Football Fans Start New Tears Worthy Tradition

You might want to grab a tissue or two for this one.

Anyone who follows college football (and even those who don't) knows that each team has some pretty unique things that they do faithfully before, during, and after each game.

For instance, before Notre Dame home games, 10 students dressed in a traditional Scottish kilt lead the marching band onto the field, and we all know about dotting the "i" at Ohio State games.

But the University of Iowa has started a new tradition that doesn't use gimmicky costumes or animals. This tradition isn't even about the team or their fans- it's about making sick kids happy.

The Hawkeyes stadium is across the street from the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. As a matter of fact, the hospital looks right over the stadium, which means kids on the top floors of the building can look down and watch some of the game.

To show they stand behind the sick kids, more than 70,000 Hawkeyes fans took a minute to stand, wave, and cheer for the kids before the start of a recent game, a tradition they plan to stick with from here on out.

[via NBC Sports/Today]