CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Families who purchased tickets to Friday’s Savannah Bananas game at Kinnick Stadium were left standing outside in the rain for nearly two hours after the university temporarily paused entry due to severe weather.
The Streets family, from Marion, had bought their tickets months in advance. Eight-year-old Evie Streets had followed the team on social media and was looking forward to attending the event close to home. Instead, the family stood outside the stadium with no information as a storm moved through the area.
‘I don’t know why’
Elaine Streets said the family arrived early to find their seats and was near the front of the line when entry was stopped.
“We were second in line to get into the gate and they were just standing there staring at us and the one lady said ‘you can’t get in and I don’t know why,’” Streets said.
With limited cell service, fans outside the stadium were unable to look up information on their own.
“They weren’t telling us what was going on. None of us had service so we couldn’t look at our phones to see what was happening and then we saw people kind of leaving the stadium and I asked what was going on and they said lightning delay — that’s all we know too,” Streets said.
University statement
The Streets family was not alone. Several people posted on social media expressing frustration with the weather delay and the lack of communication from the team or the university.
A University of Iowa spokesperson issued a statement saying: “We know Friday’s severe weather created a frustrating experience for many Savannah Bananas fans, and we are disappointed that circumstances affected what should have been a memorable evening. The safety and security of our fans, staff, and event participants is always our paramount priority at Kinnick Stadium.
To protect fans already inside the stadium and avoid unsafe crowding in enclosed concourse areas, the university temporarily paused entry into Kinnick Stadium while severe weather moved through. Before and during the storm, the university identified and communicated alternative locations where guests could safely wait until conditions improved.
After every major event at Kinnick Stadium we perform a comprehensive after-action review involving university operations, Campus Safety, and our external partners. We will use what we learn to strengthen our planning, communications, and fan experience for future events.”
The university’s website lists four locations fans can go during severe weather or an emergency at Kinnick Stadium: Carver Hawkeye Arena, the Dental Building, the field house, or the indoor track. For fans without cell service, many were unaware that plan existed.
Family left after two hours
After two hours in the rain, the Streets family left without seeing the game. Eight-year-old Evie Streets offered her own assessment of the night.
“I was pretty hangery too so we went to McDonald’s and I got a happy meal. Did that make you feel better? Yeah,” Evie said.
The University of Iowa said it will review what happened Friday night, as it does after every major event at Kinnick Stadium.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
