With a population of just 282 as of 2023, Kimballton, Iowa, is a textbook Midwest small town.
Kimballton’s most prominent attraction is a series of statues inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales sculpted in 2013 by artist Trop Muller. The Ugly Duckling, The Little Match Girl, and Thumbelina are some of the metallic statues depicting Andersen’s stories. The figures are situated in a circle, surrounding a fountain centerpiece depicting The Little Mermaid.
The real selling point, however, sits just across the street.
Lugger’s Tavern is the only
recent historic seasons, and photos of the famous former Kimballton resident framed on the wall. Her jersey from the four years she played at Drake University — from 1987 to 1991 — is at the center, the blue number 13 displayed under a warm, yellow light.
rural Iowa, is red.
This isn’t just any small-town bar, however. This is Jan Jensen country.
An entire wall is dedicated to the hometown celebrity, with newspaper clippings, posters from Iowa’s
Lugger’s Tavern is a derivative of a childhood nickname from the bar’s previous owner, Doug Jensen, who is Jan’s brother. Jan said Doug earned the nickname “Lugger” because he was “one of those guys that are big, but they’re not fat.”
It was Doug who introduced Jensen to basketball. She said as a kid, she followed her brother around, playing football and other sports together.
Nine years older than Jensen, Doug acted as a coach to his little sister.
“When he passed away, the town lost a lot,”
Doug died unexpectedly of a heart attack in February 2020 at 59 years old. Ashley Jensen, Doug’s daughter, has owned the bar since her dad died, keeping the doors open for patrons.
“When my dad passed, it was a very, very troubling time for everybody,” Ashley said. “But it didn’t
matter how busy Jan was. She always made time to talk to me.”
For the residents of Kimballton, Iowa, Doug was a centerpiece in the community. A close family friend of the Jensens would always say Doug could walk into a room of 100 strangers and walk out with 99 friends. According to Ashley, Jan was the exact same way.
To Ashley, Jan is not only family but a mentor, too.
“I’ve always idolized her because she’s as humble as they come,” Ashley said. “What you see is what you get.”
Right below the Drake jersey
in Lugger’s is a black and white photo of Jan Jensen from years ago. Words Jensen wrote to her brother before he died are tucked inside the frame:
“Before I ever had a coach, I had a brother.”
“When I had seen that picture, I instantly broke down in tears,” Ashley said. “How she felt about my dad as a brother and coach is exactly how I looked at him as a dad and coach.”
Before Jensen’s brother died in 2020, her mom Yvonne caught pneumonia and died at 78 during the NCAA tournament in 2015.
Her dad Dale died at age 86 of pancreatic cancer in 2023, the day Iowa was slated to play Louisville in the Elite Eight during the NCAA tournament. Jensen’s team would go on to beat Louisville and upset undefeated South Carolina, all while their associate head coach grappled with the death of her father.
“A lot of my instrumental people — they passed away,” Jan Jensen said, gazing down at her hands.
Melodi Jenkins, Jensen’s older sister, sits by the pool in her younger sister’s backyard on a warm, early fall day. She scratches her hands through the Jensen family dog’s tightly wound, curly white fur. Jenkins said between herself, Jensen, and Jensen’s partner Julie Fitzpatrick, the three of them make a tight-knit team.
“Julie is so fantastic. She’s like my blood sister,” Jenkins said.
“We’ve lost the core of our immediate family, but us three together — we’re going strong.”
Jenkins has seen her younger
Map by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
The outside of Lugger’s Tavern is seen in Kimballton, Iowa, on Dec. 10. The bar is named after Jan Jensen’s late brother, Doug, who was given the nickname “Lugger.”
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
A wall dedicated to Jan Jensen’s career is seen at Lugger’s Tavern in Kimballton, Iowa, on Dec. 10. The wall highlights successes from her high school years, her career at Drake University, and her time at Iowa.
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
PHOTO FROM 1: Iowa head coach Jan Jensen instructs the team during a women’s basketball game between Iowa and Missouri Western State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Oct. 30. Jensen is wearing a shirt for Krysty Bujakowska, the women’s basketball team Kid Captain, who died later died on Nov. 21. “Krysty indeed changed us...what an angel she will be,” Jensen wrote in a social media post.
The Daily Iowan Archive
Jan Jensen, Lisa Bluder, and other coaching staff sit on the sidelines during an Iowa women’s basketball game on March 3, 2004. Jensen has been on staff at Iowa since 2000.
J. Jensen JENSEN from 1
sister climb to the status of celebrity in the state of Iowa. She said her sister frequently gets stopped when they are going out for meals, people clamoring for a photo or conversation with the leader of the Iowa women’s basketball program. She has seen Jensen build a life for herself and her family, branching out from their hometown.
But when Jenkins was recalling her greatest moments of pride for her sister, she didn’t think of the basketball court at all.
Rather, she remembered what it was like when Jensen came out to her family.
“Jan was brave, and I’m proud of her for that, too,” Jenkins said.
not for the game of basketball but for the kids, for her players, is what I see the most,” Petersen said. “She just has not changed.” Current players at Elk Horn-Kimballton High School now play in a newer gym in the school, but Petersen said the team still comes to practice in One of those players is Petersen’s daughter, Taryn. She looks up to Jensen and hopes to play basketball in college herself one day. She stays back after practice to work on her three-point shot, running drills in the darkened gym where Kimballton’s finest used to play.
“There have been a lot of girls that have gone places here,” Taryn Petersen said. “So, I’m coming in here and trying to keep the tradition going.”
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Tom Petersen, the head coach of the Elk Horn-Kimballton high school girls’ basketball team, speaks to players before a game on Dec. 10. Petersen
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
The Elk Horn-Kimballton high school girls basketball team huddles ahead of a game on Dec. 10. Jan Jensen averaged 66 points per game while on the team during her senior year.
Back in 2017, Jensen covered her office with memories and pictures of the people and moments that had led her to this point.
According to a report from The Des Moines Register, a smattering of her children’s drawings, family photos, and newspaper clippings decorated her space.
Over seven years, two national championship runs, and a head coaching designation later, Jan Jensen’s values are still present in her office space in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Family photos still decorate the walls.
A quote from entrepreneur Amy Rees Anderson hangs on her wall as well, reading, “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
Of course, there are some differences seen in the now-head coach’s office.
An Indiana Fever jersey featuring the number 22 and former Iowa basketball player Caitlin Clark’s signature hangs in the corner, suspended by a white hanger on a door handle. A
basketball and remains of a net cut after one of Iowa’s victorious matches sit behind her desk. Jensen has already established a deep legacy that will be left in Iowa’s history books.
Before she was officially recognized as head coach, before Iowa’s second run to the NCAA championship game, Jan Jensen was already grappling with what it means to live in the moment while making history.
“I have a lot more yesterdays than I do tomorrows,” Jan Jensen said in an inter view with The Daily Iowan in 2023.
“You get to the point where you get a lit tle better about trying to sort through the minutiae. You get a little better about try ing to really stop and smell the roses. You start to realize time goes fast. There’s no guarantees, so let’s just focus on what’s really important.”
A year later, that’s exactly what she’s doing. The title and expectations may have changed, but the energy she brings to the court — and the people she cares about — hasn’t.
“I try not to look too far out or too far forward. I just try to enjoy where we are … It’s just being authentic and being in the moment,” Jensen said. “You make mistakes. You learn. You grow.”
Family farms face financial risks
More young farmers feel the need to attend college despite increasing cost.
This trend will continue, and land will only become more costly.
This is the second installment in a multipart series about the rising cost of college and alternatives to academia. College is a big deal. For most, it marks four years away from home in a welcoming environment. Four years of studying, taking exams, and being involved in an entirely new life. One unalienable certainty of going to college is the cost, which is only rising.
The Iowa Board of Regents raised total tuition and fees earlier this year by 3 percent. In 2023, the regents raised tuition by 3.5 percent. Because the cost for a person to go to college has been found to alienate some from the idea altogether, the total number of trade jobs is expected to grow substantially in the near future, according to Fortis Colleges and Institutes, suggesting those who may have considered pursuing a traditional education are instead going into the trades.
Locally, apprenticeship programs are popular among those going into professions like tattoo artistry. Apprentices see these programs as alternatives to the cost burden of college while also living a fulfilling life doing what they enjoy.
However, depending on the specific programs, risk factors can look incredibly different based on the financial requirements for participation and job availability projections based on employment trends.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of U.S. farms is slowly declining. With that, so is the number of successful farmers who try to start their own operations.
Starting a farming operation is getting harder, and that has been the case for years.
Local farmers talk about the challenges associated with rising rent costs and buying land outright, which is becoming an impossibility for younger farmers without exorbitant amounts of borrowed capital.
To illustrate this, the average value per acre of farmland in Iowa has risen 1.8 percent since 2020, according to the USDA.
So, to see success, and if farmers want to try their hand in a highly volatile industry, they need two things: a passion for what they do and, increasingly, a college education that is often associated with debt.
For young farmer Kyle Doty and other farmers, a college education is something necessary to fall back on if working with their family operation does not pan out. Based in Poweshiek County but farming land in Iowa County, Doty said he was lucky to start farming with an established family operation.
“The biggest thing with how I got into farming was that the opportunity was there to do it,” Doty said. “Very few kids have a situation where a father already has an established operation.”
He said he is doubtful that, in today’s world, anyone could begin farming without working for someone else in an existing operation, as he did.
“The buy-in cost for farming is insane,” he said. “Equipment is more expensive than ever, and you would have to take out a hefty loan just to get started.”
usually need connections to get rent.”
Doty said connections his family has made to get good land to farm on have been found in places like church, which is a strong place of community in rural areas.
“When ground goes up for rent, they know who they’re renting it out to,” Doty said.
Mike Hammes, a 31-year-old Linn County farmer, said he went to Kirkwood Community College and later entered a four-year degree program at Iowa State University for agricultural business.
Leaving high school, Hammes said he knew he would end up farming, but taking on the cost of college was worth it to him to build relationships with other young farmers.
carrying on a legacy, and cultivating a crop
are all rewarding elements of the job.
To Hammes, college also offered him a fresh perspective. Agriculture has historically been a family-oriented business, and he said fresh perspectives can make some things easier to learn.
On the issue of land value, Johnson County farmer Rick Kasper said land value has not been affordable for almost 30 years. The 1980s saw a farm crisis that made it harder for farmers to sell commodities and rent land. It was the hardest point of financial toughness in agriculture since the Great Depression.
Kasper said the 1990s was the last point in recent history at which land value had recovered.
So, Doty, like others, chose to pursue a degree in animal ecology. He originally wanted to farm out of high school but decided to pursue a degree to better arm himself for future endeavors.
He shared Doty’s sentiment and said agriculture is an interconnected community.
“If you’re starting off on your own and you don’t have acres to farm, it’s impossible for farmers to go out and buy land. Then, you need to rent, and you usually need connections to get rent .”
Kyle Doty Poweshiek County farmer
Another element of farming Doty highlights is an almost hidden rural community.
“If you’re starting off on your own, and you don’t have acres to farm, it’s impossible for farmers to go out and buy land,” he said. “Then, you need to rent, and you
“If somebody [in the rural community] is not a farmer, they could be working at a co-op,” he said. “It’s hard to get away from ag in Iowa; it’s a pretty tight-knit community of people.”
Hammes started working on his family farm and is thankful he received guidance from his family. To him, legacy is an important factor. Working with family,
It was feasible for a new operation to begin by buying or even renting land, and it was also beneficial for him that he could join a family operation.
“It’s harder for a young person to get started,” he said. “I wouldn’t be farming if it weren’t for my dad.”
Despite the tough market farmers face in the modern day, Doty is coming along well. He has a passion for the industry, he said. Specifically, he has an appreciation for the land itself, including its care, maintenance, use, and preservation for coming generations.
“The land has been here forever,” he said. “I’m in the world now, and it’s my turn. Many people have cared for the land, and I take pride in being the one who cares for it now.”
As the number of farms drops and consolidates, it is passion and family that keep these operations alive.
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Iowa head coach Jan Jensen sits at her desk on Oct. 16. Jensen was selected in the spring to become Iowa’s head coach following the retirement of Lisa Bluder after holding the role of associate head coach since 2000.
Emma Calabro | The Daily Iowan
Jan Jensen celebrates a victory against Iowa State after the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Dec. 11. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones, 87-75.
Clark
Wyatt Goodale | The Daily Iowan
Rick Kasper traverses his farm near Tiffin, Iowa, on Dec. 8. Kasper used his four-wheeler to drive around and check on his cattle.
Iowa farmland should stay in the family
Family farms are the backbone of our nation and need to be protected.
Iowa farmland is in high demand, which isn’t surprising considering we’re ranked first in the country for production of corn, eggs, and pigs. In 2022, the Census of Agriculture reported more than 90 percent of Iowa farms are family-owned; It needs to stay that way.
Passing farms down from generation to generation benefits not just those profiting from the land but also local businesses. Family farming helps improve rural economies and creates allies for other local businesses to depend on.
In Iowa’s history, there have been more than 20,000 recognized Century Farms and about 1,500 Heritage Farms. Heritage Farms are family lands passed down for more than 150 years, while Century Farms reach that status after staying in the family for over 100 years.
The lack of Heritage Farms, not just in Iowa but across the country, is due to an aging farmer population and fewer young people stepping in to take over. There are also heavy financial burdens, from inher-
itance taxes to the cost of modernizing farming equipment.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, small family farms are the most financially vulnerable. Though they make up 88 percent of all farms in the United States, they only account for 19 percent of total value production.
One reason for this is that small farms require the same equipment and facilities as large farms, just on a smaller scale. This means smaller farms have similar budgets for equipment and maintenance as farms bringing in double the profit.
Another challenge small family farms face is the increasing demand for farmland. It’s hard to turn down someone offering $13,000 an acre — more than many farmers would make in 10 years of farming.
The best way to have a successful farm in today’s economy is to produce a variety of staple crops, such as corn and soybeans, and adopt diverse agricultural practices.
The corn grown in Iowa is different from what’s grown in Illinois and surrounding states. Iowa corn is often used for feed and ethanol, and true Iowans know we don’t eat the corn that’s grown here. The average price for a bushel of Iowa corn in 2024 went for $4.15.
Crop rotation is a key method in Iowa, which involves alternating what crops are grown on certain parts of the land. Soybeans are the most commonly rotated crop
because of their ability to replenish nitrogen levels in soil. This practice increases yields, promotes soil growth, and reduces the likelihood of pest infestations.
Even though the majority of Iowa farms produce only soybeans and corn, with 94
The lack of Heritage Farms, not just in Iowa but across the country, is due to an aging farmer population and fewer young people stepping in
percent of Iowa farmland being used to grow those two crops, there is still a market for other crops and vegetables. Iowa farmers also grow oats, wheat, hay, and a variety of other vegetables to stay competitive with neighboring farms.
Agritourism is another popular approach thought to increase family farm profits. Examples include petting zoos, corn mazes, hayrides, pumpkin and apple picking, and Christmas tree farms.
Some farms host local farmers markets or allow people to hike the grounds. Others create agricultural museums or build lodging for visitors to rent. Agritourism, simply put, combines tourism and agriculture into a commercial business that farmers can profit from.
The housing crisis is an act of negligence
In the midst of a housing crisis, the U.S. needs to implement public housing.
Housing is a growing issue, and for many Americans, they can neither find nor afford a place to rent or buy.
This has caused major cities and college towns to scramble as they find different ways to meet the housing needs of their populations. This is in addition to the more than 600,000 people who lack housing.
The United States needs to reexamine what housing is being built, the many empty houses across the country, and current laws surrounding housing.
One of the growing concerns felt by people of all classes is rising rent prices. Since 2020, rent has increased by 30 percent in the U.S., outpacing the growth of median home values. During that same period, salaries increased by only 19 percent, meaning rent has significantly outpaced people’s ability to afford it. One thing many other countries do, which is rare here in the U.S., is implement rent
control and public housing. This is common in countries like Germany, Sweden, Spain, and Austria but only has a presence in U.S. states such as New York and California, where there is limited use.
Vienna has a unique approach to hous ing. Of nearly 700,000 citizens who rent, more than half are in public housing. For citizens using private housing, 62 percent have some form of rent control, while only 9 percent — or 21,000 people — live in private housing with no rent control.
Unfortunately, even in farms that have a lot of those amenities already in place, there are still additional costs attached to starting an agritourism business.
Bathrooms and sometimes visitor centers need to be built on the property, and there is also liability insurance, marketing costs, and local regulations that need to be put in place.
The average cost for a family farm to create a thriving agritourism business on their property ranges from a couple thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the land.
The agritourism industry is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years, potentially reaching $141 billion by 2030.
Farms that embrace agritourism diversify their income and gain another reliable source of profit aside from crops. Incorporating agritourism into family farms reduces the risk of foreclosure due to a bad yield.
There are programs in place for farmers that protect their farms even if they have a bad year of crop production. Crop insurance helps farmers across the country by offering aid to make up for lost revenue due to unforeseen circumstances like disease, infestation, adverse weather, or other risk factors.
However, not every farmer qualifies for this type of insurance coverage. Farmers must have insurable interest in a specific crop and meet the USDA Risk Management Agency’s eligibility requirements. A farmer’s previous crop yields could also be a factor in what kind of coverage they are eligible for.
Due to the fact that Iowa farmland has been in high demand in recent years, investment groups are buying up the land in hopes of making a profit.
Some farmers are in favor of partnerships with wealthy landowners to increase access to farmland that those without farming connections wouldn’t have previously had. The most recent Farm Bill, which was passed in 2018 and extends to the end of this year, assists farmers in entering new industries by aiding access to loans, providing funding for research and development, and helping diminish risk levels through crop insurance programs.
In 2023, Joe Burrow, Blake Griffin, and around 20 other athletes purchased a 104-acre Iowa farm for $5 million, aiming to profit by leasing the land to local farmers. These athletes are a part of an investment group called Patricof Co, which plans to buy more farms across the country. The land will be run by existing farmers to grow cash crops, and the athletes will receive a single digit percentage return on their investment annually. Though the family and farmers will still make a large net profit, there are other issues that come with selling farmland to investment groups. Investment groups and outside entities buying up Iowa farmland can be problematic for family farms. When a family farm is bought out, sometimes the family is kept on to work the lands, and the only change is the farmers give a small percentage of profits to the new owners. Other times, the new owner of the land wants to outsource cheaper labor, discarding the previous family and their traditions.
Selling Iowa farms to investment companies can also drive up land prices and displace smaller family farms, which negatively impacts the community and other local businesses.
Keeping a farm in the family benefits the community and ensures increased crop production. The trend of big businesses buying out Iowa farmland to build strip malls and hotels needs to end. Iowa has always been — and should continue to be — a farming state. Family farms are the backbone of our country, and more people need to step up to carry on their family’s legacy.
The U.S. has more than 15 million empty houses, with 10 percent of houses in Iowa
Suburbs and urban areas have been a form of segregation — both racially and economically — and it is time we eliminate laws that maintain this system.
being empty. These houses could be used by the government as public housing, following initiatives used by other Western countries. This could also be implemented across the country. Empty or unused houses
STAFF
Jami Martin-Trainor | Executive Editor
Columnists: Carson Hartzog, Cole Walker, James McCurtis, Muskan Mehta, Abigail Jones, Caden Bell, Reese Thompson, Kennedy Lein, Jackson Mendoza
Editorial Board: Jami Martin-Trainor, Marandah Mangra-Dutcher, Jack Moore, Stella Shipman, Carson Hartzog, Charlie Hickman
COLUMNS, CARTOONS, and OTHER OPINIONS CONTENT reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.
EDITORIALS reflect the majority opinion of the DI Editorial Board and not the opinion of the publisher, Student Publications Inc., or the University of Iowa.
could be established as shelters or public housing. Allowing such a large number of houses to remain unused while more than 600,000 people remain unhoused is an act of negligence. Another major issue is the many zoning laws cities have that prevent different types of housing from being built. Suburbs are notorious for this, taking up large amounts of space for single-family homes without allowing room for duplexes, townhomes, and apartments.
Urban areas and the suburbs need a mix of all types of housing and proximity between them. This allows for space to be used more efficiently while also putting people of different socioeconomic backgrounds and stages of life closer together.
Better zoning would help bring a stronger sense of community back to American
suburbs and allow people to be closer to those from different walks of life. Suburbs and urban areas have been a form of segregation — both racially and economically — and it is time we eliminate laws that maintain this system.
The U.S. is dealing with a crisis of rising rents and housing prices, an increase in homelessness, and millions of unoccupied houses. President Joe Biden’s administration implemented actions to reduce rent increases, and President-elect Donald Trump has said removing illegal immigrants and selling off federal land is the best course of action.
To truly make a change, though, we need to remove outdated laws that prevent new and different types of housing from being built and take lessons from other Western countries. Then, maybe we can fix it.
Reese
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
Steve Swenka hooks up a Gehl grinder-mixer to his tractor at Double G Angus Farms in Tiffin on Nov. 1, 2023. Double G Farms has been open for 111 years and is currently owned by Steve Swenka and his wife, Amy.
Braden Ernst | The Daily Iowan
Houses sit under the sun on Walnut St in Iowa City on Monday, March 28, 2022.
COLUMN
Cyber crimes surge JohnsonacrossCounty
The Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team processes digital evidence to reduce backlogs and track perpetrators of online crimes against children.
Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
On Nov. 20, Iowa City resident Ivan Galvan, 31, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison after a 2021 CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led Johnson County’s Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team to uncover multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material on his social media.
Detective Sgt. Ben Lord of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, one of five members of the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, or J-FACT, said Galvan’s case is part of a crisis that has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With a lot of people at home on their computers more, the reports that we were getting related to internet crimes against children skyrocketed,” Lord said. Internet crimes against children encompass offenses such as the possession, distribution, or production of child sexual abuse material, online solicita -
tion, and exploitation of minors through digital platforms.
According to data provided by Nathaniel McLaren, a special agent in charge of Iowa’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force, CyberTips reported to the task force have surged in recent
CYPERTIPS REPORTED SINCE
2019
In 2024, nearly 7,000 CyberTips were reported. This is the highest number recorded in over a decade.
in shared digital spaces more frequently.
“That was one of the fallouts of the pandemic that I don’t think is discussed enough,” Lord said. “I think we really have reached a crisis point with this type of thing in our society.”
As internet crimes against children
“That was one of the fallouts of the pandemic that I don’t think is discussed enough. I think we really have reached a crisis point with this type of thing in our society.”
years, rising from 1,911 in 2019 to 2,138 in 2020 and 3,019 in 2021. This trend has continued, with 6,837 tips received so far in 2024 — the highest number in over a decade.
Lord attributed the increase to the shift to online schooling for children and remote work for many adults, which placed potential victims and perpetrators
rose and the demand for experts in cyber forensics, which focuses on analyzing digital devices and data to investigate and solve crimes, became increasingly critical, local law enforcement recognized the need for a more unified approach.
For years, Todd Cheney of the Iowa City Police Department was the county’s only digital forensic investigator. That
changed in 2019 when Lord obtained his certification, leading the two to often share equipment and resources to handle the rising caseload.
“We would frequently end up at each other’s offices, borrowing things, returning things,” Lord said. “There were days where we would see each other three or four times a day.”
This prompted Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel to propose a 28E agreement — a legal framework allowing government agencies to collaborate — to the Johnson County Board of Supervisors in July 2021, establishing the J-FACT team with investigators from the Sheriff’s Office, Iowa City Police Department, and University of Iowa Police Department.
The supervisors approved the agreement unanimously.
“I’m proud of the political leadership in this county for recognizing the importance of these internet crimes against children cases,” Lord said. “There are other places in the United States where their leadership is failing. And I think we’re doing a good job of being responsible and taking care of our children here.”
Since its inception, the J-FACT team has expanded to include five members, Lord said. The team now consists of Lord, Cheney, Tiffany Lord of the UI Police Department, Hanna Dvorak of the Coralville Police Department, and Ryan Rockefeller of the North Liberty Police Department.
All five members are certified forensic computer examiners, accredited by the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists.
Although the pandemic-driven rise in internet crimes against children spurred the team’s creation, Lord and Cheney emphasized its broader role in various cases.
“Anything that’s going to be a highlevel case is almost always going to have digital items that are seized. Usually, it’s cellphones,” Cheney said.
Part of the work of J-FACT, Lord said, involves extracting data from digital devices without altering it and preserving the data as digital evidence.
“A lot of times, the investigators are interested in the user’s location if that’s recorded on the phone,” Lord said. “Or did they make an incriminating statement in a text message or chat.”
Cheney said the J-FACT team has given Johnson County the resources to process digital forensic evidence more efficiently, reducing backlogs and allowing investigators to take a proactive approach to tracking perpetrators of internet crimes against children.
We’re able to actually go out ourselves to scour the Dark Web for people who are sharing or trying to get child-exploited material,” Cheney said.
How America reacted to CEO’s murder
The UnitedHealthcare CEO, a former UI valedictorian, was killed in targeted attack.
Emma Jane News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
The shots were fired early on the morning of Dec. 4, striking UnitedHealthcare CEO and 1997 valedictorian of the University of Iowa Brian Thompson as he walked toward the Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. Thompson was pro nounced dead in what the New York Police Department called a brazen, targeted attack, and the search for the suspect, captured on surveillance footage wearing a face mask, was on. On Dec. 9, Altoona, Pennsylvania, police responded to a tip from a McDonald’s employee who reported a customer resembling the multiple surveillance images released by the NYPD of the murder suspect.
Officers apprehended 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who was found with a homemade gun matching the murder weapon, a fake New Jersey ID previously used by the suspect in New York City prior to the killing, a face mask resembling those in the images, and a handwritten manifesto expressing disdain for the health care industry and corporate America.
Mangione faces Pennsylvania gun charges and extradition to New York for murder.
At a Dec. 9 press conference announcing Mangione’s arrest, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated the case had captured the attention of the entire nation. While that was undoubtedly true, the murder of Brian Thompson garnered a divided response, as many were not mourning his death.
Following Thompson’s murder, UnitedHealthcare’s Facebook post expressing grief over his death drew 62,000 reactions — 57,000 of them laughing emojis, according to CNN. Across social media, users left biting
comments about the health care industry, with many joking that Thompson’s shooting was a “pre-existing condition” or that their “thoughts and prayers required prior authorization,” as recounted by writer Jia Tolentino on NPR.
After Mangione’s arrest, the Altoona McDonald’s, where he was taken into custody, faced a flood of negative reviews from his sympathizers, while Amazon removed several apparel items expressing support for him, according to The Hill.
Public mockery of the tragedy reveals a simmering discontent with the inequities of the American health care system, which critics argue has perpetuated suffering for profit.
The Harvard Gazette reported in 2009 that lack of health insurance leads to an estimated 45,000 deaths annually. Even those insured face financial strain, with a 2019 American Journal of Public Health study linking medical issues to two-thirds of bankruptcy filings and a 2021 MITRE-Harris poll revealing that 75 percent of insured
Americans worry about medical bills.
As these concerns and preventable tragedies become more common for the working class population, health care CEOs continue to profit. It’s a system that many, including Mika Covington, the co-chair for the Iowa City Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, call broken.
“[Thompson’s] death was horrific. And none of us at [Democratic Socialists of America] support murder,” Covington said.
“I personally feel for his children and wife because I know losing a father is tragic. I lost mine just last year.”
However, Covington acknowledged understanding the frustration behind the varied responses to Thompson’s murder, sharing that a lack of health insurance worsened her father’s death, and she herself faces challenges living with a rare genetic disorder called cystinosis.
“This whole health care system, it’s exhausting. It’s destroying people’s lives,” Covington said. “No one in this country
should die because the insurance company is refusing to cover vital life-saving care.”
Covington said her support for democratic socialism is rooted in the belief that the forprofit health care model should be replaced with a single-payer system — a view shared by nearly two-thirds of Americans. A Dec. 9 Gallup survey found that 62 percent of adults believe the federal government should ensure health care coverage for all, marking the highest support in over a decade.
Covington underscored the DSA’s firm stance against violence, emphasizing that Thompson, despite representing an industry many find deeply flawed, was still a person with a family.
Just weeks before his death, Thompson hosted members of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi at UnitedHealth Group’s Minneapolis office. Thomas Stroud, president of the UI chapter, described the experience as inspiring and uplifting.
“We greatly appreciate him taking the time to speak with us. His leadership and candid midwestern spirit left a lasting impression on all of us,” Stroud wrote in an email statement to The Daily Iowan. “Our sympathies go out to everyone impacted by this tragic situation.”
The Tippie College of Business, from which Thompson graduated in 1997 as valedictorian and recipient of the Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key, highlighted his impact on students in a statement from Dean Amy Kristof-Brown provided to the DI by UI media relations specialist Tom Snee.
“His sudden and tragic death is challenging to grasp, particularly for those that knew him. Our sympathies are with his wife, Pauley, also a Tippie graduate, their family, friends and colleagues as they deal with this tragic news,” the statement read.
As Thompson’s wife and two sons mourn privately, the nation grapples with the deep divides in America’s health care system and the reality of so many taking to social media to mock a murder.
Contributed by Ben Lord from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
Thompson
Detective Sgt. Ben Lord
One of five members of the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team
Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan Sourced from Nathaniel McLaren, Iowa’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force
Isabella Tisdale | The Daily Iowan
John Pappajohn Business Building is seen on Feb. 19. Brian Thompson graduated from the Tippie College of Buisness in 1997.
PS1’s night of creativity and community
PS1’s annual Dada Prom fundraiser brings immersive art and absurdist costumes.
A claw machine with a living hand, a fish-human hybrid, and a shrunken room dominated by a largerthan-life telephone. This year’s Dada Prom at Public Space One, or PS1, felt like falling down a rabbit hole into a world where absurdity took center stage and reality was left holding its coat at the door.
Dada Prom is a yearly fundraiser that kicks off the return of the Surreal House Installation while giving community members an opportunity to support PS1’s year-round programming and resources. As an art -
ist-led, community-driven art center that prides itself on providing inclusive and diverse installations, the fundraiser is a major part of the cohort’s programming each year.
Conceptualized by artist Kelly Moore, The Surreal House Installation is an annual event. While it’s open, artists across the community come together to transform PS1’s Close House into an immersive art exhibit, weaving together various themed rooms that each offer new peculiarities to explore.
The “Wallflowers” room, decorated by the Big Brunch Energy group, transported guests into a world of uneasy elegance. Flowers and leaves sprouted like rebellious
weeds throughout the room, tables were garnished with handmade butterflies snuggled next to grenades, and horror-masked creatures in prom attire pressed up against walls and hung down from the ceiling.
A retro-future fever dream awaited in one room, brought to life by Sara Montgomery.
“Every decade has a view on what the future looks like, so we took inspiration from that,” Amanda Mosley, a contributor who helped actualize the vision, said.
The immersive exhibit featured TVs crafted out of Styrofoam coolers housing miniature dioramas depicting nonsensically futuristic scenes.
“We’re all thrifty humans. A lot of things were found objects. We’re really good at finding this for free,” Mosley said.
This absurdist reflection on nostalgia was encapsulated by the room’s pièce de résistance — a human claw machine. Here, for one Dada dollar, the currency of the night, participants could retrieve prizes by pulling on strings to direct a silver-painted hand attached to a living person hidden behind a blacked-out mask.
The night whimsically wound to an end with a costume contest, celebrating one of the most anticipated aspects of the event: the invitation for guests to step into the theme by donning surreal or absurd outfits of their own creation.
“Our first year, we weren’t sure how seriously people would take dressing up,” Program Director Kalmia Strong said. “But when we opened the door, there was just a line of people in amazing costumes.”
Among the winners was “a tea party” — an outfit featuring a table framed around the wearer’s hips. The intricately detailed assembly was adorned with teacups, serving platters, and biscuits. Another standout was a person dressed as “unrealistic beauty standards,” bedizened with oversized lips scattered across her body.
Although this costumed parade of absurdity marched the night to its conclusion, the Surreal House will remain open throughout December, ready for visitors to step inside its world of nonsense and experience how the mundane can be transformed into the magical.
“We are excited to be as accessible as possible,” Strong said. “For people who like to dance and be at a party, we have this soirée tonight. But [for those who don’t,] we make the installation available for people to see all throughout the month of December.”
Iowa students turn their dorms into holiday homes
Students on campus spread the joy of the holidays with festive dorm decorations.
Haya Hussain Arts Reporter
arts@dailyiowan.com
University of Iowa students are feeling homesick as the year winds to a close, having freshly returned from fall break at home with a glimpse of the upcoming holiday season.
First-year UI student Gabriela Pawlus reminisced on her time at home and familial traditions that bring comfort.
“During the holidays, you think about spending them with your family, so I’m definitely homesick,” she said. “I miss our traditions. One of them is Mikolajki, which is translated from Polish to English as ‘little Santa.’ It’s at the beginning of December — a precursor to Christmas.”
Before coming to campus, many firstyear students are accustomed to coming home to their traditions and the warmth of their homes. That is now replaced by classes, studying, and finals in Iowa City.
“My family always goes all out,” Pawlus said. “I always get a real tree, and we keep ornaments that have been passed down throughout our family members in Poland.”
While some of these traditions cannot be preserved, they can be recreated. She and her roommate brought a sliver of the holiday spirit to their dorm in Mayflower Residence Hall with a small Christmas tree adorned with festive lights.
“I just wanted to bring a little bit of home,” she said. “It’s not much, but it’s a small thing I can do to adjust.”
Other students in Mayflower are also
making creative use of the space they are afforded. First-year students Emily Knowles and Ava Mandle have honored the holiday spirit by utilizing their limited door room space.
“We decorated our door, put up a Christmas tree, and got window clings,” Knowles said. “We also have our personal stockings.”
Their room emanated a youthful, childlike wonder, aided by the dim glow of string lights trailing the ceiling. Mandle found the dorm room to be more inviting after the introduction of these themed trinkets and embellishments.
“It’s not cozy in the family sense. Instead, I’m surrounded by friends who I’m growing closer to through our time here,” she said. “I feel a lot more independent to decorate however I want.”
A few miles over at Stanley Residence Hall, pre-law student Izzy Lowe shares the joy of the holidays with her two other roommates.
“For our mini tree, I bought mini ornaments,” she said. “I also got stockings for me and my two roommates. It’s just a good reminder of what the Christmas season is all about.”
Many UI students are from out-of-state, so this season can feel especially lonely.
Pawlus and her roommate Mariah Plis are both from the suburbs of Chicago. In their short time here, they’ve observed stark differences in how the downtown area of Chicago and Iowa City prepare for the holidays.
“Chicago goes all out for everything,” Plis said. “It’s a hot spot for Christmas.
Carson Hartzog carson.hartzog@dailyiowan.com
Please bear with me as I write this — I’m a bit embarrassed. When I first learned that senior columns are a The Daily Iowan, and that they’re printed for everyone to see, a wave of anxiety passed through me like a ghost drifting through the current inhabitants of its former home. Where would I begin? What would I include? How could I summarize my time at Iowa or describe myself in just a few words? Why should I write about myself at all? Too many details seemed relevant to my story, but I lacked the courage to share them.
This might come as a surprise, but as someone who writes — and talks — for a living, I’m deeply uncomfortable writing about myself. I’ve always been the kid who slinks away when it’s time for pats on the back and victory laps. The thought of publicly celebrating myself for what feels like a given — graduating — is terrifying. Even now, I find myself filling paragraphs with thanks to my parents, siblings, loved ones, and every person I hold dear. That speaks to what I believe: Graduating from Iowa isn’t just my accomplishment; it’s theirs. There are far too many people to thank and not enough pages in The Daily Iowan to do so. The safest place to start is with my mom — it only makes sense because she’s always been the safest place in my life.
Everything is decorated when you walk down Michigan Avenue.”
“I wish that we had more lights around Iowa City,” Pawlus added. “People celebrate different holidays in this season, but lights can be enjoyed by everyone. In Chicago, so many people will just wrap lights around their cars and drive around to add to the city’s festiveness.”
For many, the importance of fam -
Mom, I adore you. There is no world where I exist without you. All the obvious aside, you have given me life when I have been callous and cruel. You epitomize a mother’s love.
From your carefully curated playlists to the monthly “I miss you” boxes to the hours spent rubbing my head during migraines, you’ve poured every part of yourself into making me who I am. I am my mother’s daughter, and there’s nothing in this world that brings me more joy.
In the same way I am my mother’s daughter, I am my father’s heart.
Dad, I know how many years of multiple jobs, grueling work, and demanding schedules it took to ensure I had the opportunities and resources you didn’t. There isn’t a world where you wouldn’t move heaven and earth to make my dreams possible. Without you, I wouldn’t have had the courage to return to college. You may not have had a magic wand to solve all my problems, but you’ve always had a heart of gold and a work ethic that would exhaust even the fiercest competitor.
Cassidy, you are the greatest friend I’ve ever known. How lucky are we that two awkward, curious, and at times brazen little girls found each other and now get to spend a lifetime together?
And for all the times I denied it — you’re right. I copy you, and I don’t feel an ounce of shame about it. I’ll keep doing it for as long as you let me.
Connor, I don’t think a chemist could’ve designed a better big brother than you. You’re fiercely protective of my heart and joy. If you’re around, there’s always a place for me. Now that I’m older, I hope you know there’s always a place for you with me, too.
To both Connor and Cassidy: In another life, I like to think we live down the hall from one another forever. And
ily becomes more evident during the holidays. Knowles is from Colorado, an 11-hour drive or a two-hour flight, and said she tries to emulate the holiday spirit of her home in Iowa City.
“I feel more Christmas spirit at home than I do here. When I come to my room, I feel it because of our decorations, but walking around downtown Iowa City, I don’t feel it at all,” Knowles said.
at every Paramore concert that comes to town, Cassidy and I are standing on the table while Connor fends off security guards telling us to get down.
Campbell, you pulled me out of what was a very lonely life on campus and immersed me in your world. I’m forever indebted to the ways you’ve changed me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have written this column.
I’m not one for grand gestures of emotion, but you’ve honored my sensitivity and held it with such grace. You’ve also pushed me forward every time I’ve tried to hide behind you — or someone else. You’ve been, and always will be, the better half of our life.
I came to Iowa thinking I would undergo this transformation of self, and in some ways, I suppose I did. My fundamental beliefs didn’t change nor did my nature. But I’m a little closer to the person I was at four, eight, and 13. I pour my heart into everything. I make impulsive choices and run to the safety of my family and partner when I need saving. I look through old photos as if that version of me is looking back. If she is, I hope she sees that there’s something — and someone — to be proud of.
As I close this chapter at Iowa, I’m reminded that growth isn’t always about becoming someone new — it’s about becoming more of who you’ve always been. The friendships, lessons, and challenges I’ve encountered here have shaped me, but at my core, I’m still the same person I’ve always been.
Leaving this campus feels bittersweet, but I carry with me the love, support, and memories that have defined the last three years. If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Life is less about where you end up and more about the people who walk alongside you on the journey. Thank you to everyone who’s walked with me — you’ve made all the difference.
Hannah Neuville | The Daily Iowan
Emily Knowles and Ava Mandle pose for a portrait by Christmas decorations in their dorm at Mayflower Residence Hall on Dec. 9. Many students like to put up holiday decorations in their dorms to celebrate the festive season.
Ava Neumaier | The Daily Iowan
Attendees take a selfie during the Dada Prom Fundraiser held at Public Space One on Dec. 7. The event celebrated the absurdist art form with an immersive exhibit throughout the venue and a costume contest for attendees who dressed up.
Iowa sees changes in cattle production
Evan Watson News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Since 2000, the beef cattle herd in Johnson County, Iowa, and the U.S. has steady shrunk as farmers’ average age increases and weather patterns make it harder to maintain the herd.
However, the herd shrinking is not strictly a bad thing. It is, however, an important marker of where the industry is positioned, according to market experts.
Ryan Drollette, farm management specialist at the Iowa State Extension Office in Johnson County, said drought is an ongoing factor in the herd’s reduction.
Drollette said drought directly reduces the amount of land for raising livestock. Not only is the amount of tenable land reduced, but he also said less forage and feed can be collected and used in livestock farming as a result.
“Feed isn’t as available as it typically is because not only are my pastures not doing well because of drought, but also I’m not producing the amount of hay that I normally would,” he said.
Drollette said these conditions are the main reasons farmers decide to reduce their herd, though other factors make it a longer-term choice.
Similar to other agriculture inputs, long life is a constant consideration. Farm machinery is an example of a large investment, often costing over $300,000 on average. The equipment has an average lifespan of a decade or more.
The same theme is true for larger livestock animals. Drollette said the life span of small animals like poultry could see a turnaround of six months or less, where beef cattle can take upwards of two years from conception before it is marketed. This time can create a lag behind making proper decisions, as it becomes a game of prediction.
The long-life problem is a reason why this summer’s rainy conditions will not ultimately allow the herd to see substantial growth, Drollette said.
“There’s times I drag my feet in the snow and cold, but the animal needs to be taken care of. As farmers get older, they aren’t able to do a lot of the work.”
Rick Kasper
A local Johnson County livestock grower
“There’s that life cycle issue where you need to retain those calves for a year,” he said. “So, instead of the calves being sold in the fall, I have to retain and feed them through winter and get them bred, and then they have another nine months to have their first calf.”
Rick Kasper, a local Johnson County livestock grower and board member of the Johnson County Cattlemen, said one main factor impacting individual farmers’ decisions to keep or reduce their personal cattle herd is age.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average age of farm producers has increased from 56.3 to 57.5 years between 2012 and 2017.
An average in the 50s is a high number, and considering the amount of physical work and time required to succeed in agricultural production, Kasper said it is reasonable farmers eventually decide to cut down on
their herds.
“There’s times I drag my feet in the snow and cold, but the animal needs to be taken care of,” Kasper said. “As farmers get older, they aren’t able to do a lot of the work.”
Kasper said the herd is at a 60-year low. Considering the high prices of beef, it is simply too expensive for most farmers to maintain a larger herd.
For reference, Iowa choice steer prices have risen 38 percent since 2000 from $68.41 to $176.58, according to Iowa State Extension.
Kasper, though, said he stays in the industry for a reason that retains many farmers: their inherent care for the animals.
“Part of the reason I’m farming is because of the cattle,” he said. “I could make a lot more money doing something else.”
Kelli Wicks, director of governmental relations for the Iowa Cattlemen Association, said all these factors contribute to a strong doubt that the herd will be rebuilt soon.
There are adaptations and improvements for farmers and the industry overall, Wicks said, that mark the herd reduction as more of a market shift instead of an absolute negative.
“Producers are choosing to take older cows out of their herds,” she said. “That means there are less cows in the herd. Feeder cattle markets are higher, so it makes sense for producers to take a heifer calf and put her in the feed yard.”
The other main improvement, she said, is the overall increased efficiency in processing meat from beef cattle.
She said the animals are bigger overall, allowing more meat to be extracted from them, and the meat is of a higher quality. The herd will likely not be fully rebuilt for this reason, but Wicks said this is not a bad thing.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing either way, whether it is increasing or decreasing,” she said. “We want what is good for consumers and producers, and the farmers are both.”
Edited by Will Shortz No. 1113
Wyatt Goodale | The Daily Iowan
Cattle belonging to farmer Rick Kasper are seen on his farm near Tiffin, Iowa, on Dec. 8. Kasper’s cattle graze the cut cornfields to eat any corn missed by the combine.
| The Daily Iowan
Wyatt Goodale | The Daily Iowan
Cattle belonging to farmer Rick Kasper graze on his farm near Tiffin, Iowa, on Dec. 8. Kasper said that his herd is currently at a 60-year low.
Iowa Democrats ‘devastated’ after election
Iowa Democrats reflect on their election defeat and think about what comes next.
The week before the 2024 election, Iowa Democrats were cautiously optimistic. Polling showed the party could stem their previous losses in the state and maybe even gain on Republican control.
Democrats clung to a distant hope: Could they make Iowa purple again?
The last pre-election poll from the renowned Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll was released the weekend before the election — it showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading President-elect Donald Trump by three percentage points. The poll also showed Democrats favored in two of Iowa’s four congressional districts.
The poll was an odd duck; it pointed to a possible blowout for Harris, while polls nationwide showed the race was in a dead heat. A poll released by Emerson College the same day pointed to a commanding lead for Trump in the state.
Despite the poll’s outlier status, Democratic leaders said it proved Iowa could be competitive again.
While Democratic leaders remained skeptical of the poll, they trumpeted their excitement, saying it signaled Iowa Democrats had a chance to make gains in the state.
It turned out to be false hope.
The polls, it would turn out, were flawed. The Iowa Poll conducted by J. Ann Selzer, an infamous pollster with unrivaled accuracy, was off the mark. Selzer has yet to find a conclusive reason why her poll was so wrong.
Despite Selzer’s poll giving them hope, Iowa Democrats — along with fellow party members across the nation — were decimated. Trump not only won the Hawkeye state, but he did so by his widest margin yet.
The former president improved by 5 percentage points in the state and made gains — like he did across the nation — in Iowa’s Democratic strongholds, including Johnson County, where he improved on his 2020 results by 5.4 percentage points.
While Harris failed to clinch Iowa’s six electoral votes and did not gain enough electoral votes to claim the White House, Democrats in Iowa fell far from closing in on the Republican grasp on the state. They also lost ground in the Statehouse, giving Republicans their widest majority since 1970.
Ultimately, Democrats faced losses up and down the ballot. The party failed to oust any of Iowa’s four incumbent Republican federal representatives. They lost ground in the legislature, losing one net seat in the Senate and three in the House.
It soon became clear: Election night was devastating for Iowa Democrats.
Two days after the election, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart described the results as “an absolute gut punch.”
So, where do Iowa Democrats go from here?
Honing in on economics
The economy was a top concern for voters coming into the 2024 election, with 81 percent of respondents telling the Pew Research Center it was one of their top issues.
Republicans were favored on the issue after sky-high inflation under President Joe Biden ravaged Americans’ pocketbooks with rising prices. It doomed Democrats from the start, making the election an uphill battle neither Harris nor Iowa Democrats were able to scale.
University of Northern Iowa Political Science Professor Donna Hoffman said it was nearly impossible for Democrats to disconnect themselves from the inflation under Biden, even though other parts of the economy were doing well.
“I don’t think there was anything that Democrats were going to say, being the party in power at the presidency, to forestall the perceptions that voters have,” Hoffman said. The problem wasn’t that Democrats didn’t have a plan for the economy; by Hoffman’s account, they did. Rather, Democrats failed to reach the heart of Americans’ discontent with the economy: high prices.
State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, and former Senate Democrat leader said Iowa Democrats need a stronger economic message that gets at the concerns of working-class Iowans, but the party “frankly, didn’t have one.”
“A lot of the issues that [Iowa Democrats] talked about and focused on have an economic component,” Wahls said. “But that’s not the same thing as having a message on the economy.”
Drake Political Science Professor Adrien Halliez said Democrats’ plans for the economy were too niche to resonate and didn’t focus enough on working-class voters within the Democrats’ coalition. He said focusing on the middle class in their messaging and policy platforms alienated the working-class voters that the president-elect won by wide margins. Essentially, Iowa Democrats failed to effectively respond to voters’ concerns about the economy. Voters didn’t connect with their message. Instead, the state swung toward Trump and Republicans in large margins.
Newly elected Iowa Senate Democrats Leader Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, said to overcome this discontent, Iowa Democrats need a targeted, focused economic message so they can continue to outperform the national party and have a chance at clawing back Republican control.
“There are clearly a lot of folks that are struggling,” Weiner said. “As a whole, the state has been moving more and more red,
and we still face the question: What do we do about it? And can we do something about it?”
Though this election cycle’s national headwinds on economic discontent spelled Iowa Democrats’ doom, the party will need to focus on rebuilding an economic messaging to contend with Republicans, Halliez said.
Iowa House Democrats leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said the national Democrats’ failure to push a strong message on the economy trickled down the ballot, spelling defeat for Iowa Democrats this cycle — despite Iowa Democrats’ efforts to message on the issue.
Iowa Democrats made increasing opportunity for all Iowans one of their key messages in the 2024 election cycle. One of Iowa House Democrats’ main tenets was lowering prices for Iowans. But the message didn’t land.
“A lot of it has to do with the fact that just nationally, people this time saw Republicans as better on the economy than Democrats and didn’t believe us when we said we could do things for the middle class,” Konfrst said. “It certainly wasn’t a lack of communication about the issue. It was clearly just that the message didn’t resonate, and voters didn’t buy it.”
Are all politics national now?
Party leaders say Iowa Democrats must wrestle with a new reality: Could all politics be national? The old moniker that “all politics are local” could be a relic of the past.
Iowa Democrats will have to wrestle with these realities as they look into voter data and flesh out plans to hold focus groups and polls in the spring.
Iowa followed a national environment that favored Republicans this election, despite Iowa Democrats’ efforts to capitalize on Iowa Republicans’ unpopular policies like restrictions on abortion access, reforms to Area Education Agencies, and their private school education savings accounts.
However, Iowa Democrats outperformed at the top of the ticket throughout the state, giving them close wins in districts won by Trump and coming close in others. But many candidates didn’t make it across the finish line.
Iowa political scientists say Iowa Democrats will have to discern how much of the election results were because of national headwinds and how much was Iowa voters not buying what Iowa Democrats were selling. Hoffman, a political science professor at
IOWA’S RIGHTWARD SWING
UNI, said much of Iowa Democrats’ shortcomings can be attributed to a new national political environment.
“One of the things we also see in American elections in recent cycles is the notion of nationalization,” Hoffman said. “And I think this is very much an effect that we saw in Iowa, where in a presidential election year, you have a person at the top of the ticket, and people are being very consistent in their voting behavior down the ticket.”
Drake Political Science Professor Adrien Halliez said Iowa Democrats’ issues are almost indiscernible from the national political environment.
In Hart’s letter to the state central committee, she acknowledged much of what Iowa Democrats felt in November were national pressures.
“Some of what happened on Tuesday was out of our control,” Hart wrote. “This was a national trend. We will be part of the conversation to help determine how Democrats can win again in this country.”
Konfrst said Democrats will be looking hard at the data and talking with voters to see why their message didn’t connect and if it was because national trends were too strong.
“We got to figure out how much of that was because Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, how much of it was Biden fatigue, and how much of it is specific to our candidates,” Konfrst said.
Learning from the winners
Iowa Democrats outperformed Harris, as party leaders expected they would, but in many areas, it was not enough to overcome the 13-point deficit from the top of the ticket.
However, party leaders said they will be taking a hard look at those who won, or lost by small margins, in districts won by Trump.
A handful of examples from across the state might give Iowa Democrats the answer they are looking for.
One such district is state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, who won by 29 votes in a county Trump won by nearly 3,000 votes.
Another example is Senator-elect Matt Blake, who unseated incumbent State Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, negating Iowa Senate Democrats’ losses to only one seat after Sens. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, and Eric Giddens, D-Cedar Falls, lost their seats. Boulton and Giddens lost by 44 and 386 votes, respectively, to their Republican challengers.
“No Off Years”
Wahls said Democratic Party leaders should take a hard look at Johnson County Democrats’ organizing apparatus as an example of success in this election.
Johnson County had the widest margin of
President-elect Donald Trump improved on his margins in all but one of Iowa’s counties from 2020 compared to 2024.
votes for Harris in the state with almost 70 percent of the county’s votes going to the vice president, giving her a nearly 40 percentage point lead over Trump in the county.
The county also had the widest margins for the Democratic candidate for Congress Christina Bohannan, who challenged incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and only lost by roughly 800 votes. The county gave over 70 percent of its vote to Bohannan, giving her a large boost to narrowly fail to oust Miller-Meeks. Johnson County Democrats first chair and chair of the county party’s “get-out-thevote” committee Dan Feltes said the county’s “No Off Years” campaign helped mitigate some of the Democrats’ losses at the presidential and congressional levels. Bohannan boasted the second-largest margin for a federal candidate in the county’s history, only surpassed by President Joe Biden’s margin in 2020.
The “No Off Years” campaign focuses on meeting voters where they are, even if it’s not an election year. This involves local canvassing efforts where canvassers go door-to-door and listen to Iowans’ concerns, and the county party holds roundtables and listening posts to hear from voters.
Feltes said this shows voters they care, even if it is not an election year, about their voices.
“People are pretty tired of politics, but people, when you engage them not during an election season, but in the so-called off year, they respect and appreciate it because they know that it’s about listening to them and engaging with them and lifting up their voice,” Feltes said. Throughout the county party’s “get-outthe-vote” campaign, they knocked on over 58,000 doors, according to internal data shared with The Daily Iowan Feltes said going door-to-door is important, especially when people feel like the government isn’t working for them. Feltes said listening to voters is key for the path forward for Democrats.
Iowa Democrats still have to wrestle with a new reality; how will they compete in an increasingly red state?
Competing in a red state?
With Trump’s rise to the political scene, Iowa has turned ruby red. Once a place where Democrats could compete and where Barack Obama won the state twice, Iowa now has a bleak outlook for Democrats.
Halliez said Democrats need to look at the shifting demographics and behaviors of the voter groups they are trying to garner support from. He said Democrats rely on urban voters and university students in Iowa but have real opportunities to gain in the suburbs of metro areas like Des Moines. Trone Garriott is an example of that.
“There is something that, on an ideological level, is not resonating in the Democratic message in states like Iowa,” Halliez said. “So, there’s room, perhaps, to reconquer a little bit with the suburbs with messaging.”
Hoffman said Democrats can’t spend too much time licking their wounds from their defeat in November and instead need to spend energy on looking at races they can learn from and to apply those lessons broadly.
“[Democrats] have to really start analyzing and thinking about the leadership, the decisions about where they organize, the messaging that they do, the engagement that they do, the fundraising that they do,” Hoffman said. “That’s a lot of hard work.”
In her letter to the State Central Committee Iowa Democrats, Chair Rita Hart said Democrats have to get to work to become competitive in the state again.
“This may be the hardest work and the toughest task we have ever tried to accomplish,” Hart wrote. “Remember that nothing worthwhile comes about without hard work. Let’s not throw up our hands. Let’s roll up our sleeves and go back to work.”
Infographic by Marandah Mangra-Dutcher | The Daily Iowan
Emily Nyberg | The Daily Iowan
Christina Bohannan adresses the crowd at her watch party as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Iowa City on Nov. 5. Johnson County gave over 70 percent of its vote to Bohannan, giving her a large boost in the race to oust Republican incumbent Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Bohannan fell short by 800 votes.
Weiner
Konfrst
Iowa students hanging up their phones
The Iowa City Community School District recently updated
Isabelle Foland News Reporter news@dailyiowan.com
Some Eastern Iowa schools are implementing more strict cellphone policies, while Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds recently stated she would pursue a statewide ban on personal devices in classrooms.
In late November, Reynolds said she would urge state legislators to pursue a law banning cellphones in classrooms to curb bullying and increase the focus of students. The push comes as several states across the country implement and discuss cellphone bans.
At its Dec. 10 meeting, the Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors concluded months of discussions on a new cellphone policy by deciding to update its current rules. The new policy will only allow cellphones and other personal devices to be used during non-instructional times, such as passing periods and lunch.
If the devices are seen by an instructor, the device is to be confiscated and taken to the office for the remainder of the school day.
This applies to any instance of a device being used when it’s not supposed to be, no matter if it’s a student’s first offense or a repeat offense.
This policy will be communicated to families, students, and staff in the coming weeks. The changes will be implemented by Jan. 21.
In discussions on this policy change, school board members
and other personal devices should only be used outside of the classroom, such as passing periods and lunch.
While outright bans on cellphones have yet to make it to some public schools, a number of Eastern Iowa private schools have implemented stricter policies.
Hillcrest Academy, a private middle and high school in
“I understand that phones are part of their lives’, and teaching them to be responsible with their phone use, I think, is more important than just taking it away.”
Glenn Plummer
Regina’s junior and senior high school principal
have cited concerns with disruptions from students being on their phones as cause for the change.
This policy is similar to that of other school districts in Johnson County. The Clear Creek Amana Community School District, which is located in Oxford, Iowa, has a policy that states phones
Kalona, Iowa, implemented a cellphone ban that began this school year.
The policy states students must turn in their cellphones and personal devices at the beginning of the school day. The devices are then held in the office for the school day and are returned to the students at the end of the day.
WHAT STATES HAVE SIMILAR DEVICE RESTRICTIONS?
The Iowa City Community School District voted to update its cellphone policy, mirroring not only other schools in the state but also schools nationwide.
If a parent must get a hold of a student, they can email the student’s school email address or call the office. Students can also use the office’s phone to contact their parents if needed.
Hillcrest Principal Dwight Gingerich said this policy came from concerns about students being distracted and the mental health impacts of social media and cyberbullying. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that studies health policy, around nine out of 10 U.S. public schools reported cyberbullying among students in 2023. This policy has been wellreceived by staff, parents, and students, Gingerich said.
“Several of us — primarily me, and maybe one or two people — go around and pick [the devices] up every morning, and it’s really gone smooth,” Gingerich said. “The pushback isn’t really there. Kids have been very cooperative.”
Other private schools have not considered a policy like Hillcrest Academy’s but have a stricter policy than the Iowa City Community School District’s. At Regina Catholic Education Center, a private school in Iowa City, phones are gathered by teachers at the beginning of each class and returned at the end of class for students in seventh through 12th grade.
This policy has been in place for the last couple of years, Glenn Plummer, Regina’s junior and senior high school principal, said.
An outright ban on phones in school has not been considered at Regina, Plummer said.
“I understand that phones are part of their lives, and teaching them to be responsible with their phone use, I think, is more
important than just taking it away,” Plummer said.
In the Iowa City Community School District, students have expressed mixed feelings about the policy change. At the Dec. 10 meeting, some students expressed fear about potentially not having access to their phones during an emergency, while some students did not see the policy having a negative impact.
In an interview with The Daily Iowan, Flora Zhu, a senior at West High School, said she sees the district’s new policy as a good thing that will help with student engagement in the classroom. It also sets a more consistent standard that each school can follow rather than having different rules around cellphone use, she said.
In terms of any future legislation on cellphone use in classrooms, Zhu said the decision to ban cellphone use should come from school districts and not from the state.
“I think the state should be allowed to say, ‘OK, districts need to have a plan, and it has to follow a certain set of standards, like, for example, phones should not be used during instructional time,’” Zhu said. “But I think a complete ban should be left up to the jurisdiction of the districts.”
A complete ban would also be difficult for staff to implement, Zhu said.
“Right now we have a more lax kind of ban or regulations, and people are still getting around them,” Zhu said. “I think even if we do a complete ban, people would still find a way to get around it, like bringing two phones or something like that.”
Infographic by Emily Pavlik | The Daily Iowan Sourced from Kaiser Family Foundation
Ayrton Breckenridge | The Daily Iowan
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks during Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Caucus Night Watch Party at the Sheraton in West Des Moines on Jan. 15. In November, Reynolds said she would urge state legislators to pursue a law banning cellphones in classrooms.
scheduled for April 7, 2025, with the conditions to go into effect in July.
In “An Open Letter to Buckeye Nation” on Nov. 21, Ohio State University Athletic Director Ross Bjork announced his commitment to maintaining all 36 of the university’s 36 sports and fully funding that $20 million to directly pay players. And he expressed excitement at what will be 91 new athletic scholarships.
“As we begin the transition period for this new era of intercollegiate athletics here at The Ohio State University, we must collectively harness and direct all of our assets so we can continue to lead and maximize our full potential,” Bjork stated. “We are actively reviewing a range of initiatives where all of Buckeye Nation can continue to stay invested or create new opportunities to be involved.”
Such initiatives, according to Bjork, include revising football season ticket plans, increasing corporate sponsorships, and expanding licensing and branding.
“We will also continue to work diligently to further reduce operating expenses while uncovering many of the new revenue sources that fit Ohio State traditional values,” he stated. “We are committed to being extremely innovative and creative amid these changes to the collegiate sports model. During these times of immense change, we have an opportunity to show the world what it means to be a Buckeye and lead the way into the future.”
In “A Letter from Beth Goetz” on Oct. 18, University of Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz offered a much vaguer picture.
“It is a fundamental shift in intercollegiate athletics, and we are committed to embracing the future and remaining competitive in this new environment,” she stated. “We must contain our current expenses while seeking new revenue opportunities and growing current income streams. I am confident in our plan moving forward while realizing we will need to continue to navigate as the landscape changes in the months ahead.”
The settlement certainly raises concerns for funding Iowa’s athletics should the athletic department opt in to revenue sharing. That’s especially prominent considering the establishment of a women’s wrestling program, new wrestling and gymnastics facilities, outdoor track resurfacing, and new turf and lights at the baseball field — all in the last two years.
The program will need to keep as much revenue as it can over the foreseeable future to recoup the costs of such investments. But if it doesn’t pay its players, they’ll find another place to play.
A final key aspect in the settlement is the elimination of scholarship limits. Universities will be permitted to offer as many scholarships as roster spots. But rosters are limited as a result, meaning some players will be cut, and even less will be recruited.
After Signing Day in early December, many athletes especially in Olympic sports — who committed to univer
were going to get some offensive rebounds, that’s what their team’s about, but we definitely turned the ball over way too many times, and that led to easy layups for them.”
The loss to the Volunteers might be a fresh reminder in Iowa’s mind,
sities under promises of scholarships or roster spots are now finding out such promises are no longer guaranteed. And some who have enrolled are even learning they’ve been cut.
ESPN found the new maximum roster size for 19 of 43 NCAA sports would be smaller than the current average rosters in those sports, meaning there will be thousands of less football, baseball, and women’s soccer players next year.
For example, football rosters currently grant 85 scholarships to a Football Bowl Subdivision average of 121 roster spots. And while the scholarship number could increase to 105 with this settlement should programs fund 105 scholarships, that 105 number also means rosters will be limited to 105 players. So, roughly 15 will be cut, and one can almost guarantee those will be walk-ons.
Indeed, in light of the settlement, this year, the Iowa football program signed 15 players but just two walk-ons, impeding the team’s history of development and reliance on walk-ons into starters such as Super Bowl Champion Dallas Clark.
turnovers have cost the Hawkeyes a game. On Nov. 16, 2023, Iowa lost a close contest to Kansas State, with the Wildcats seizing a 65-58 triumph in Iowa City. Kansas State had nine turnovers over the entirety of the game; Iowa had nearly twice as many with 16.
The Hawkeyes were largely
“Obviously, the two walk-ons and that number being so low is due to the 105 number,” Iowa football general manager Tyler Barnes said on Signing Day on Dec. 4. “As we’re going through and trying to restructure our roster, there’s not as much space as we once had. That’s something that’s definitely unique for us. Usually, we’ve always got 10 to 12 walk-ons that are committed at this point.
to win games and put up high numbers, but they suffered another difficult defeat on Jan. 21 to No. 18 Ohio State. Iowa outscored or broke even with the Buckeyes in each of the first three quarters but fell short in both the fourth quarter and overtime.
Similar to the Kansas State game, the Hawkeyes led in turnovers. Ohio State recorded 13, from
SEC’s dominance in Division I football.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Hawkeye gang,” Ferrari said live on FloWrestling after committing in May 2023. “It’s like Alabama football. It’s always been like that. It’s crazy.”
With big names such as Matt Ramos of Purdue, Carter Starocci and Beau Bartlett of Penn State, and Ridge Lovett of Nebraska, the Big Ten consistently receives high praise for tough competition throughout the conference. That’s not to mention Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee of Iowa.
The Big Ten, in addition to its legendary and experienced programs promoting work ethic and development, simply builds a better environment. No. 1 157-pounder Jacori Teemer, who transferred to Iowa this year after a career at Arizona State, called the Hawkeyes his favorite program yet, due much in part to the aura around the conference.
“You see everything from the YouTube clips and Instagram Reels, but there’s nothing like it when you get out there,” Ari zona State transfer and current Iowa wrestler Kyle Parco added. “The fans here are so passionate, and they’re so proud. I’m thankful that I even got the opportunity to come out there today and that there are so many fans there.”
This year, only having two is a little bit different.”
The changes have strained Hawkeye football coaches in their needs for talent at their respective positions balanced with roster limits and, surely soon enough, compensation.
“You have to be in constant communication with Coach [Kirk] Ferentz, the coordinators, the position coaches on just what the outlook of the room looks like,” Barnes said. “Now more than ever, we’ve condensed those spots.
“You realize that 105 is still a lot of players, but going from 130 to 105, you are really cutting a lot of meat off the bone,” he added. “It’s been a fun exercise. We’re still talking through it as a staff and figuring out where we’re going and how we want to budget everything, but it certainly played a role into this class being a little bit smaller this year.”
As a result, Barnes finds his players falling into different groups, some set on transferring out, others willing to stay through the spring and fight for a roster spot, and others willing to stay and focus on academics if cut.
“You certainly have to have those conversations to give these kids a heads-up because if they want to hit the portal now, you want to do it,” he said. “I’ve talked to some teams where they aren’t going to tell anybody until the spring, which I think morally and ethically is wrong because then that window is a little bit different than this window.”
Barnes said he’s given every player the opportunity to return in the spring and compete, but as the House settlement nears finalization, an opportunity is no longer guaranteed.
which Iowa scored 10 points, while the Hawkeyes logged 15 turnovers, from which the Buckeyes nabbed an extra 18 points toward their 100-92 win. In fact, four of Iowa’s five losses last season saw the Hawkeyes commit double-digit turnovers.
The Hawkeyes have ultimately seen a lot of success in recent seasons with back-to-back national title appearances being prime examples, and this season has started with a lot of promise, especially for new additions to the pro-
“It’s really exciting to be a part of it,” first-year Teagan
Mallegni said. “I’ve worked really hard for this, so I think having the opportunity is really amazing. I think everything throughout these past couple games has really helped me.”
With big names and fierce competitors on the horizon, Iowa has plenty of areas in which the squad can excel and make a good run. However, the Hawkeyes will have to rise to the occasion to take back this crucial area, and they are determined to not make turnovers a habit moving forward.
“There’s a lot of things that we can learn from a loss,” Affolter said. “Obviously, we would rather learn from a win, but we know what we have to work on, and it will prepare us for the rest of the season.”
Even when a Big Ten conference member wins that NCAA national championship, another member is likely heartbroken at a runner-up finish.
From 2017-23, excluding the COVID-19 year, a Big Ten team has been both crowned a champion and a runner-up in the same season. Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, and Iowa all have runner-up finishes against a Big Ten team in the end-of-season campaign. Winning a NCAA national championship in men’s wrestling is always within reach for Big Ten schools. And Iowa’s 133-pounder Drake Ayala is hopeful that vision of a national title comes into fruition this season.
“My mindset is I’ve got to take one step on that podium,” Ayala said. “I got second last year. So, I’m excited to go out there dominating. A big thing for me is scoring points. I’ve got to score points, and when I do that, I wrestle like Drake Ayala, and good things happen.”
And that’s a mindset here in the Big Ten conference.
Ethan McLaughlin | The Daily Iowan
Members of the public tour the new facilities during the dedication ceremony for the University of Iowa’s Goschke Family Wrestling Training Center on May 30. The House settlement raises concerns regarding funding and recruitment for universities associated with the NCAA.
Logan McCaw | The Daily Iowan
Stanford No. 23 133-pound Tyler Knox wrestles Iowa No. 7 Drake Ayala during No. 2 Iowa’s first home dual against No. 20 Stanford at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Nov. 9. The Hawkeyes defeated the Tree, 32-9. Ayala was defeated by Knox, 15-10.
Bjork
Goetz
Barnes
Mallegni
Ayala
Parco
THE HOUSE SETTLEMENT
Finances fog the future of athletics
The settlement will shift programs toward shrinking rosters and player compensation.
Beth Goetz speaks during an introductory press conference at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 23.
athletic director.
Colin Votzmeyer Sports Editor colin.votzmeyer@dailyiowan.com
As decades upon decades brought us athletic greats from Herschel Walker and Lew Alcindor to Jennie Finch and Caitlin Clark, college sports are changing — and changing fast. In May, attorneys began the settlement of a string of antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA concerning player compensation. And that settlement, now known collectively as the House settlement after plaintiff and former Arizona State swimmer Grant House, will now drastically shape the future of college athletics.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The lawsuits first claimed the NCAA was “illegally restricting the earning potential of college athletes,” according to ESPN. Thus, in the settlement, the NCAA agreed to pay $2.8 billion in damages to former and current collegiate athletes since 2016. The NCAA’s conferences will contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to help fund this back pay, but the NCAA will fund the rest through reduced payouts to successful teams in NCAA postseason tournaments.
Eligible college athletes can make their claim for the back pay at collegeathletecompensation.com.
Additionally, the settlement allows schools to directly pay their players through shares of the revenue their sports bring in — but only for schools that opt in to the stipulation. Without restrictions on direct payment, universities can pay players out of a cap of roughly $20 million per school. But with that comes concerns. Per ESPN, the overwhelming majority of such back pay and revenue sharing will likely go to football and men’s basketball players because they
Iowa women’s basketball determined to fix turnover woes
The team had 30 turnovers in a neutral court loss to Tennessee — a recurring problem for the Hawkeyes.
Jack Birmingham
The Iowa women’s basketball team is off to a strong start in the 2024-25 campaign, owning big victories over Kansas, Drake, and BYU. But despite their impressive record, turnovers continue to be an Achilles’ heel for the Hawkeyes. A 78-68 loss to Tennessee on Dec. 7 served as a major warning sign, as Iowa committed 30 turnovers in the loss.
“We handled the boards quite well against a really great rebounding team,” head coach Jan Jensen said during a news conference two days after the Tennessee loss. “We did not handle the pressure and the poise. We really had some flustered passes, sailed them, forced them.”
It’s hard to win a basketball game when you give the ball away at a high rate, and
Iowa has historically struggled to win games with a high turnover rate. Since 2009, the Hawkeyes have never won a game where they have committed 25 or more turnovers.
“You never want that, but I also appreciated that they never really folded,” Jensen said. “They kept battling. Watching the film, I thought we saw some things that could’ve been easily corrected, and I think that they will be.”
Iowa’s turnover issues have carried over from the 202324 season, where they were responsible for 453 turnovers, good for an average of 13.7 per contest. The loss to Tennessee was another example of that weakness, something the Hawkeyes know they need to improve upon.
“Their press is really good, but we could’ve controlled that a lot better,” fourth-year Sydney Affolter said regarding the loss to the Lady Vols. “We knew we were going to turn the ball over a little bit, we knew they
bring in the most money, which could be inequitable to women and violate Title IX laws.
Lastly, the settlement would allow the NCAA to limit third-party boosters and name, image, and likeness deals in preventing collectives from using endorsements to attract players to their universities.
After preliminary approval from Claudia Wilken, U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of California, on Oct. 7, a final hearing to approve the settlement is
MEN’S WRESTLING
The Big Ten’s wrestling superiority
In the last two decades, the Big Ten has proven itself the premier men’s wrestling conference.
Trey Benson Sports Reporter sports@dailyiowan.com
It’s been 17 years since the last time a Big Ten wrestling program was not crowned champion at the NCAA national championships.
The last non-Big Ten team to win that coveted title was the Big 12’s Oklahoma State back in 2006 — the year most first-year students now entering the University of Iowa were born. And while the Pokes lead all programs with 34 team titles, the Big Ten has done much more as a collective to dethrone all others.
The Big Ten holds four out of the top five, six out of the top 10, and nine out of the top 25 teams in the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s poll. No other conference comes close to this feat, especially as the Big 12 brings in rather random schools to compete that are otherwise without a men’s wrestling conference. Take Cal Baptist, Utah Valley, and Northern Iowa as examples.
In fact, with nine members of its now 18-team conference ranked among the nation’s top 25, the Big Ten reigns supreme. This includes No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Illinois, No. 17 Rutgers, and No. 25 Maryland. Additionally, Indiana is receiving top-25 votes.
This comes as Iowa has won the second-most 24 team titles ahead of Penn State in third with 12 — 11 of which came in the last 14 years. And Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State, and Ohio State each have won the trophy before.
Thus, the Big Ten still stands out among other conferences as the premier destination for top-ranked high school wrestlers looking to perfect their craft and get their hands raised in the end.
Top-ranked high school recruit Bo Bassett, for example, has five of his final nine schools in the Big Ten conference: Iowa, Penn State, Rutgers, Michigan, and Ohio State. Former high school standout and current Iowa Hawkeye Angelo Ferrari believes programs such as Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State, and Nebraska are equivalent to the
Shaely Odean | The Daily Iowan
Goetz is the first woman in the Big Ten conference to be hired into the role of
Jessy Lane | The Daily Iowan
Emily Ryan and Hannah Stuelke fight for the ball during the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, a basketball game between Iowa and Iowa State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Dec. 11. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones, 87-75.
Jensen
Affolter
The
Daily Iowan
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 | MUSIC CITY BOWL: IOWA
VS. MISSOURI | NISSAN STADIUM
PREGAME BRIDGING TO BALANCE
As the Iowa football team approaches the 2025 season, beneficial additions are coupled with unwanted subtractions.
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Inc.
5 things to watch
Matt McGowan Pregame Editor matt.mcgowan@dailyiowan.com
1. Carrying the burden
Missouri will be without one of its top offensive weapons in wide receiver Luther Burden III, who opted out of the bowl game in preparation for the NFL draft. A likely first-round pick, Burden amassed 676 receiving yards and a team-best six touchdown catches. Without Burden, quarterback Brady Cook will have to rely on senior Theo Wease Jr., who has a team-high 809 yards on 14.7 yards per catch. The 6-foot-2 Wease will be yet another test for the Hawkeye secondary, which will be without top cornerback Jermari Harris for the third consecutive game. Look for cornerbacks TJ Hall and Deshaun Lee to pick up the slack and prove their value for next season.
2. Quarterback future
After the transfer of Marco Lainez, Iowa will be down to two quarterbacks – Brendan Sullivan and Jackson Stratton – against the Tigers. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said he assumed Sullivan would be the starter but added there would be some competition leading up to the game.
Sullivan is older than Jackson and has more experience, but he still has limited snaps in the Black and Gold. A decent performance against an SEC opponent would guide Iowa’s transfer portal aggressiveness at quarterback.
3. Running back depth
The Hawkeye offense will look far different without star running back Kaleb Johnson and his 23 touchdowns in the backfield. Nevertheless, offensive coordinator Tim Lester won’t abandon the run
game against the Tigers, who rank 40th in the FBS in opponent rushing yards per game. Facing this challenge will be second-year Kamari Moulton and third-year Jaziun Patterson.
Moulton, who scored two touchdowns in his collegiate debut last season, has flashed potential this year. His 114yard performance against Maryland contained a 68-yard touchdown scamper, but he also a lost fumble when the Hawkeyes were in field-goal territory. Ball security will be of the utmost importance against the Tigers, who have 12 forced fumbles on the season, including three from defensive end Johnny Walker Jr.
How Moulton and Patterson perform will give fans an insight into Iowa’s ground game for next season.
4. Kicking difference
While Iowa kicker Drew Stevens hasn’t been perfect this season, his Missouri counterpart has had far more struggles. First-year kicker Blake Craig has connected on only 22 of 32 field goal attempts, including a 5-of-14 mark from beyond 40 yards.
Given this lack of success, the Iowa defense should expect more fourth-down attempts from Mizzou, but special teams coordinator LeVar Woods and Co. should be excited. The Hawkeyes have blocked and forced missed kicks this season – such as against Washington and Nebraska – and the Tigers will pose a chance to make a difference in the third phase. Three points could make all the difference in this affair.
5. Defensive line potential
With Missouri’s starting right tackle opting out in preparation for the NFL Draft, Iowa’s defensive line should have a prime opportunity in Nashville. The Hawkeye defensive line room contains three seniors in Deontae Craig, Ethan Hurkett, and Yahya Black, but fans should also keep an eye out for younger linemen who could fill their roles for next season.
Junior Aaron Graves is the headliner with 32 tackles and 6 sacks, but fellow third-years Jeremiah Pittman and Max Llewellyn can be key pieces of 2025 as well. How they perform given the opportunity against the Tigers will be an indicator of what Iowa has heading into the new year.
OFFENSE
QB 1 Brendan Sullivan Jr 19 Jackson Stratton Soph
RB 28 Kamari Moulton #Fr 9 Jaziun Patterson Soph
WR 0 Jarriett Buie #Fr 7 Dayton Howard #Fr
WR 6 Seth Anderson Jr 21 Kaden Wetjen Sr
WR 5 Jacob Gill Jr 8 Terrell Washington Jr. #Fr
TE 85 Luke Lachey Sr 87 Addison Ostrenga Jr
LT 78 Mason Richman Sr 71 Jack Dotzler Soph
LG 70 Beau Stephens Jr 58 Kade Pieper #Fr
C 65 Logan Jones Sr 76 Tyler Elsbury Sr
RG 77 Connor Colby Sr 53 Michael Myslinski Jr
RT 67 Gennings Dunker Jr 56 Nick DeJong Sr
PK 18 Drew Stevens Jr
DEFENSE
LE 45 Deontae Craig Sr 48 Max Llewellyn Jr
LT 95 Aaron Graves Jr 57 Will Hubert Soph
RT 94 Yahya Black Sr 55 Jeremiah Pittman Jr
RE 49 Ethan Hurkett Sr 90 Brian Allen Soph
OFFENSE
QB 12 Brady Cook Sr
6 Drew Pyne Sr
RB 8 Nate Noel Sr 9 Marcus Carroll Sr
WR 10 Mekhi Miller Jr 16 Daniel Blood Soph
WR 5 Mookie Cooper Sr 0 Joshua Manning Soph
WR 1 Theo Wease Jr. Sr
2 Marquis Johnson Soph
TE 87 Brett Norfleet Soph 86 Jordon Harris Soph
LT 52 Marcus Bryant Sr 76 Jayven Richardson Soph
LG 70 Cayden Green Soph 66 Logan Reichert Fr
C 69 Drake Heismeyer Sr 73 Tristan Wilson Soph
RG 74 Cam’Ron Johnson Sr 77 Curtis Peagler Soph
RT 75 Mitchell Walters Sr
PK 19 Blake Craig #Fr DEFENSE
DE 9 Zion Young Jr 97 Eddie Kelly Jr. Jr
DT 7 Chris McClellan Jr 95 Jalen Marshall Soph
DT 5 Kristian Williams Sr 10 Sterling Webb Jr
DE 15 Johnny Walker Jr. Sr 52 Jahkai Lang Fr
29 Sebastian Castro Sr 37 Kyler Fisher Sr
CASH/ LEO
MLB 34 Jay Higgins Sr 41 Jaden Harrell Jr
WLB 10 Nick Jackson Sr 43 Karson Sharar Jr
CB 2 TJ Hall Jr 3 Jaylen Watson Fr
SS 1 Xavier Nwankpa Jr 4 Koen Entringer Soph
FS 30 Quinn Schulte Sr 6 Zach Lutmer #Fr
CB 8 Deshaun Lee Soph 7 John Nestor Soph
P 9 Rhys Dakin Fr
LB 14 Triston Newson Sr 16 Brayshawn Littlejohn #Fr
LB 30 Chuck Hicks Sr 11 Corey Flagg Sr
CB 12 Dreyden Norwood Jr 8 Marcus Clarke Sr
S 28 Joseph Charleston Sr 4 Tre’Vez Johnson Sr
S 1 Marvin Burks Jr. Soph 36 Caleb Flagg Jr
S 13 Daylan Carnell Jr 3 Sidney Williams Sr
CB 2 Toriano Pride Jr. Jr 24 Nicholas Deloach Jr. #Fr
P 93 Luke Bauer Sr
Wease Jr.
Moulton
Burden III
Sullivan
Iowa football’s latest juggling act
The Hawkeyes will look to the portal this offseason, with plenty of options in multiple positions.
Matt McGowan Pregame Editor matt.mcgowan@dailyiowan.com
The NFL began unrestricted free agency in 1993. Once a player’s contract expires, they are free to sign with any team they choose. Nearly 30 years later, the NCAA finds itself in a similar situation – just not with contracts. Yet. With players having immediate eligibility in the transfer portal, the Dec. 9 opening window date brought a mass exodus around the sport, from backups looking for more playing time or stars in search of a national title.
“The avalanche is really coming,” said Iowa football chief of staff and general manager Tyler Barnes on Dec. 4, the national signing day for incoming high school players..
For Barnes and others in his position, it’s not just about recruiting talent from other schools, but retaining talent on your own team. Just another item on the off-
But, like it or not, Barnes can’t keep everyone, even those who want to stay.
Iowa fans may cringe at the “Drive to 325” mantra that haunted former offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s final season in 2023. Two years later, the tune has become more ominous. As the Hawkeyes approach the 2025-26 school year, the phrase will be “Cut to 105.”
As mandated by the settlement of the House v. NCAA court case over the summer, NCAA sports will now have roster caps as opposed
to 2023, every Iowa quarterback recruit has entered the portal. All three quarterbacks from last season have departed. Junior Brendan Sullivan is the only scholarship quarterback left on the roster after Marco Lainez announced his entry into the transfer portal.
“We would be fools not to at least see what’s available and see what might be of interest,” Ferentz said of acquiring a quarterback via the portal.
This year’s portal class offers plenty of options, but they are dwindling as talented arms are swept up by other schools.
For instance, Miller Moss of USC, who completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions for the Trojans this year, committed to Louisville on Dec. 14. Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman opted to head to Houston Dec. 11.
Still, other options remain, including second-year Maalik Murphy of Duke, third-year Thomas Castellanos of Boston College, and second-year John Mateer of Washington State. Castellanos played in eight games and threw for 1,366 yards this season, but Murphy and Mateer each averaged more than 200 pasing yards per game and combined for 55 touchdown passes.
mention having to prepare for the upcoming Music City Bowl against Missouri. Welcome to the new era of college football, where a bowl game illuminates beyond the metallic glint of a trophy. Rather, it showcases the haves, havenots, and soon-to-be-hads.
Iowa has been no stranger to the transfer
“We are what we are. If it is attractive enough for a prospect and attractive enough for him to come and take a look and get a better feel of things, then that’s good. And if not, we’ll move on and find some guys that are interested..”
quarterback and Big Ten champion Cade McNamara – fell short of expectations due to two knee injuries, a torn quad, and a concussion. The setbacks all felt worse knowing that head coach Kirk Ferentz committed a recruiting violation when courting McNamara – costing Ferentz to miss his first game at the helm in Iowa City when Iowa opened this season against Illinois State. Given this fluctuation, it’s reasonable to view the portal as a gamble, but Ferentz has confidence that he can build mutual relationships. The head coach explained that portal players are usually older, more mature, and more definitive in what they want in a football program and academics.
Iowa hasn’t seen those types of statistics since Nate Stanley in 2019, the last Hawkeye quarterback to have a 300-yard passing game. In the 61 games since then, an Iowa quarterback has thrown for more than 200 yards only 14 times.
to scholarship limits. For Iowa, this year’s 128 spots will be reduced to 105, the limit for college football.
“Just the craziness of we’ve got 128 free agents on our roster right now,” Barnes said. “That’s the reality. It is what it is.”
Keeping. Cutting. Adding. Iowa football will have to balance these tasks this winter – not to
portal in recent years, but has had varying degrees of success. Short-term investments like offensive lineman Rusty Feth and linebacker Nick Jackson paid dividends, while potential long-term solutions like wide receiver Kaleb Brown were pitfalls.
Perhaps the Hawkeyes most notable acquisition from the portal – former Michigan
“We are what we are,” Ferentz said. “If it is attractive enough for a prospect and attractive enough for him to come and take a look and get a better feel of things, then that’s good. And if not, we’ll move on and find some guys that are interested.”
If the Hawkeyes have one identity, it’s that they are no haven for quarterbacks. From 2019
The Hawkeyes’ quarterback search has already landed new additions. Auburn second-string quarterback Hank Brown visited Iowa on Dec. 12 and took in Iowa men’s basketball’s game against Iowa State. A day later, Brown committed to the Hawkeyes.
Brown, who attended the same high school as offensive coordinator Tim Lester, spent two seasons with the Tigers in backup duty. Over four games, he completed 65 percent of his passes for 535 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions.
While it remains to be seen if Iowa will continue to add at quarterback, Ferentz said his team wouldn’t be locked into one play style under center, pointing out that the Hawkeyes had success with both pocket passers and dualthreat options.
“We’ll just keep an open mind and see what’s available and not bound ourselves to any – it doesn’t have to be an FBS player,” Ferentz said.
Emily Nyberg | The Daily Iowan
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz talks to players after an Iowa football spring practice at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on April 20. The Hawkeyes went 8-4 in the regular season.
Kirk Ferentz Iowa football coach
Barnes
McNamara
K. Ferentz
“We’re just looking for somebody that will lead the team and move the team. Brendan has done a good job of that.”
Nevertheless, Ferentz maintained there would still be some “parameters.” For Barnes, the future at quarterback belongs to Lester as he enters his second season at Iowa.
Lester, a former quarterback at Western Michigan, was the main coach behind walk-on Jackson Stratton’s arrival at Iowa. After watching Stratton throw during a workout in San Diego and leaving impressed by Stratton’s arm strength, Lester offered the then-Colorado State quarterback a preferred walk-on spot.
After Sullivan went down with an ankle injury in the second half against UCLA, Stratton stepped up in his home state of California and led Iowa down the field for a game-tying touchdown drive. He started the final two games of the season and finished the season with 21-of35 passing for 219 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
“There are certain characteristics that Tim really wants to see,” Barnes said. “But a huge part of the quarterback thing that people don’t really talk about is you can be the most talented guy in the world, but in between the ears is where it’s all going to take place.”
For Barnes, the key is processing information. He said on campus visits, quarterbacks will have to recite play calls and identify the proper offensive assignments. This all feels like “drinking out of a fire hose,” just like it did for Sullivan when he arrived in Iowa City over the summer.
Ensuring that new quarterbacks become well-adjusted to the offense is one of the reasons why Lester isn’t going on the road for recruiting this offseason. He wants to be hands-on with Iowa’s quarterbacks this spring, which will include Sullivan as well as incoming scholarship quarterback Jimmy Sullivan.
Jimmy Sullivan, a 6-foot-2 three-star recruit from Fort Wayne, Indiana, fielded offers from Illinois, Michigan State, and Minnesota. 247 Sports composite rankings have him at the 74th-best quarterback in the class of 2025.
While tantalizing fans with his mobility this season, Brendan Sullivan has only completed 24 passes in an Iowa uniform, in part due to his second-string status behind McNamara and his ankle injury in November. A strong showing against Missouri will be Sullivan’s final chance to update his resume as Iowa prepares to reform under center.
Quarterback isn’t the only position under scrutiny as the calendar flips to 2025. Iowa’s offensive line had an improved season, conceding less than half of the sacks it allowed in 2024, but could see new faces.
While center Logan Jones opted to use his final year of eligibility for next season, long-time starting left tackle Mason Richman will depart,
and first-team All-Big Ten guard Connor Colby is a projected NFL draft pick and will have to determine his future soon.
Another veteran wide receiver like Northwestern transfer Jacob Gill could be considered as well. The Iowa receiver with the most catches after is true freshman Reece Vander Zee with 14.
The same can be said for the defensive side of the ball. Starting linebacker tandem Jay Higgins and Jackson will play their final collegiate game in Nashville. In the secondary, defensive backs Quinn Schulte and Sebastian Castro can’t return for next season. Other defensive line seniors like Yahya Black and Ethan Hurkett have yet to decide if they want to return for another season.
Iowa has already ventured for possible replacements, as evidenced by its offer to Miami (Ohio) second-year Raion Strader. A 247 Sports fourstar transfer, Strader is ranked fourth at his position and 46th overall after collecting 110 tackles and three interceptions with the RedHawks.
“We’re definitely going to look and just see,” Ferentz said of the portal. “Probably at every position, but there are certain things that are a little bit more important.”
In the era of roster caps, however, a portal addition might require a roster subtraction.
“There’s tiers of guys,” Barnes said. “There’s been a lot of conversations had and hard conversations.”
Barnes identified three “populations” of Iowa players — those who want to transfer, those who want to fight for a roster spot, and others who want to stay on the team until fall camp, when they will leave the team and remain a student at the university.
“You certainly have to have those conversations to give these kids a heads-up because if they want to hit the portal now, you want to do it,” he said.
As of Dec. 11, 18 Iowa players have entered
but amid all the departures, there’s more pressure to restock, either from the portal or high school ranks.
Yet even supplementation from the prep level looks different today. Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class features only 15 scholarship players and two walk-ons. Barnes attributed this small size to the impending roster cuts.
Considering Iowa’s past reluctance to start first-year quarterbacks, Jimmy Sullivan will most likely use a redshirt for 2025 and focus on his development. However, other players could
“But a huge part of the quarterback thing that people don’t really talk about is you can be the most talented guy in the world, but in between the ears is where it’s all going to take place .”
Tyler Barnes
Iowa football chief of staff and general manager
the portal, and that number will only increase before the first transfer portal window closes on Dec. 28.
While Ferentz didn’t rule out the transfer portal as an option, he maintained he didn’t want to construct his team entirely of players from other programs. Yet the problem from building within is that replacement candidates can use the transfer portal to find more immediate opportunities.
Most of the 15-plus Iowa transfer exits were walk-ons occupying low spots on the depth chart, and with those players no longer on the team, their future potential as Hawkeye contributors isn’t realized. Ferentz and Barnes don’t criticize players for wanting to move elsewhere,
make a more immediate impact.
Many consider defensive lineman Iose Epenesa as the crown jewel of the Hawkeyes’ incoming recruits. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Epenesa is the younger of two older brothers, both of whom played for the Hawkeyes. The eldest, AJ, is now a defensive end on the Buffalo Bills.
Epenesa is just the second five-star to join the Hawkeye defense. The other is safety Xavier Nwankpa, who played in 13 games in 2022 as a freshman, including a start in the Music City Bowl against Kentucky.
“He’s one I wish were coming in January, but it’s fine,” Barnes said of Epenesa. “We’ll get him here in June and get him up and rolling.”
Similar to Vander Zee, incoming wideout Terrence Smith stands tall at 6-foot-4 and comes from a multi-sport background. Barnes praised his abilities to make contested catches and added that had Smith grown up closer to Chicago than his hometown Aurora, Illinois, he would’ve fielded far more offers than what he received.
The only wide receiver in the class, Smith could potentially pair up with Vander Zee next fall. But for Barnes, there’s more pieces to the puzzle.
“We’ve got a couple of bigger guys on the outside,” Barnes said. “Now the next goal is finding a guy that can really run. We’re looking for speed.”
Once again, another problem that could be addressed via the portal. It’s up to Ferentz, Lester, Barnes, and the rest of the coaching staff to balance these additions and subtractions. Looming over their heads is the 105 number, just another recent change to college football.
With revenue sharing – another piece of the House settlement – on the horizon for 202526, schools will have to pay athletes of all sports up to 22.5 percent of the revenue it made from the previous year. Just another variable as Iowa enters an offseason of unknowns.
“That’s something I probably spend a bulk of my day on every day,” Barnes said of revenue sharing. “It almost gets tiresome looking at the same spreadsheet and moving numbers around and playing with models a little bit.”
For Barnes, the ability to directly pay players is a tactic to retain them. Money talks, but so do opposing coaches and NFL scouts.
In a landscape of competing voices shouting to be heard, Iowa will have to register some decibels if it wants to make noise in the new year.
Cody Blissett | The Daily Iowan
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz answers questions during a press conference following a football game between Iowa and Maryland at SECU Stadium in College Park, Md. on Nov. 23. The Hawkeyes defeated the Terrapins, 29-13.
Lester
Weekly Wager
PETE RUDEN College Football Editor, Action Network Daily Iowan alumnus
The Daily Iowan’s official bettor’s guide to Iowa football’s bowl game matchup with Missouri.
MATT MCGOWAN Pregame Editor
The Tiger running back duo of Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll has combined for 1,382 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. Both backs should have plenty of opportunities to add to those totals against a Hawkeye defense 99th nationally in rushing success rate allowed.
Say what you want about the SEC’s complaining, but it’s true that it’s the best conference in college football with the most NFL talent. Iowa is 6-8 all-time against SEC squads with a 6-7 mark in bowl games. The Tigers have an edge in the ground game and should cover here.
While the Tigers may move the chains from time to time, the Hawkeyes lead the nation in rushing expected points added allowed, so big plays will be hard to come by. On the other side, there are few offenses that rely on a single player more than Iowa relies on Kaleb Johnson.
The Gators will practically be the home team in Tampa Bay and will face a Tulane squad without its starting defensive end.
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson has only missed two quarters of action this season. In those 30 minutes, the Hawkeyes mustered just six points against FCS Illinois State. Suffice it to say that without Johnson in the backfield, points will be at a premium.
The Buffalo defense will feast on Liberty’s inexperienced backup quarterback. The Bulls boast 30 sacks on the season.
Each week during the Iowa football season, Daily Iowan Pregame Editor Matt McGowan and Action Network College Football Editor
YTD: $1,200 YTD: $1,640
Pete Ruden will place three hypothetical bets of $100. The score of the contest will be kept in the piggy banks to the right and left with a winner to be declared at the end of the season.
Ruden’s 2024 record: 13-22-1
McGowan’s 2024 record: 18-18
Bowl Guide
We’re entering college football sicko territory. It’s 4 p.m. the day after Christmas, and you’re going to sit down and watch three hours of Rutgers?
In line with tradition, I’ll call this the GAME OF THE WEEK. Irish fans are paying as cheap as $900 to get into Notre Dame Stadium. And at 7 p.m.? Fire me up.
Without the 12th man at Kyle Field, this one looks a lot more evenly matched. Nonetheless, it feels a lot like a contest of disappointment between underwhelming teams.
The Mustangs’ might look more like ponies inside a playoff-packed Beaver Stadium. That’s a tough place to play, but the Nittany Lions always, always, falter in the postseason.
Sunny Tennessee, windows down, Morgan Wallen playing — no. Give me 20 degrees in the middle of Ohio. And I want “Just What I Am” by Kid Cudi and King Chip. Buckeyes by 14.
We saw how the set-up at Yankee Stadium went for the Notre Dame-Army game, but I guarantee there won’t be thousands of fans lining up for this one. I plan on sleeping in.
The two most-hated college football programs unite. The Wolverines have upset potential and I’m assuming the Crimson Tide are fueled or deflated by a perceived playoff snub.
I remember a time when the Rose Bowl was the Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl was the Sugar Bowl. But Tony the Tiger? I like some of the Kelloggs cereals, but do they know ball?
The only beautiful thing about bowl games is we can test our theories now that the playoff is solidified. The Gamecocks had a great resume, but a loss proves they weren’t snubbed.
Kaleb Johnson opted out, one scholarship quarterback is left, and there’s a hole at cornerback. This isn’t Iowa football, and say a prayer it won’t be in the future.
What if we limited the bowl games to seven- or eight-win teams? That might incentivize winning just a bit more, or it’ll just save us the strife of watching Minnesota play in January.
Votzmeyer Sports Editor
Fan guide to Nashville for the Music City Bowl
The capital of Tennessee offers plenty of dining and entertainment to keep Iowa football fans busy during their stay.
For the 12th straight season, the Iowa football team is going bowling.
The Hawkeyes will take on the 9-3 Missouri Tigers in the 2024 Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee, on Dec. 30. It will be Iowa’s second appearance in the bowl game, having previously competed in the 2022 edition, a 21-0 victory over Kentucky.
There’s plenty to do in Nashville, so here’s everything the Music City has to offer:
DINING LOCATIONS IN DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE ATTRACTIONS TO VISIT AROUND NASHVILLE
Dining
One of Nashville’s trademark cuisines is hot chicken, and many of the locals rave about Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, a fast casual restaurant chain that has five locations around the city. One of their restaurants is located in the heart of downtown across from Bridgestone Arena and offers various flavors of hot chicken.
If you aren’t in the mood for hot chicken, The Hampton Social at 201 1st Ave. S. offers a wide variety of seafood and brunch options. The eatery also features live music and outdoor seating with a view of the Tennessee River.
Assembly Food Hall at 5055 Broadway Place features over 30 different restaurants that anyone can enjoy. There are eateries featuring Vietnamese cuisine, barbecue, pizza, classic American, Japanese, Chinese, and of course sweet shops that sell ice cream. The hall also has a collection of bars that sell var-
ious types of alcoholic beverages, including a rooftop bar.
Located downtown at 605 8th Ave. S, Arnold’s Country Kitchen showcases classic soul food. Its menu features a traditional lineup of fried chicken, roast beef, mac and cheese, collard greens, fried green tomatoes, and black eyed peas. The restaurant has been highlighted on many cooking shows, including Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”
For a more kid-friendly environment, the locals haven’t stopped running out of positive things to say about Pinewood, an eatery featuring trendy new American cuisine as well as a weekend brunch Friday to Sunday. Along with great food, Pinewood has an oldschool bowling alley and an outdoor pool for additional family fun.
For additional dining options, visit https://www.visitmusiccity.com/thingsto-do-in-nashville/food-drink.
Attractions
As the epicenter of country music, Nashville has plenty of entertainment for fans of country music.
One of the city’s most legendary venues is the Grand Ole Opry at 600 Opry Mills Dr. The Opry features nightly shows highlighting some of the most popular country music acts, past and present. Current Opry members are Scotty McCreery, Darius Rucker, and Chris Young. There are shows on Dec. 27-28, but tours of the Opry are also available.
Dubbed the “Smithsonian of country music,” the Country Music Hall of Fame at 222 Rep. John Lewis Wayne has dedicated itself to preserving the great history of country music. Fans can journey through the many eras of country music and pay tribute to their favorite artists and view exhibits centered around
Luke Combs and Rosanne Cash.
Located on the streets of downtown, The Music City Walk of Fame honors contributors to Nashville’s music scene. Notable inductees include: Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Alabama, and Garth Brooks.
Along with its wide selection of restaurants to choose from, Assembly Food Hall features live performances on its skydeck, including a show on New Year’s Eve.
Fans can also visit the annual Nashville Big Bash celebration on New Year’s Eve. The event, held at Capitol Mall State Park, will be headlined by country artists Keith Urban, Jelly Roll, and Kane Brown. Fireworks and the signature Music Note Drop will also be included.
For more attractions, visit https:// www.visitmusiccity.com/things-to-doin-nashville/nashville-attractions.
On The Line
The Daily Iowan staff share their predictions and thoughts on this week’s upcoming games.
IOWA
Almost went to Mizzou. Please prove me right, Hawkeyes.
TEXAS
For the Longhorns, having two quarterbacks is a good thing.
PENN STATE
It doesn’t have an excuse this year, but it will find one.
OHIO STATE
Brrr, 40 degrees! SEC folk can’t handle it. No Peter Millar polos.
NOTRE DAME
Colin doesn’t even know about First Down Moses. Fake fan.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Petitioning for a DeKalb Oasis Bowl.
MISSOURI
Rules are meant to be broken. I want the TIGERS.
TEXAS
Don’t make me nervous here, Quinn!
IOWA
Hopefully Missouri shows up this time.
TEXAS
Quinn Ewers is very inconsistent, but I like Texas at home.
IOWA
Missouri about to get a whooping.
CLEMSON
Something’s telling me Texas is gonna choke.
IOWA
Need Spencer Petras to come back and make another country classic.
TEXAS
Burnt orange has always looked better than Clemson orange.
IOWA
Unless the Tigers have to cancel because of COVID again.
TEXAS
Gotta have Matthew McConaughey on the sidelines for the CFP.
IOWA
The first team to score wins.
TEXAS
Texas can win the national championship if it can avoid Georgia.
PENN STATE Trust your gut. But my heart is telling me SMU!
OHIO STATE
I hope it snows, too.
PENN STATE
I don’t trust Big Game James, but there’s no way Penn State loses.
TENNESSEE
It’s national title or bust for Ohio State, but the Vols upset on the road.
NOTRE DAME
God, Country, Notre Dame. #GoIrish.
FRESNO STATE
I don’t want to hear it.
INDIANA
Can’t wait to smoke that Notre Dame pack and see Colin in shambles.
FRESNO STATE
Iowa’s loss to NIU in 2013 still stings, so I’ll pick Fresno State.
PENN STATE SMU deserves its spot, but it won’t last long.
PENN STATE Ponies ride off into the darkness.
TENNESSEE
Vols by a field goal at the buzzer.
NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame wins in a blowout. You’re welcome, Colin.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
If I’m thinking of the right NIU, put on for Illinois.
OHIO STATE Ryan Day’s job is on the line.
INDIANA
If Northern Illinois can beat Notre Dame, so can the Hoosiers.
FRESNO STATE
I would play for a potato.
PENN STATE
It might be a White Out, with a lot of snow.
PENN STATE Penn State strolls all the way to the semifinals.
OHIO STATE
Ryan Day can beat these kinds of teams, just not Michigan.
NOTRE DAME
Curt Cignetti is already complaining about a short bus trip.
FRESNO STATE
The Bulldogs’ new coach is pretty good.
OHIO STATE I don’t feel confident about the Buckeyes.
NOTRE DAME
In-state battle might be the best first round game.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Dog Bowl: Huskies > Bulldogs.
TEXAS TECH
Opt out, pig sooie.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Yes, ha ha, yes! Sickos rejoice. I’ll be watching.
COLORADO STATE
Shouldn’t Snoop’s bowl game be in Colorado?
It’s a high place.
ARKANSAS Battle of the MID.
TEXAS TECH
Arkansas is such an overrated program.
SAM HOUSTON
This is disgusting.
MIAMI OHIO
Still can’t believe Timothée Chalamet’s ball knowledge.
SAM HOUSTON
I don’t know a thing about these teams, so I’ll pick Sam Houston.
COLORADO STATE
Rams head coach
Jay Norvell is a former Hawkeye.
TEXAS TECH
Betting against a Texas school, just not this one.
SAM HOUSTON
Only because I’ve seen a funny meme with Sam Houston.
MIAMI OHIO
Could care less about this, had to pick one.
ARKANSAS
I looked up what a razorback was. Kinda scary.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN
I learn about new bowls every year.
MIAMI OHIO
Winner smokes with Snoop?
ARKANSAS
I miss the Southwest Conference.
SAM HOUSTON
This would have been
a good FCS playoff matchup back then.
MIAMI OHIO
Flip a coin on this one.
TEXAS TECH
Tech beat Iowa State, whose 10-2 season ends in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN
The Eagles kept it within 40 points of Ole Miss in September.
