Iowa targets single-game attendance record

IOWA CITY (AP) — Iowa will attempt to set the all-time women’s basketball attendance record when it hosts DePaul in an outdoor exhibition at 69,000-seat Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 15, the school announced Thursday.

“I know if anyone can do it, Hawkeye fans can and will,” coach Lisa Bluder said.

The state of Iowa has a long history of supporting girls and women’s basketball. The Hawkeyes were second nationally in attendance last season with an average of 11,143 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The women’s basketball attendance record of 29,619 was set in the 2002 national title game between Connecticut and Oklahoma in San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. A portion of the tickets will be sold for $20 and honored if the game is moved indoors because of inclement weather.

Tickets sold for $10 are non-refundable.

The Hawkeyes were 31-7 and the national runner-up to LSU last season, and they return Collegiate Women’s Athlete of the Year Caitlin Clark.

DePaul was 16-17 during the 2022-23 campaign.

“So much for closed-door scrimmages,” DePaul coach Doug Bruno said. “We are thrilled to be able to play Iowa, the reigning national runner-ups, in a game for charity inside Kinnick Stadium.

“The opportunity to compete against Caitlin Clark, one of the best players in the country, will be a great test for our team.”