The Cy-Hawk rivalry is back in Kinnick Stadium on Saturday night, and Iowa gets the chance to try to snap a two-game skid against Iowa State in Week 2 of the 2026 college football season.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on September 12 in Iowa City, with another sold-out crowd expected inside Kinnick Stadium.
NBC will carry the game, with Paul Burmeister handling play-by-play, Todd Blackledge as the analyst, and Kathryn Tappen on the sideline. Peacock will stream the matchup, while the Hawkeye Radio Network and SiriusXM Channel 85 will have the radio broadcast.
Gary Dolphin, Pat Angerer, and Rob Brooks make up the Hawkeye Radio Network crew.
Iowa comes in trying to stop a run of two straight losses to the Cyclones, and both of those defeats came on late field goals. The setting only adds to the pressure, with Iowa State arriving as a team that has nothing to lose and a completely new roster. That can make for a dangerous mix, especially if the Cyclones lean into surprises like trick plays or aggressive fourth-down decisions.
For Iowa, the formula is straightforward. The Hawkeyes need to stay composed, something Kirk Ferentz’s teams have usually done well, and they need to control the game up front.
That means running the ball effectively early on offense to take pressure off quarterbacks Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown. On the other side, the focus shifts to Jaylen Raynor, who Iowa’s defense will try to force into long, mistake-free drives.
The betting numbers reflect a clear Iowa edge. The Hawkeyes are listed as 14-point favorites at -105, with Iowa State at +14 at -115.
Iowa is -600 on the money line, while Iowa State sits at +440. The total is 41.5 points.
Those odds are courtesy of DraftKings and are based on consensus lines from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
In Other News...
Iowa Is Using Cy-Hawk Weekend To Win Over Priority Targets
The Cy-Hawk game has long been one of the biggest dates on Iowas calendar, and this weekend it is doubling as a recruiting showcase. More than 20 football prospects are expected to be on hand, giving the Hawkeyes a chance to put their atmosphere, tradition and game-day routine in front of a group that includes both committed and uncommitted targets.
It is not just football being spotlighted, either. Iowa is bringing in recruits across womens basketball and mens basketball as part of the weekend push, turning one of the states signature sporting events into a broader pitch for the program. Former Hawkeyes quarterback CJ Beathard is also set to serve as honorary captain, adding another familiar face to a weekend designed to connect current targets with Iowas past and present. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Turns To A Familiar Tone Setter For Huge Cy-Hawk Night
The Cy-Hawk rivalry is set for a familiar kind of spotlight Saturday night at a sold-out Kinnick Stadium, with Iowa leaning into the kind of setting that has long defined these games. The Hawkeyes will be in all-black uniforms for the annual showdown with Iowa State, and the occasion will carry extra weight with the quarterback competition still unfolding as Iowa looks for a clear answer behind center.
C.J. Beathard, who quarterbacked Iowa from 2013 to 2016, is part of the nights build-up and gives the program a direct link to one of its steadier recent eras. For a team trying to find its next leader under center, having a former quarterback from a successful stretch back around the program is the sort of familiar tone setter that can matter on a stage like this, even before the first snap is taken. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa May Have A Rare Chance To Dominate Cy-Hawk Again
The 73rd meeting of the Cy-Hawk rivalry is shaping up as one of those games that can say as much about momentum as it does about bragging rights. Iowa and Iowa State have spent years trading blows in a series that tends to distort expectations, and this matchup has drawn attention because it comes with the kind of context Hawkeye fans know well: a familiar in-state opponent, plenty of history, and a national audience that always seems ready to treat September football in Iowa as something bigger than it looks.
The comparison that keeps surfacing is the 2016 game, when Iowa turned the rivalry into a runaway and left little doubt about which sideline controlled the day. The setup this time is different enough to make the projection interesting, with both programs in new coaching eras and plenty of fan anticipation around whether Iowa can once again turn a rivalry game into a statement. The numbers point toward a lopsided feel, but the real question is whether this Cy-Hawk meeting can match the rare kind of dominance that made that earlier result so memorable. [Read more 🡒]