It didn’t take long for Ben McCollum to start turning up the heat on Iowa’s schedule.
After an Elite Eight run in 2025-2026 and just four departures from that NCAA Tournament team, the Hawkeyes are back in the gym with a retooled roster and bigger expectations. The newly released non-conference slate makes one thing clear: year two is not going to be a soft landing. Iowa is loading up on tests before Big Ten play, and four games stand out right away.
The toughest early measuring stick may come on Nov. 11 in Sioux City, when Iowa meets Virginia Tech. The Hokies finished 19-13 overall and 8-10 in the ACC last season, good for 11th in the league, and they bring back senior leaders Jaylen Curry and Ethan Copeland.
Mike Young’s teams have been regular 19-win groups, and while Virginia Tech wasn’t a juggernaut offensively last year - 78.8 points per game, No. 104 nationally - it still gives Iowa a veteran backcourt that should challenge the Hawkeyes’ guards. The Hokies also allowed 74.9 points per game, but they did hold opponents to 30.6 percent from three.
A few days later, on Nov. 15, Iowa heads to Des Moines to face Creighton at the Casey’s Center.
That game would have looked a lot different not long ago. Creighton, which went 16-18 overall and 9-11 in the Big East last season, has long been a Greg McDermott staple, making eight NCAA Tournaments in 13 seasons and reaching the Elite Eight in 2022-2023.
But McDermott’s retirement and a wave of transfer-portal departures changed the feel of this matchup, and the Bluejays are also without their two leading scorers from last season, Josh Dix and Nik Graves. The location gives the game some weight, but the opponent no longer carries the same shine it once would have.
The rivalry game against Iowa State arrives on Dec. 10 in Iowa City, and that one carries plenty of juice regardless of the rest of the schedule. The Cyclones went 29-8 overall and 12-6 in the Big 12 last season, finishing second in the league, and they’ve been a major force under T.J.
Otzelberger. Iowa had its chance in Ames last year, led at halftime, and still let it slip away in a 66-62 loss.
Iowa State has now gone 4-1 against the Hawkeyes since Otzelberger arrived in 2021, including 1-0 against McCollum. The Cyclones won’t have talented sophomore Killyan Toure after shoulder surgery, but they remain a serious problem, especially with Iowa still trying to answer questions offensively after losing star guard Bennett Stirtz.
Then there’s Alabama on Dec. 21 in Des Moines, and that might be the most daunting non-conference test on the board. The Crimson Tide finished 25-10 overall and 13-5 in the SEC last season, and Nate Oats has built them into a team that lives in the national title conversation.
Over the past three seasons, Alabama has reached the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four, and it came one upset short of another deep run last year before falling in the Sweet 16. Oats already has 170 wins in seven seasons, and Alabama figures to be near the top of the SEC again.
For Iowa, it’s a high-end challenge against a program that keeps showing up deep in March.
McCollum’s message is pretty obvious here: Iowa isn’t easing into anything. The Hawkeyes want to be better prepared for the Big Ten grind, and this non-conference slate is built to make sure of it.
In Other News...
Iowa Fans Should Watch These Offensive Sleepers Very Closely
The conversation around Iowas offense is already shifting toward the next wave, and there are a few young names worth keeping on the radar as the program looks ahead to 2026. Freshman quarterback Tradon Bessinger, running back Xavier Williams, receiver Dayton Howard, tight ends DJ Vonnahme and Addison Ostrenga, and offensive lineman Michael Myslinski all sit in that category of players whose paths to playing time could open if development continues the way Iowa hopes.
What makes the group interesting is the variety of ways each could fit. Williams and Howard bring the kind of skill-position upside fans tend to track first, while Vonnahme and Ostrenga give the tight end room more potential depth, and Myslinski could matter up front if the line needs more help. For Iowa, the bigger question is not just which of these players flashes, but which ones are ready when the opportunity finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Already Faces A March Question Ben McCollum Must Answer
Iowas place in ESPNs updated bracketology says plenty about where Ben McCollums first Hawkeyes team stands in the national picture. Projected as a No. 10 seed in the South Region against Miami, Iowa is sitting in that uneasy middle ground where a promising start is enough to keep the conversation going, but not enough to make anyone comfortable yet. McCollum has a returning roster to work with, and the offseason additions of guard TyReek Coleman and center Andrew McKeever give the group more pieces to lean on as the season starts to take shape.
The bigger question for Iowa is the one that comes with being listed among the last four byes, because bubble teams rarely get the luxury of coasting into March. McCollum will have to prove quickly that this roster can handle the pressure that comes with those close calls, especially once the schedule tightens and the margin for error shrinks. For now, the Hawkeyes are in the mix, but the path from projected tournament team to a secure one is still being written. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Gets A Huge Sign Its O-Line Standard Isnt Slipping
Kade Piepers move from right guard to center already had the feel of an important transition for Iowa, and the preseason honors now attached to it only sharpen the focus. After starting all 13 games last season, Pieper has been named a preseason All-American by several outlets, including Walter Camp, On3, Athlon Sports and the Associated Press, a sign that the Hawkeyes offensive line standard remains where it usually is: high enough to draw national notice before a snap has been played.
For Iowa, this is less about a summer honor than a reminder that the line room still carries real expectations. Pieper is trying to turn last seasons success into even more value at center, where the responsibilities change but the spotlight gets brighter, and the next step matters for both the Hawkeyes and his NFL draft outlook. The praise is already in place, but the real test comes when the new role starts to reveal just how seamless that adjustment can be. [Read more 🡒]