I was there. I'd be surprised if there were more than three or four thousand people there. They didn't even check tickets at the gate. I spent the entire halftime in the men's room trying to warm up.
You are a hero.
Was it likely that the 36,000 was tickets were sold rather than an estimate of attendance? Misleading, for sure, if so.
One of my finest friends graduated from ISU in 1973. I believe he has missed two home football games, one for the birth of his first child, the second this game. He set out from Waterloo but could not see the U.S. highway at all, total whiteout. Damn glad he made it home.
My friend is an ISU warrior; even during the worst years, he refused to not show up for senior day, believing those athletes in the fallow seasons owed homage as much as our athletes did in the good seasons. (Hey, I like that, 'fallow' seasons.)
My friend is a Son, Forever True. But, damn, your family comes first.