RYAN DAY WRITES LETTER TO YOUNG PATIENTS AT IOWA HOSPITAL

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has written a letter to every patient at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, which overlooks Kinnick Stadium, ahead of the Buckeyes' game against Iowa. In the letter, Day told patients that "all of us at Ohio State Football want you to know that we are thinking about you," and linked the message to what he described as the team's culture of "FIGHT," which he said means striving every day to be the best version of yourself. The gesture comes ahead of a fixture built around the "Hawkeye Wave," a tradition in which players, coaches and fans turn to wave toward children watching from the hospital's upper floors.

The Hawkeye Wave began in 2017 and has since been adopted by Iowa's opponents, including Ohio State, which took part when it first returned to Kinnick Stadium after the tradition started. Players, coaching staff and travelling fans have joined in during that fixture, pausing to acknowledge the children watching from the hospital overlooking the stadium. Day's letter extends that gesture beyond matchday itself, reaching patients before the Buckeyes have taken the field.

Day said on his Ryan Day Radio Show that he intends to explain the tradition to his players directly, telling them what to expect so that it does not catch them off guard. He said he would likely address the squad on the Friday night before the game, during a team meal, to describe the wave's significance ahead of kick-off. The explanation is intended to prepare Ohio State's roster, including players unfamiliar with the gesture, to take part when the moment arrives at Kinnick Stadium.