Designed to hold 45,000 fans, Kinnick Stadium was built in less than a year on a site excavated some thirty feet below the surrounding street level. It replaced the former stadium located on the east bank of the Iowa River and was renamed in 1972 in honor of halfback Nile Kinnick, the University of Iowa’s most celebrated player. The stadium renovations through the years have resulted in a seating capacity of nearly 70,000.

A colossal freestanding bronze statue of Nile Kinnick (scholar and athlete) in a pose inspired by Michelangelo’s David greets fans entering the stadium. A life-size, high-relief bronze narrative panel just inside the monumental three-arched south entry commemorates the triumphant moment in Kinnick’s career when, in the final minutes of the game, Kinnick carried the ball over the goal line to defeat mighty Notre Dame and secure the Heisman Trophy.

Though built with only the east and west grand- stands in the beginning, Kinnick Stadium has had additions through the years that have added bleachers on the north and south and a press box, initially constructed in 1958, onto the west. Kinnick’s 2006 renovation replaced the south bleachers and scoreboard. 

The new Brechler Press Box, complete with sky boxes and indoor/outdoor club seats, has replaced the original to meet contemporary standards. The new press box was named after former athletic director Dr. Paul W. Brechler, who oversaw construction of the first press box. The 2006 project also included the construction of a large landscaped approach, Krause Family Plaza, at the south end zone, providing a ceremonial entrance to the stadium and a point of welcome to the campus.