1918

June
Flooding of the Iowa River destroyed all the grass on Iowa Field, with water reaching the seventh row of the bleachers on either side of the gridiron.

September 26
The Big Ten suspended control of the conference for the duration of the war, temporarily rescinding all eligibility rules.

October
GERM WARFARE
Fall classes did not open until October 1, when the Student Army Training Corps program went into effect on campuses across the country. Almost 1,500 “citizen soldiers” swarmed onto the campus in Iowa City, including Duke Slater and many other young men who dreamed of getting a college education paid for by the U.S. government.

What many got instead was the flu. As the war waned in Europe, a deadly plague swept the world in the form of Spanish influenza. Starting in the spring of 1918, it raged for months, ultimately killing 22 million people, more than twice as many as had died in the war.

Shortly after the SATC recruits arrived at Iowa, the campus was quarantined. According to John Gerber’s A Pictorial History of The University of Iowa, “even faculty members were halted at bayonet point and not allowed on campus without proper credentials.”

Iowa vs Coe, October 21, 1918. With no fans in the stadium to cheer them on, Iowa beat Coe 27-0.

On October 12, Iowa confronted Coe College for a game of football, but it was played behind the padlocked doors of Iowa Field. Intent on reducing the spread of the epidemic, Iowa authorities allowed no spectators in the stands, though some diehard fans collected on the Iowa River bridges and on the cliffs along the west side of the river, attempting to watch the game through powerful field glasses. Iowa won the game, without applause or cheering, 27-0.

By the time the epidemic had run its course at the university, 31 men and seven women had died.

Homecoming
Iowans had a double reason to celebrate during this Homecoming weekend. “The only two things that homecomers would have asked of a fairy god-mother happened to us on November 9 and 11. First we defeated Minnesota [Final score: 6-0, marking the first time ever Iowa had been able to defeat the Gophers.] and secondly, peace was declared with our enemies. These glad tidings kept many of our alumni with us a day longer, and they were not the least among those who celebrated on Washington street at two in the morning,” wrote Helen Hays for The Iowa Alumnus.

December 7
Following the Armistice, the Big Ten resumed its former authority over the conference, effective this date.

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