Rock Island, Illinois. I actually attended Augustana, but lived off campus with my first wife. Augie’s colors are Blue, Yellow and White, but they really aren’t terribly inspiring. Then there’s the fact that Augustana is a Division III college. Not giving any sports scholarships is admirable, but it doesn’t lead to inspiring sports teams.
I just can’t find an honorable mention. Cheering for any other Big 10 or Big 12 would seem to be disloyal to the Hawkeyes and Cyclones. East coast teams seem awfully far away, as do west coast teams. Cheering for a Division III school and their colors seems pointless to me, even for a school I’ve attended. I just can’t do it.
So there you have it folks, my top three selections for College Colors Day! Rah-rah-sis-boom-bah!
