College football fans react to Wrigley Field playing surface debacle
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz predicted as much before kickoff ever arrived.
Turning a baseball stadium into a football venue comes with some inherent challenges. Beyond orchestrating the playing field itself within Wrigley Field, how would the playing surface hold up?
It looked like it was holding up well. But, before it was all said and done, Kirk Ferentz’s pregame remarks ahead of Iowa’s 10-7 win over Northwestern held true.
“I’ve only had one experience playing in a baseball stadium, and that was unique. We got first-class treatment, but the field was not great,” Ferentz said of the 2017 Pinstripe Bowl.
Things quickly devolved into a mess right as Iowa was in the midst of what wound up as a memorable goal line stand midway through the fourth quarter. With the Hawkeyes clinging to a 7-0 lead over Northwestern and the Wildcats goal-to-go from the 1-yard line, play actually had to be stopped to attend to the Wrigley Field playing surface.
It didn’t look like the grounds crew was able to come up with much of a fix at all. But, the Hawkeyes did manage to work their way to a dramatic 10-7 win over Northwestern thanks to Drew Stevens’ 52-yard field goal. So, I guess all’s well that ends well as Iowa moves to 7-2 on the season.
Take a look at the reaction online as the Wrigley Field playing surface started literally falling apart in bunches.
View from the 1-yard line
pov: the hole at the 1 yard line in the iowa/nw game pic.twitter.com/bFK3XUQV0G
— 𝐓𝐇𝐊 ♚ (@Tigerhawk_King) November 4, 2023
Good as new!
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) November 4, 2023
Delay the game
What are the chances the games delayed due to sinkhole related conditions?
— Barstool Iowa (@BarstoolUIowa) November 4, 2023
Here comes relief
The dirt relief crew is in pic.twitter.com/H1Bengmr43
— Barstool Iowa (@BarstoolUIowa) November 4, 2023
Gives new meaning to winning in the trenches
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) November 4, 2023
A perfectly good explanation
Iowa defense digging it’s way to China
— Cassidy O’Leary (@cassi134) November 4, 2023
So we can honor this game forever
Baseball field is awful.
Peacock coverage awful.
Offenses are awful.This is aw(ful)e-inspiring.
— JeffreyTheGreek (@JeffreyTheGreek) November 4, 2023
In honor of these offenses… they should bury the game ball in that hole when this is all over
— JeffreyTheGreek (@JeffreyTheGreek) November 4, 2023
Wait, now we have to possess the football??
NW made it even funnier because now Iowa has the ball inside their own 1
— Dr. Hawkize, M.D. (@stillnothawkize) November 4, 2023
They saved Wrigley!
Wrigley Field if that divot wasn't fixed pic.twitter.com/0RnVkPVbot
— Mac Stone (@MacStone00) November 4, 2023
Thanks, patrons
pls fix your ball marks on the green https://t.co/ryGL14QomP
— Robby Kalland (@RKalland) November 4, 2023
The whole squad ready
They’ve added more men pic.twitter.com/uLfMyYsyrg
— Matthew Wettach (@matthew_wettach) November 4, 2023
A place in history
The infamous goal line divot. pic.twitter.com/o3B0aCCMO4
— Tom Kakert (@HawkeyeReport) November 4, 2023
While you're here, some art on the way out the door!
Iowa vs Northwestern but it’s a Silent Film pic.twitter.com/tmEGbSMyrY
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 4, 2023
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