Iowa recognizes local Boys & Girls Club at midcourt following ticket fiasco with Illinois student section
Iowa had some special guests on hand for Saturday’s rivalry matchup against Illinois.
Those guests were kids from the Cedar Rapids Boys & Girls Club who were invited to attend the game by the Hawkeyes. Those tickets came available following a fiasco with the Orange Krush, a student section of the Illini.
The situation developed earlier in the week when the Orange Krush claimed the Hawkeyes wrongfully terminated a group ticket order purchased by the student section. Iowa athletics would later put out a statement indicating the Orange Krush impersonated an Illinois-based Boys & Girls Club to obtain the tickets. The Krush has since apologized, but the incident added more fuel to Saturday’s game.
The Hawkeyes extended those canceled tickets to the Cedar Rapids Boys & Girls Club, and a group of approximately 50 kids is in attendance for Saturday’s game. Iowa also took the opportunity to spotlight that group, pulling the kids to midcourt with a rousing ovation provided by Hawkeye fans in attendance.
Iowa just introduced the CR Boys and Girls Club and brought them to center court. They received a standing ovation. pic.twitter.com/TrcXv8eHB5
— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) February 4, 2023
There’s no denying that the gesture is an obvious troll attempt at the Illinois student section, but it’s certainly well-played by the Hawkeyes. The rivalry remains an intense one, and that’s likely to change moving forward.