AMES — Iowa State University Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said Tuesday that he and University of Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta are confident the historic in-state football rivalry will continue, despite allegations made by the Hawkeye marching band.
“I am bothered that some alleged incidents have grown into an indictment of a whole group of fans,” Pollard said.
Pollard, alongside Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen and Iowa State University Chief of Police Michael Newton, walked through the investigation looking into if members of the marching band were harassed or physically assaulted.
Iowa State was notified of five incidents that allegedly occurred during the Cy-Hawk game on September 14, but the university “concluded that it was going to be really tough to know exactly what happened”.
One of the things that was missing was the what, where, when and how of the incidents, according to Chief Newton.
VIDEO: University of Iowa marching band exits Jack Trice Stadium
“We need to treat each other respectfully,” Chief Newton said.
The marching band was briefly heckled during the game, according to Newton. As the marching band exited the field following the game, officers described a “skirmish” of pushing and shoving the backs of band members as they left the field.
Officers responded to make sure the band was able to exit safely.
Chief Newton said nobody has come forward as of Tuesday morning regarding any of the alleged incidents brought to Iowa State University by the University of Iowa:
- A teaching assistant for the marching band had beer thrown on them.
- Something was thrown at the football team’s bus—not the band’s bus—during or shortly after the game. Player’s and coaches were not present and the windshield of the bus was cracked.
- The Hawkeye band director and the Iowa State University Director of Facilities had a verbal altercation on the field as the University of Iowa band was beginning to exit the field stadium.
- Following the game, a member of the University of Iowa marching band tried to enter the Bergstrom football complex through the Iowa State University football teams locker room entrance and was denied entrance to the facility resulting in a confrontation between the band member and security personnel.
- A member of the marching band who was carrying a ladder suffered broken ribs as the result of a band member being shoved and falling on the ladder while the band member was exiting the field with the band.
“We have great fans that come to Jack Trice … 98 percent of our fans are behaving. They’re doing what we expect them to do,” President Wintersteen said. “It’s a few of the fans that decided to behave inappropriately.”
WATCH: University of Iowa marching band exits through Gate 5 of Jack Trice Stadium
Jamie Pollard believes that the game as a whole was a great showcase of the State of Iowa, and that both schools should be able to move on unless more information is brought to law enforcement.
“All of the commerce wrapped up in that game … is a tremendous asset. The State of Iowa had a national platform with College Gameday. That was an incredible branding opportunity for this state.”
WATCH: Iowa State University press conference