Winter Wrestling Meet at Kinnick Could Be Problematic

I've actually been scratching my head on how this was going to work since I heard about it and now we know more about the November 14th "Grapple on the Gridiron" event in Iowa City. If you're unaware of what I'm talking about, the University of Iowa has planned a doubleheader wrestling meet/football game, both to take place at Kinnick Stadium, with the goal of setting an attendance record for wrestling.

So many issues were brought to mind. The wrestling team has been a powerhouse for years and the football team is enjoying renewed success this season, so ticket sales were a no-brainer. But what if Iowa's unpredictable mid-November weather sets in? Plenty of football games have been held and attended in inclement weather, because 'tis the season for it, frankly. But wrestling outdoors? Have you seen the wrestlers' uniforms? Yeah, they're tough guys and can handle it, I'm sure (and I fully accept being called a wimp--or any variation of it) but initially I thought, "yikes".

Rain, shine, or probably even light snow won't likely cancel the outdoor meet, but freezing rain/ice? For some people, all bets might be off in that scenario. I may underestimate wrestling fans' dedication and interest in attending an outdoor meet in the cold weather, and in a look at the very long-range forecast for that day, at this point nothing of the sort is expected, but you never know.  The University has a plan B in place addressing all the logistics in question. If conditions are bad enough to warrant doing so, the meet has to move indoors to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, leaving only about half the ticket buyers of the Kinnick event able to attend, and the rest will be contacted about refunds.

However the event plays out weather-wise, Go Hawks!

[Via KWWL]