How will Gary Barta be remembered after announcing his retirement as Iowa AD?

There was a lot of good in the 17-year Gary Barta era at Iowa, most notably on the field. But the negative marks on the Hawkeyes' AD will likely surface above the positivity when Barta's tenure is remembered. Several high-profile lawsuits have severely dented Barta's public perception, to the point…

Hawk Central: Rick Heller checks in from Omaha; Iowa football excitement builds

Chad Leistikow is joined by Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller from the Big Ten Tournament, where the Hawkeyes beat Michigan on Tuesday and prepare for Indiana on Thursday. Heller discusses his pitching choices and more. Dargan Southard joins Chad later to talk NCAA regional scenarios. And then Tom Ka…

Hawk Central: Sports-gambling latest and Iowa baseball's Rick Heller joins the show

The Register's Chad Leistikow shares a notable football update in regards to the sports-gambling investigation involving 26 current Iowa student-athletes. He is joined by KXnO's Andrew Downs to discuss that and the Penn State night game on Sept. 23. But the centerpiece of the show is a 20-minute in…

Making sense of the latest in the Iowa sports betting investigation

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dive into the latest in the Iowa sports betting investigation and various Hawkeyes sports could be affected in the immediate and future.

Hawk Central: The potential fallout of sports-gambling investigation, Kaleb Brown's potential for Iowa football

Well, what a week it's already been in Hawkeye athletics with a sports-gambling investigation that identified 26 current student-athletes in five sports dominating headlines. To dig into that complicated topic, the Register's Chad Leistikow hosts conversations with Dargan Southard and Randy Peterso…

Hawk Central: Kennington Smith's Iowa memories, Hawkeyes' portal-receiver targets

In his final Hawk Central radio hour on KXnO, the Register's Kennington Smith outlines his next move and reflects on his two years in Iowa with Register teammate Chad Leistikow. The pair discusses the concerns and strengths out of Iowa's spring football practice and dissects some intriguing NCAA tr…

What we did (and didn't) learn from Iowa football's final spring practice

With temperatures hardly resembling April weather, Iowa and head coach Kirk Ferentz wrapped up the 2023 spring practice with Saturday's event at Kinnick Stadium. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith break down what they saw and how much meaning it carries for the upcoming campaign.Sho…

Different tones for different coordinators as Iowa football updates spring progress

The media met Thursday with Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, defensive coordinator Phil Parker and special teams guru LeVar Woods as the Hawkeyes close in on concluding the 2023 spring. Two run units operating at program-standard levels. One runs an offense still under plenty of fire after…

Hawk Central: Iowa spring football's home stretch; how best to use Cooper DeJean?

The final week of Iowa spring football is here, and with the open scrimmage looming Saturday, the Register columnist Chad Leistikow and reporter Kennington Smith break down some of what they're looking for. We dive into two promising position groups, running back and defensive back. There's time fo…

Hawk Central: The Ben Krikke addition, Iowa women's roster plan and football's center of attention

Three segments, three Iowa athletics topics on tonight's Hawk Central radio show. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith begin with the pressing portal situation for the Iowa men's basketball team, which this week added Valparaiso big man Ben Krikke and now looks to add a certain power …