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With Iowa’s successful football season, three letters are sticking out to fans: ANF. The Hawkeyes have an “ANF” decal on all their helmets. Everyone wants to know what it stands for, and why the team has it on their helmets.
ANF stands for “America Needs Farmers”. In 1985, legendary Iowa coach Hayden Fry added the decal to the helmet in the midst of what is now known as the Farm Crisis. Farms in Iowa and all over the country were being closed down amidst economic distress.
Fry added the decal to bring awareness to the plight of farmers. Current head coach Kirk Ferentz added the decal back on the helmets in 2011. Ferentz wanted to bring the look of the successful 1980’s Iowa teams back as well as raise awareness for the need of farmers.
The acronym “ANF” gained a lot of recognition by college football fans across the country with the successful Hawkeyes Rose Bowl season.
