Players ride the SheiKra during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Samantha DeFily/The Daily Iowan)
Select Iowa football players visited Busch Gardens Tampa Bay for a day filled with animals and amusement park rides. This gave the team a break from practicing, and a chance to relax before the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Players spoke to the media after getting off SheiKra, a roller-coaster in the park. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski ran off after being asked if he’d stop for an interview. “I’ve already done my media for the week,” he said.
When asked about what his favorite trip has been since joining the team, defensive end Drew Campbell said, “I mean you can’t beat this, it’s warm here and you get to do a lot of things with your closest friends.”
The annual “Beach Day” event at Clearwater Beach is on Monday, Dec. 29 at 12p.m. EST. This is a part of a series of events leading up to the ReliaQuest Bowl, which takes place on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at Raymond James Stadium at 11 a.m. CST.
Players feed lettuce to giraffes during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Samantha DeFily/The Daily Iowan) (Samantha DeFily)Iowa defensive back Ty Hudkins listens to a park employee before riding the Serengeti Flyer during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan) (Emma Calabro)The Iowa football team rides the SheiKra coaster during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan) (Emma Calabro)Players ride the Serengeti Flyer during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Samantha DeFily/The Daily Iowan) (Samantha DeFily)Iowa players ride the Serengeti Flyer during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan) (Emma Calabro)The Iowa football team rides the SheiKra coaster during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan) (Emma Calabro)Mark Gronowski walks out of the SheiKra coaster during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Emma Calabro/The Daily Iowan) (Emma Calabro)Iowa wide receiver Terrence Smith talks with the media during an Iowa football visit to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. The Hawkeyes face the No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores on Dec. 31 for the ReliaQuest Bowl. (Samantha DeFily/The Daily Iowan) (Samantha DeFily)
