University of Iowa Wave is officially the top college sports tradition in the country

From sacred game-day rituals to stadium-wide celebrations, find out which beloved Iowa tradition topped USA TODAY’s best college sports list.

Every fall Saturday in college football brings its own magic—from rubbing sacred rocks for luck to dancing between quarters to century-old rivalries that define generations. These time-honored traditions are what make college sports about so much more than just what happens on the field.

USA TODAY’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards set out to determine which collegiate sports tradition stands above the rest in 2024, asking fans nationwide to vote for their favorites. From Virginia Tech’s thunderous “Enter Sandman” entrance to Purdue’s massive century-old bass drum, the top 10 list showcases rituals that have become absolutely iconic on campuses across America—but only one could claim the top spot.

Photo courtesy of Scott Fiddelke/Flickr.

Dancing, drumming, and time-honored traditions

The competition featured some of college sports’ most beloved moments. Wisconsin’s “Jump Around,” which first boomed through Camp Randall’s speakers in October 1998, has students bouncing between the third and fourth quarters. Michigan’s “Blues Brothers” dance, which started at hockey games in Yost Ice Arena before making its way to the Big House, fills the stadium with fist-pumping and arm-rolling energy. Meanwhile, Purdue’s Big Bass Drum—one of the world’s largest freestanding bass drums—has been reverberating through practices, parades, and games since 1921.

Sacred rituals and historic rivalries

Some traditions carry an almost mystical quality. Clemson players have been rubbing Howard’s Rock before descending into Death Valley since 1967, when the Death Valley stone was mounted on its pedestal at the top of the hill. The Ohio State Marching Band continues its precision-perfect “Script Ohio,” a formation that’s been performed since 1936, with a senior sousaphone player earning the honor of “dotting the i.” The Army-Navy Game, where Navy currently holds a 62-55 edge, has been an uninterrupted annual tradition since 1930.

Iowa’s special tradition takes top honors

The Hawkeye Wave emerged as the winner among these storied traditions. At the end of the first quarter in Kinnick Stadium, more than 70,000 fans, players, and officials turn to wave at the young patients watching from the top floor of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The tradition has evolved to include a “Kid’s Captain” selected from the pediatric ward who gets to choose the song that accompanies each wave.

This gesture shows how some traditions reach beyond the usual bounds of sport. While other schools have their sacred talismans and spirited songs, the Hawkeye Wave represents something unique in college athletics—a moment when an entire stadium turns its attention from the field to acknowledge young patients in the hospital above.

This story was generated in part by AI and edited by Courier Newsroom staff.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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