Flutters of black and gold came alive downtown Iowa City. This weekend, the community filled with excitement in preparation for the University of Iowa football game. Football in a collegiate town not only effects the lives of college students, but the students, teachers, and alumni pertaining to the community as a whole.

“I’m pretty excited for the season and I hope to be going to some of the games,” Hoa Vuong ’15 said. “I have been attending since we made it to the 2009-2010 Orange Bowl season and it’s crazy to think that I am now a sophomore at the University of Iowa this year. It felt like yesterday was when I was walking across the stage at the City High graduation ceremony.”

The excitement for the start of the season is no different for recent graduates or older alumni than for current students. Annie Tram ’17 believes football games provide a weekend escape to enjoy time off from reality whether it be in or out of the stadium.

“I’d invite my best friend over to watch the games when we were younger,” Tram said. “If we couldn’t attend the game in person, we would still watch the game with just as much excitement as if we were there physically. I remember the intensity during a Michigan State game. My brother, his friend, and my best friends were all on edge because the score was too close for comfort. That night caused the adults to constantly come into the room and tell us to stop yelling at the TV screen.”

Having a football game on the weekend is not just to cultivate competition. It provides the busy bodies of the community with a stress-reliever – a chance to forget about responsibilities.

“With all the school work that we get, it’s great to have football games on the weekends,” Vuong said. “It helps me get my mind off of all the things that we need to do during the weekday. It makes the weekend my chance to have fun and enjoy the game.”

The fourth game of the season is set to go on September 24th. The Hawkeyes will face the Rutgers at High Point Solutions Stadium.