(By ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer) – A new court filing shows that Big Ten presidents voted 11-3 to postpone the football season until spring. The court filing is the Big Ten’s response to a lawsuit brought by a group of Nebraska football players who want the fall season reinstated. The Big Ten announced Aug. 11 it would move its football season from fall to spring because of health risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

The filing did not identify how each school specifically voted, but a person familiar with the outcome told The Associated Press Iowa, Nebraska and Ohio State voted against postponing the fall football season.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Matt Szykowny, who earned a total of seven letters in three University of Iowa sports, passed away last month in Las Vegas at the age of 79.

Szykowny, who majored in civil engineering, lettered three years in football (1960-62), and two seasons each in baseball (1961, 1963) and basketball (1961-62).

Szykowny, who was on Iowa’s 1960 Big Ten Championship football team, ranks 23rd in program history in career passing with 2,038 yards and 14 touchdowns. The quarterback led the Hawkeyes in passing in 1961 (1,078) and 1962 (737).

His 80-yard pass completion to Larry Ferguson against Wisconsin in 1962, ties for the 12th longest completion by a Hawkeye. Szykowny accounted for a career-high five touchdowns in a 47-15 victory over the Badgers in 1961.

The native of Bellevue, Pennsylvania, is the only Iowa quarterback to beat Michigan and Ohio State in the same season. Szykowny and the Hawkeyes beat the Buckeyes and Wolverines by identical, 28-14, scores in Kinnick Stadium in 1962. He was drafted by his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1963 NFL Draft.

Szykowny was a starter on the 1961 basketball team that tied for second place in the Big Ten, averaging 9.9 points per game. He came off the bench on the 1962 squad that finished fourth in the league, averaging 7.5 points per contest.

He was a starter on the 1963 baseball team, that finished in second place in the Big Ten.

Szykowny was preceded in death by his father (Frank T), mother (Helen W), brother (Frank J. “Swish”). He is survived by two daughters, Kim (Scott) and Karen (Coya); brother, Larry (Peggy); five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Due to COVID-19 and geographical logistics, the family plans to hold a celebration of Szykowny’s life in Pittsburgh at a later date, yet to be determined. Arrangements will be announced in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Dear Cyclone fans,

During the past several weeks, we have been working closely with university officials as it relates to having fans at home football games. As a result of those discussions, we have decided to provide fans, who purchased season tickets, the opportunity to attend our opener on Sept. 12 vs. Louisiana.

Our staff has strategically reassigned all seat locations using current Cyclone Club giving levels, priority points within those levels and taking into account location and/or price, to create improved social distancing. We estimate there will be approximately 25,000 fans at the first game. You can click here to see an overview of the stadium by section with seats plotted for the tickets purchased. The ticket office will be emailing all account holders their seating locations by Sept. 3.

The safety of all participants and fans remains our top priority. We have thoroughly discussed many mitigation options and encourage you to click this link (desktop | mobile) to see an overview of those measures for this fall’s football season.

If our mitigation actions are successful, we will allow all season ticket purchasers to attend the Oklahoma game Oct. 3. However, if we determine that mitigation measures were not followed adequately at the first game, we will have no fans at future games (beginning with Oklahoma).

An important factor in the decision to allow fans is our belief that Cyclone fans are willing to adhere to our mitigation measures. The purpose of this letter is to ask for your support in helping create a safe environment while also providing our team an impactful home field advantage. This is an incredible opportunity for Iowa State University to showcase its ability to successfully navigate the challenges associated with large outdoor events during a pandemic.

In order for our plans to succeed, we need full buy-in from everyone. I wanted to highlight several of the most important elements from the mitigation document we linked above.

1. Health Check – If you are sick or have symptoms related to COVID-19, please do not come to the game. Stay home and cheer on the Cyclones on television.

1. Parking – Fans should arrive early to avoid traffic congestion, park their vehicle, gather game gear and walk directly to the stadium for entrance. Do not gather in the parking lots to socialize.

1. No Tailgating – There will be no tailgating allowed on university-owned property, including parking lots and grass areas adjacent to parking lots. Fans may not bring nor set up items normally associated with a tailgate such as lawn chairs, coolers, grills, tents, canopies, tables, etc.

1. Face Coverings – Wear your face covering upon exit from your vehicle. Face coverings will be required at ALL times for ALL individuals. Anyone, who refuses to properly wear a face covering, will be denied access and/or removed from the stadium. Gaiters and face shields are acceptable face coverings.

1. Stadium Entry – Prepare to enter the stadium early. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Honor other fans’ wishes for physical distancing and avoid crowding at entry.

1. Seating – All fans were reassigned new seating locations and it is critical to sit in those seats to maintain social distancing.

1. Fan Flow – We encourage fans to remain in their seats as much as possible to limit congestion on the concourses.

1. Departing the Stadium – Use your own judgment when departing the stadium. Take your time while leaving and respect others desire for physical distancing. There will be no tailgating or social gatherings allowed in the parking lots after the game.

As we previously shared, attempts to implement mitigation strategies to a standard of absolute protection is simply not reasonable. It will ultimately be up to each attendee to decide if they are comfortable attending games given the mitigation strategies we implement.

Every person has a unique perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are fearless, others are cautious. Our measures will be too restrictive for some and too lenient for others. All we ask is that you respect others, follow our guidelines and support the Cyclones.

Lastly, this information is subject to revision. We will continue to monitor the situation closely the next two weeks and will take appropriate actions, including no fans for the first game, if circumstances warrant changes.

We look forward to seeing you on Sept. 12 at MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium.

Go Cyclones!

Sincerely,​

Jamie Pollard
Director of Athletics

P.S. Please click here for an overview of our financial report.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced on Monday that it will be pausing workouts for all athletics teams until after Labor Day (Sept. 7).

“Due to the recent increase in cases in the community, we have made the decision to pause voluntary and mandatory workouts until after Labor Day,” stated Dr. Andrew Peterson, UI professor and head team physician. “We remain confident in our overall process, including testing, contact tracing and daily health screening.”

The department conducted 815 COVID-19 tests for the week of Aug. 24-30, 2020; 93 positive tests and 722 negative tests were received. As part of the return to campus protocol, testing began May 29, 2020, and includes student-athletes, coaches and staff. A total of 176 positive tests, 2,560 negative tests and one inconclusive test have been received.

Following the positive test result, protocol established by UI Athletics and medical staff, including contact tracing procedures, is being followed to ensure the safety of all UI Athletics student-athletes and staff. This mandatory protocol also includes isolation for the individuals who test positive, and quarantine for those individuals who might have been exposed to someone with the virus.

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State Athletics Department announced today that guard Tyler Harris, who averaged 9.9 points and connected on 138 3-pointers in two seasons at Memphis, has been granted a waiver by the NCAA making him immediately eligible to compete during the 2020-21 season.

The waiver was granted to Harris after considering the circumstances surrounding his transfer from Memphis to Iowa State.

“We are really excited for Tyler and his family that his waiver was approved,” head coach Steve Prohm said. “Tyler will bring experience to our team and we look forward to having him out on the court with us this season.”

A native of Memphis, Harris has played in 67 collegiate games while making 15 career starts. He’s reached double figures 35 times, posting a career-high 25 points in a win against Charleston as a freshman. Harris shot 33.4 percent behind the arc and 84.4 percent at the free-throw line.

“I am very excited to be able to play for Iowa State University this season,” Harris said. “I cannot thank God enough for this opportunity he has blessed me with. It has been a long, but peaceful process. I would like to thank everyone for their support, especially ISU’s compliance staff. Big things are in store, let’s get after it, Cyclone Nation!”