Merry Christmas and happy holidays! It’s a marathon podcast to cap off the year of Iowa athletics. Tom Kakert, Matt Randazzo, Kyle Huesmann and Tanner Lafever come together to talk all things Hawkeyes in one of the longest pods we’ve ever done.

First, we open the talking transfer portal and the latest Iowa football news. They signed a defensive lineman and we discuss this news and how he fits into the roster. We also talk about the Hawkeyes missing a quarterback in the portal and look at what could potentially happen next at the position. We also discuss other prospects Iowa is looking for in the portal.

Second, we discuss the Hawkeye basketball team coming from behind to win over Utah on a neutral court. What did we think of the win and how crucial Payton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Brock Harding were throughout the game? Why was this win so important to the Hawkeyes’ postseason hopes as they prepare to return to conference play early in the new year?

Then we’ll take a long and interesting look back at Iowa athletics in 2024. We’ll start with the biggest story of the year, Caitlin Clark and Iowa women’s basketball and the impact they’ve had not just in Iowa, but across the country. We look back at the retirement of Lisa Bluder, the hiring of Jan Jensen and the selection of Lucy Olsen to the Hawkeyes.

Then we get to wrestling, where Tanner talks about how the Iowa women’s team won a national title and Spencer Lee and Kennedy Blades won silver medals at the Paris Olympics and maybe even more in LA in 2028.

We’ll talk Iowa football and baseball before diving into the top stories from the Hawkeye men’s basketball team, which includes the head coach’s sons headed to play basketball at Butler. Finally, we’ll end the nearly two-hour podcast with a long discussion about Iowa football and pick out some bowl game winners for you.