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The best tradition in college football returns on Saturday, when the fans, players and coaches from Iowa and North Illinois turn away from Kinnick Stadium and wave to the patients at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
But players and coaches from Northern Illinois, the Hawkeyes’ first opponent in 2018, didn’t want to wait until game day to send their message. So the Huskies produced a short video introducing themselves to the children at the hospital.
It turned out to be an incredible gesture.
👋HELLO to everyone at the @UIchildrens Hospital, we are the NIU Huskies! You are all extremely inspiring to us & we want you to know that we support you in your difficult journeys! Excited to wave to you from the field Saturday! #FTK #IowaWave #theHardWay pic.twitter.com/mZYU0bkU1Q
— NIU Football (@NIU_Football) August 30, 2018
Northern Illinois and Iowa are scheduled to kick things off at 3:30 on Saturday. “The Wave” will take place at the end of the first quarter of the game.
Now the children looking through the window will have a little better idea of some of the opposing players who are waving back at them.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB