When I was a little kid, I had a bizarre obsession with water towers. 

I don't know if it was the unique colors some of them had or just the fact that they dwarfed my small hometown of Indianola, Iowa, but aside from sports, I can confidently say water towers were one of the few things that excited me the most as a kid. 

Obviously I've outgrown that obsession since then, but there's always been one water tower that has held a special place in my heart throughout high school and college - the one that formerly overlooked Kinnick Stadium. 

When the tower was built in 1960, University of Iowa officials probably had little idea they were constructing a structure that would eventually rival the popularity of the Eiffel Tower (this is a joke). 

Aside from serving its actual purpose of providing water to the UI, the tower's position on the northeast corner of Kinnick Stadium created a unique, but iconic visual for Iowa football games.  

Whenever the Hawkeyes take the field for a football game, the outcome of the ensuing contest was obviously always up in the air.

Iowa certainly has won more home games than it's lost over this 66-year period, but even still, there was always one constant when you watched game at Kinnick Stadium - viewing the water tower from your seat or through the lens of one of the TV broadcast cameras. 

For years, the water tower featured the classic, plain-white look. That's what it looked like when I attended my first Hawkeye game (the one that I first remember at least) on Sept. 6, 2014. Iowa defeated Ball State in dramatic fashion that day, and if you ask my parents, I could almost guarantee you that I made some comment about the water tower.

The tower was already legendary by this point, but it became even better when someone had the brilliant idea to paint the Tigerhawk logo on the front of it ahead of the 2018 season. This further added even more charm to the water tower, but the design sadly would only last for just eight years. 

Why? Because the tower doesn't exist anymore. 

After 66 iconic years, UI made the decision to remove the water tower to make room for a new expansion for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. 

Arguing that this is the wrong decision would be foolish, because the hospital's needs should always come first (they do save a ton of lives, after all), but I couldn't help but feel a little bit of sadness when the water tower was being dismantled. 

Not only was UI tearing down a structure, it was destroying years of fond Kinnick memories for many Hawkeye fans. 

Again, expanding the hospital is a great move and hopefully will continue the excellence that has been established over there for so many years, but that doesn't mean fans can't reminisce on the past. 

Kinnick Stadium will always be one of the most iconic venues in college football, but not seeing the water tower from my seat in the press box this year will be a weird feeling. 

You're not going to find a water tower more beloved than this one. 

Though it's gone, the memories will never be forgotten. 

HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5! 

This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium. 

Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too! 

HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]