RON MALY HAS BEEN WATCHING THE PARADE GO BY FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS ONE OF HIS WEBSITES.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz liked what he and his players experienced last spring when they practiced at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines on a Sunday afternoon. So they're going to do it again, except this time it will be on a Saturday afternoon. The people at Iowa have informed me that the Hawkeyes will practice at Valley Stadium at 1 p.m. April 12. “We are pleased to be able to bring our squad to West Des Moines and central Iowa for a second straight year,” Ferentz said. “We felt a year ago that the event was successful and well received by our players and coaches and our fans in central and western Iowa. The assistance and cooperation we received from everyone involved from the West Des Moines Community School District and Valley High School played a major role in the success of the event. We appreciate their willingness to work with our program again in the planning and organization of this event.” The Hy-Vee grocery chain had a big role in last year's practice. Fans could obtain free tickets at most Hy-Vee stores throughout Iowa. I hope that's the case this time, too. The free admission allowed people from central Iowa a chance to see what a Hawkeye practice is all about, and the price was right. I don't care if Hy-Vee gives away the tickets, I just hope some sponsor does. Last year's practice here was certainly good for me. At the time, I was in the process of researching material for the third edition of my "Tales from the Iowa Sidelines" book, and the practice, plus the interview opportunities following the practice, helped me do that research. At this time last year, the Hawkeyes were coming off a 4-8 season, but bounced back to go 8-5 in 2013.