A love for the Hawkeyes has motivated Brian Luing and his family to support Iowa women?s gymnastics
PHOTO: Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com
Brian Luing (fifth from right) recently attended the grand opening of the Nagle-Duda Gymnastics & Spirit Squads Training Center. Luing and his family made a leadership gift to the facility project.
Brian Luing will never forget the puzzled look on Hayden Fry?s face.
Donning an Iowa sweatshirt, Luing?a college student at the time?decided to take a stroll onto the Kinnick Stadium field during pregame warm-ups.
?Back in the 1980s, when you sat in the end zone, you could easily walk onto the field before the game,? says Luing. ?I saw Coach Fry on the 50-yard line, so I decided to walk over and wish him good luck. He gave me the strangest look?but thanked me.?
It was one of many memories he made with his father, Larry (51BSC), who started taking him to games as a teenager. Now, he?s passing his love for the Hawkeyes along to his two daughters, Danielle and Erica.
?My father got me hooked, and as time went on, that?s how I really connected with him?through Iowa football,? says Luing. ?I see that with my own daughters now, because they love Iowa sports, too.?
PHOTO: Submitted Photo
Brian Luing (upper right) poses with Kevin Collins, assistant vice president for athletics development, and Beth Goetz, the Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair, during a recent women's gymnastics meet in Iowa City.
Hawkeye Memories Fuel Philanthropy
After his father passed away in 2016, Luing and his three brothers wanted to find a meaningful way to honor their dad. Through their charitable foundation, the family made a $500,000 gift to support renovations to Kinnick Stadium?s north end zone.
It was a fitting tribute to someone who introduced the entire family to Iowa football.
?One of the things we love about Iowa City is that when you wake up there on a Saturday morning, there?s an energy in the town,? says Luing. ?Everyone has waited all week for the football game. There aren?t pro sports in Iowa, and for us, Kinnick Stadium is the state?s Yankee Stadium. That seemed like a great way to give back while honoring my dad, because our connection to Iowa started with football.?
Despite living in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, Luing attends Iowa football games and is a passionate, die-hard Hawkeye fan. But, a once-in-a-generation talent, Caitlin Clark (24BBA), opened up his interests to more of Iowa?s sports teams.
?I started to go to the women?s basketball games and ended up going to the 2023 and 2024 Final Fours. I was also in Iowa City when she broke the national scoring record,? says Luing. ?I was much more involved?thanks to Caitlin?and she supercharged my interest.?
He also watched his two daughters compete on college club synchronized skating teams and started to find a deeper passion for all women?s sports.
?Not all of the sports get the recognition they deserve,? says Luing. ?We started going to Iowa gymnastics meets, and those student-athletes work so hard. I found a really meaningful connection between my daughters and sports like gymnastics.?
PHOTO: Submitted Photo
Caitlin Clark takes a selfie with Brian Luing after the 2024 Big Ten Tournament Championship win in Minneapolis.
A Vital Partner in a New Facility
Although Luing was never a gymnast, he?s awestruck by their talent and skills.
?I really enjoy the floor exercise?that?s probably my favorite event,? says Luing. ?The tumbling passes are amazing to watch. Their athleticism is very apparent?not only on the floor, but in all the events.?
He has attended several Iowa women?s gymnastics meets over the years?both in Iowa City and closer to his home in New Jersey. He also attended their recent NCAA regional appearance in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and has appreciated getting to know the team.
?It?s been great meeting some of the student-athletes,? says Luing. ?I can tell that they are a close-knit team?and that?s a testament to the coaching staff and the positive environment they have created.?
To elevate Iowa women?s gymnastics?as well as all women?s sports?Brian and his wife, Tara, supported the new Nagle-Duda Gymnastics & Spirit Squads Training Center that opened earlier this year. To honor their commitment, the multipurpose team room is named in the family?s honor.
?I hope this new facility gives the GymHawks a competitive advantage in recruiting, as well as training for meets,? says Luing. ?Giving the Iowa Spirit Squads a home is also important as well, because they are a vital part of so many Iowa athletics events. We?ve gotten a lot from Iowa, and we?re glad to give back in this way.?
