Soil Compilation

Music
Best Albums of 2025: KRUI Staff Picks

By

The rumors are true, KRUI likes music! 2025 was a crazy year all around, and even crazier, we here at KRUI actually listened to lots of albums this year. We’ve picked out eleven of our favorite albums from this year to share, and explore together.

Music Category
Best Songs of 2025: KRUI Staff Picks

By

It’s December 29, 2025, and if you can believe it, we here at KRUI actually listened to music throughout the whole year! From pop superstars, to indie legends, to the fresh Bandcamp up-and-comers, we’ve picked out nine of our favorite songs released this past year to share and explore together.

Music
Festival Preview: Chicago’s New Year Transitions, Dec. 26–Jan. 1st

By

Spanning 7 venues across 7 days, Transitions, the New Years Eve celebration by AURIS PRESENTS, in downtown Chicago has cultivated a lineup of the biggest names spinning records and electronica today. From December 26 – January 1st, Chicagoland will be ablaze as it welcomes the likes of 70 artists and a 21-hour marathon to ring in the new year at Outset. Here are the highlights coming this week to Chicago. 

Sports
Quinn Douglas

Holiday Revenge? Iowa gets first crack at USC since 2003 in San Diego

By

The last time Iowa faced off with the historical West Coast power based out of Los Angeles, it started off with a bang with CJ Jones returning the opening kickoff 100-yards for a touchdown to open the 2003 Orange Bowl. It would be the only fireworks Iowa had all night. After Iowa took a 10-7 lead, USC put up 31 unanswered points behind the arm of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Carson Palmer and pummeled Iowa in a 38-17 ballgame. It was a bitter end to what had been a storybook season for Iowa under fourth-year head coach Kirk Ferentz. Now, fast … Continued

Keep reading...

#20 Iowa 23, #8 Minnesota 19: Cooking Bacon with Oars

By

All week moral seemed to be at a low-point for the 2019 season as Iowa yet again whiffed at the chance to vault themselves towards a Big Ten West championship. While the overall outcome in Madison was disappointing, there were still positives to take away. Nate Stanley played his best half of football in the second half and the offensive line handled a deceiving Wisconsin front rather well for most of the game. But after such a disappointing loss, many wondered how Iowa would respond, especially with a 9-0, top ten Minnesota team coming into Kinnick with the Floyd of … Continued

Keep reading...

Tuesday’s With Kirk: Part Minnesota

By

It has been a long 72 hours since Iowa’s draining loss to Wisconsin in Madison. Social media full of hot takes and armchair quarterbacks, most of them clamoring for changes that are never going to happen. So hearing from the head Hawkeye was refreshing. “Bottom line is Wisconsin outplayed us, they deserved the credit, and we came up short,” Kirk Ferentz said. “We’ve come up short now in three tough competitive ballgames, and you can be proud of that, but to come up short and coming close is really not the goal.” Iowa’s offense remained rather stagnant for the first … Continued

Keep reading...

Tuesday’s With Kirk: Part Northwestern

By

Coming off a 26-20 win against Purdue on Saturday, the mood was lighter around the Hansen Football Complex on Tuesday compared to the previous week. With the Boilermakers behind them, head coach Kirk Ferentz turned his attention to the 1-5 Northwestern Wildcats. “You look since Pat [Fitzgerald] has taken over, they’ve done a really, really nice job. The bottom line is they’ve got an identity,” Ferentz said. “I think that’s a byproduct of their stability in the program not only as Coach Fitzgerald has been there, but a lot of stability in their staff.” Fitzgerald has been the head cat … Continued

Keep reading...

#23 Iowa 26, Purdue 20: It Wasn’t Pretty, But When is it Ever?

By

A chorus of boos rained down on Iowa at the end of the first half as the Hawkeyes ran the clock out a 9-7 halftime lead. It was a half that had Iowa reach or cross the Purdue 25-yard line three times. It only came away with three, Keith Duncan field goals. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz shared some frustration on how the half ended for his team as well. “I was a little ticked, we must’ve had a lack of communication on the kick return,” Ferentz said. “I thought it was a returnable ball and we fair caught it, … Continued

Keep reading...

Tuesday’s With Kirk: Purdue Edition

By

It’s certainly been a long two and half weeks for Iowa fans. With tight losses to Michigan and Penn State and poor offensive play in both games, the fanbase is slowly starting to wonder if maybe the Hawkeyes weren’t what they were made out to be throughout the preseason. Ferentz isn’t as worried with the “sky is falling” mentality himself as much as making sure his players don’t read into as much. “They have exposure to the real world. All of a sudden the NFL Network and ESPN coming in or going out, there’s not a lot of Iowa talk … Continued

Keep reading...

It’s Just Cy-Hawk: #19 Iowa 18, Iowa State 17

By

It was two hours and 55 minutes…no, not the game length. That was the total time each team spent in the locker room due to severe weather in the Ames area on Saturday afternoon. In any normal Saturday, the lightning delay would’ve been the big story. But, with College Gameday, A quirky game, and a group of students storming the field during the delay, it was an act in a four-part play. The 19th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes took down Iowa State for their fifth straight win in the Cy-Hawk Series. The final score was as quirky as the game itself: 18-17. … Continued

Keep reading...

#19 Iowa vs. Iowa State: The Breakdown

By

It’s been a fun week of playful trash-talk, but since we’re now in the period of time where people are taking it too seriously, it’s time to see what’s expected on Saturday. It’s obviously the most anticipated Cy-Hawk game in the history of the series, especially with ESPN’s College Gameday on-site in Ames for the 1st time ever. People will be giddy over whether or not Coach Corso dons Cy or Herky at the end of the show. Fortunately, as Kirk Ferentz alluded to in his weekly press conference, what happens on College Gameday has no bearing on the game. … Continued

Keep reading...

A Trip West on Highway 30: Previewing the Iowa State Cyclones

By

There is a reason ESPN’s College Gameday is making the trip to Ames this weekend and it’s not just for the boys coming from the west on Highway 30 (more direct than I-80). Now in his fourth season at Iowa State, Matt Campbell has turned a historical Big 12 doormat into a conference title contender. He’s done so against the grain of what passes in the Big 12 conference, with defense and clock control. If we’re being completely honest, Iowa and Iowa State are mirror images of each in some aspects. Controlling the clock with a punishing run game, frequently … Continued

Keep reading...

5 Greatest Cy-Hawk Football moments

By

Cy-Hawk week is one of the few times throughout the year in which Iowan’s are at each others throats…well maybe not literally. However, the rivalry between the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones is at a fever-pitch with the newfound success Iowa State has had under Matt Campbell. Never before have the stakes been higher as not only this years game a must watch for the country, it has caught the attention of the mothership, as ESPN College Gameday will be making their first ever appearance in Ames for football. But what many may not know is this rivalry has been heated … Continued

Keep reading...