Even though the Iowa football team won’t play its first regular season game for nearly five months, the intersquad Hawkeye Championship is keeping head coach Kirk Ferentz’s team focused and competitive during the offseason months.

Ferentz said the idea for the Hawkeye Championship came to him over a decade ago when he read an article on an airplane about an offseason program a team from the Midwest implemented.

“I have a habit of collecting articles, just throwing them in a file, read them on airplanes — things like that,” Ferentz said during a press conference on March 22. “I believe it was a strength coach at Kent State football at that time, probably 15, 20 years ago. He had been at Southern Illinois, if I remember correctly. Took that up there, read about it. Thought it was interesting. We brought it back here and talked about it as a staff. Then we shaped it up. It’s been something we’ve been doing for quite some time.”

Ferentz said in the current iteration of the offseason competition, his team elects 12 captains who then draft players for their teams at the beginning of the winter workout session.

For the remainder of the winter, spring, and summer workouts, the teams compete in various areas and are awarded points based on performance.

“There’s a performance component to it in terms of what they’re doing in the winter program, even summertime,” Ferentz said.  “Also, with that is academic performance. Basically, if you want to win, your team is dependable, reliable, consistent. Consistency is a big component, you get a lot of points for that. Community service, a lot of different incentives, those types of things.”

Ferentz said the Hawkeye Championship has helped build bonds within the team and encouraged more communication between players, ultimately helping each player feel like a part of the team.

“It was neat to see a freshman defensive back sitting with a senior offensive lineman, guys that may never spend time … I think it’s opened up more communication with the team,” Ferentz said. “I think everybody takes pride in the team’s performance, individual teams. So, it’s been really good. Gives us an opportunity to break into groups and have discussions on different topics, those types of things.”

Sophomore tight end Addison Ostrenga said there are eight teams in this year’s competition, and the team aspect encourages accountability throughout the whole roster.

Ostrenga said players are awarded points for nearly everything that takes place in the offseason.

“It’s everything from making sure guys are on time to things to competing in the weight room and on the field,” Ostrenga said at a media availability session on April 6.

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Luke Lachey, a fellow tight end and one of the Hawkeye Championship captains this season, echoed Ostrenga’s feelings about the offseason competition.

“[On my team], I have 16 guys that are all trying to hold each other accountable and hold each other to the highest standard,” Lachey said. “We’re making sure you’re on weight and staying out of trouble outside of the building … I like it, and it’s been a good thing for all of us.”

Lachey, a junior from Columbus, Ohio, is the co-captain of his squad alongside senior linebacker Jay Higgins.

Lachey jokingly likened the Hawkeye Championship draft to the NFL, which will take place later this month.

“So, Jay and I found out we were captains I think the day before the draft, and then we spent that day, you know, going over our teammates and seeing where we should draft guys or whatever, and [who] we felt like would be the best guys on our team,” Lachey said. “So, I mean, it’s, I guess it’s a little bit like the NFL Draft, but a lot less, you know, but it’s cool. It’s a fun process.”

Lachey said he picked players he knew would be dependable. He also favored teammates with whom he had already built a strong connection.

“I was fortunate to pick two of my roommates on my team, Steven Stilianos and Tyler Elsbury,” Lachey said. “So, those two have been good picks for me and the team, but then I’ve picked other guys that I know will be accountable and then guys that we feel like we can move forward with and I feel like we’ve done that so far, so it’s been a fun process for sure.”

There are no official stats or standings for the Hawkeye Championship.

Iowa’s open spring practice is set for April 22.