Iowa men’s basketball now knows the full road ahead.
The Big Ten dropped its 2026-27 conference schedule Wednesday, giving the Hawkeyes their complete 20-game league slate and a clearer picture of how the second season under Ben McCollum will unfold. Iowa had already learned its conference opponents earlier this offseason, including home-and-home matchups with Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Now the dates are set.
The conference grind starts early. Iowa opens Big Ten play at Purdue on Dec. 1, then returns home to face Indiana on Dec.
- After wrapping up nonconference games, the Hawkeyes turn back to league play on Jan. 2 against Ohio State.
One of the most notable stretches comes against Nebraska. Iowa will face the Cornhuskers twice in just 15 days, first in Lincoln on Jan. 16 and then back in Iowa City on Jan.
- The two teams will have played five times over the last two seasons by the time that second meeting arrives.
The regular season ends with a heavyweight road trip to Illinois on March 6, setting up an NCAA South Regional Elite Eight rematch to close the schedule.
Before conference play takes over, Iowa’s nonconference slate opens at Carver-Hawkeye Arena with games against Lipscomb on Nov. 3 and Eastern Illinois on Nov. 6.
The Hawkeyes also have neutral-site matchups against Virginia Tech, Creighton and Alabama during the first half of the season, along with road and home dates that include Xavier on Nov. 20, Iowa State on Dec. 10 and South Dakota on Dec.
McCollum enters year two after guiding Iowa to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. The roster around him looks familiar, too: 10 players are back from last season, and the Hawkeyes added four newcomers, including two transfers and two freshmen.
Iowa men’s basketball 2026-27 schedule
NONCONFERENCE (times TBD)
Fri., Nov. 6 - vs. Eastern Illinois
Sun., Nov. 15 - vs. Creighton (neutral site)
Fri., Nov. 20 - at Xavier
Thurs., Dec. 10 - vs. Iowa State
Mon., Dec. 21 - vs. Alabama (neutral site)
Tues., Dec. 29 - vs. South Dakota
BIG TEN (times TBD)
Dec. 1 - at Purdue
Dec. 7 - vs. Indiana
Jan. 2 - vs. Ohio State
Jan. 6 - vs. Wisconsin
Jan. 9 vs. Maryland
Jan. 12 - at Rutgers
Jan. 16 - at Nebraska
Jan. 23 - vs. Penn State
Jan. 26 - at Ohio State
Jan. 30 - vs. Nebraska
Feb. 3 - at USC
Feb. 6 - at UCLA
Feb. 10 - vs. Oregon
Feb. 13 - at Northwestern
Feb. 16 - vs. Michigan State
Feb. 20 - at Michigan
Feb. 24 - at Wisconsin
Feb. 27 - vs. Minnesota
March 2 - vs. Washington
March 6 - at Illinois
In Other News...
Iowa May Have Found A New Weapon In An Unlikely Place
Boston Everitt arrived in Iowa as something of a novelty, an Australian punter learning American football and college life at the same time, but the early returns suggest the Hawkeyes may have uncovered a useful piece. He earned the starting job and has settled in quickly, averaging 43.9 yards per punt in the opening games of the 2026 season while helping flip field position when Iowa needs it most.
What has stood out just as much as the leg is the adjustment behind it. Everitt has been getting steady support from teammates and coach Kirk Ferentz, who has praised his attitude and work ethic as he continues to adapt to life in Iowa. For a program that has long valued hidden edges, the possibility of finding one in an unlikely place is exactly the kind of development worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Making Another Early Push At A Recruit Fans Will Notice
Iowas recruiting momentum from the Cy-Hawk win carried right into the next day at Kinnick Stadium, where the Hawkeyes extended a scholarship offer to 2028 tight end Israel Johnigan during his game day visit. The Kansas City, Missouri, prospect is already drawing attention as one of the more highly regarded names in his class, and Iowa made sure he left campus with a clear sense of interest.
Johnigans junior season has helped fuel that early buzz, and the offer fits the way Iowa likes to get involved with tight ends before the market gets crowded. With multiple schools already in the mix, the Hawkeyes have put themselves in position early with a recruit fans will want to track, even if the real battle for him is only beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Passing Game Has A New Problem After Tony Diaz's Breakout
Tony Diaz has given Iowas passing game a needed spark early in the 2026 season, but the bigger picture is still about how the Hawkeyes can keep defenses honest around him. The tight end group has long been one of the teams defining matchup pieces, and DJ Vonnahme has already started to show why, catching six passes for 67 yards in two games while offering another option in the middle of the field.
Vonnahme is likely to miss the upcoming game against Northern Iowa, which adds a new wrinkle to a passing attack that is still trying to find its most reliable secondary threat. For Iowa, the intrigue is less about replacing one player and more about which tight end steps forward next, because the offense could use that play-action balance to make Diaz even harder to contain. [Read more 🡒]