DePaul University’s women’s basketball team commenced its 50th season by participating in a charity exhibition game against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, breaking the all-time women’s basketball attendance record with 55,646 attendees.

Kinnick Stadium erupted with tens of thousands of screams and roars at the Oct. 15 game in Iowa City. All net proceeds from the game were donated to Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which received $250,000.

The “Crossover at Kinnick” exhibition game broke the previous women’s NCAA college basketball attendance record of 29,619 from the 2002 national title game between Connecticut and Oklahoma at San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Iowa’s basketball teams normally play at Carver-Hawkeye Arena which seats 15,400 people, but the teams played at the Kinnick, which seats 69,250 people and is home to Iowa’s football team.

The attendance record comes in a year that has had several high-profile moments for women’s sports, including Spain’s win over England in the Women’s World Cup in Australia this summer. A collegiate women’s volleyball game in Nebraska in August also broke the attendance record for any women’s sporting event with 92,003 attendees.

Sunday’s exhibition in Iowa was the first outdoor women’s basketball game ever played in a football stadium, introducing outdoor factors such as wind and sunlight. At one point in the game, a gust carried a shot from Iowa’s senior superstar Caitlin Clark away from the basket and off the court, causing her to laugh.

Anaya Peoples, a DePaul graduate guard, said she gained a new appreciation for outdoor sports after playing through the first half facing the sunlight.

 “I took a shot that I didn’t know if I made or not, but we’ve talked about turning adversity into a positive,” Peoples said after the game.

DePaul head coach Doug Bruno said the teams had an intense scrimmage last year without cameras. That’s when he and Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder agreed this match had to be played “in front of somebody next year.” Bluder and Bruno have both been in charge of their respective programs for over 20 years.

“Both of our programs play very similar styles of basketball,” Bruno said. “Coach Bluder and I never got together and said, ‘Let’s play the same way,’ but that’s how this kind of emerged over the years.”

Iowa is coming off an NCAA Championship appearance where Clark established herself as one of the most recognizable figures in women’s basketball. She was recognized at the game for winning the ESPY Award for Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports in July.

Iowa won the exhibition game 94-72. Clark finished with a triple-double: 34 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in only 33 minutes. DePaul sophomore Maeve McErlane had 14 points, including four 3-point makes to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

“They have one of the best players in the country, if not the best player in the country,” Bruno said. “And so we did have our hands full.”

Though this was an “event,” as Bruno put it, which meant that it had no bearing on DePaul’s winning percentage, he also emphasized that his team did not “lose the concept of competition.” DePaul responded swiftly after falling behind in the fourth quarter, going on a 15-0 run to close the gap with five minutes left, despite the loss.

“It’s a once in a lifetime moment, but I’m also trying to compete,” Peoples said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘We’re gonna win this quarter. We’re gonna show them who we are.’”

The Blue Demons have eight newcomers, who saw this as a chance to learn how to play with each other.

“I’m excited about this team,” Peoples said. “It was so encouraging to see us keep fighting and trust each other.”

Graduate guard and recent transfer from Michigan, Michelle Sidor, attempted to put the atmosphere of Kinnick Stadium into words.

“I think it was amazing. … This is women’s basketball too,” Sidor said. “When I was walking out, I was taking it in. … It was awesome.”

Bruno said his team relishes the opportunity to play for something bigger than basketball.

“Anyone who has ever watched an Iowa football game knows that Stead Family Children’s Hospital overlooks the stadium, and the ability to raise money for these children who have needs is just an awesome opportunity for our players,” Bruno said in a statement last week.

Peoples said she went to an Iowa football game in high school and witnessed the moment when fans waved to the children in the hospital, which she described as one of this game’s most enduring moments.

“It was kind of emotional during the game,” Peoples said. “It’s for people who can’t play. It’s for people who wish they could be out there on the court. … It makes you work harder.”

The Blue Demons begin their season at Wintrust Arena where they will host Western Michigan on Nov. 6.