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Caitlin Clark Approves of Jason Kelce's Idea to Enhance Iconic Iowa Wave Tradition

Caitlin Clark had no qualms with Jason Kelce's suggestion on how Iowa could make the "Hawkeye Wave" even better.

Grant Young

Iowa women’s basketball’s Caitlin Clark shows off her rings during a second quarter timeout during Iowa football’s game against Northwestern Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa women’s basketball’s Caitlin Clark shows off her rings during a second quarter timeout during Iowa football’s game against Northwestern Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The "Hawkeye Wave" is, according to many, the best tradition in all of college sports.

According to the Iowa Hawkeyes' school website, "When the Kinnick clock hits zero, at the end of the first quarter, 70,000+ football fans turn their attention from the field to UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. In unison, they wave to the pediatric patients and their families watching the game."

This wave tradition was born in 2017 and endures as one of the most wholesome moments of every college football weekend.

But former Philadelphia Eagles player and current media personality Jason Kelce has an idea on how to make the "Hawkeye Wave" even better, which he pitched to former Iowa Hawkeyes icon Caitlin Clark during her appearance on a January 2 episode of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.

"I do love Iowa's stadium. There's something very awesome there. Obviously, the thing they do with children's hospital is awesome," Jason Kelce said.

"The Wave has probably become a thing in the last eight years I wanna say," Clark said (which was perfectly accurate). She later added, "It's probably one of the best traditions in all of sports, if not the best."

"I would agree," Jason responded. "Wait, so what's this thing about the wave?"

Clark then explained what the Hawkeye Wave is to him.

"Oh, I thought you were talking about the wave," Jason responded, mimicking the popular "wave" crowd movement where when successive groups of spectators briefly stand to raise their arms in unison before sitting right back down, creating a "wave" effect across the stadium.

"Maybe we can get that started too," Clark said with a laugh. "Iowa fans are gonna be fired up now. They're gonna be doing [both waves] at the same time."

Perhaps we'll see Kelce's idea installed at Iowa football games starting next season.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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