ESPN’s College GameDay has spent the opening stretch of the 2026 season firmly in SEC country, and Kirk Herbstreit may have already put a new Week 5 target on the board.
The show opened in LSU for the Tigers’ season opener against Clemson in Week 1, moved to Texas for its showdown with former No. 1 Ohio State in Week 2, and is headed to Ole Miss in Week 3 for Lane Kiffin’s return. With the SEC’s Week 4 slate still looking strong, there’s even a chance College GameDay never leaves the conference during September.
Week 5 is where things could shift. The SEC’s schedule that weekend doesn’t carry the same weight as the previous two weeks, opening the door for a trip elsewhere - and Herbstreit floated one spot on Thursday during “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“If Iowa wins the next two weeks, the show may venture there for its conference home opener against Ohio State,” Herbstreit said. “Week 5, there's a potential, some things have to happen, but there's a potential, we haven't been to Iowa City in a long time,” Herbstreit said. “Week 5 is still in play.”
Iowa has certainly been in the mix for GameDay before. Over the past 20 years, the Hawkeyes have hosted or appeared in several matchups the show covered, including Cy-Hawk Trophy games at Iowa State and the 2015 Big Ten Championship game.
But Iowa City itself has been waiting a long time. College GameDay hasn’t been there since Sept. 30, 2006, when No.
13 Iowa hosted No. 1 Ohio State.
The Buckeyes controlled that game from the start, and Troy Smith - who would go on to win the Heisman Trophy - threw four touchdown passes in a 38-17 win.
For Iowa to get another shot at hosting the show, it has to handle business first. That starts with a decisive win over Northern Iowa this weekend and then a much tougher road test at Michigan in Week 4, the biggest hurdle in the way.
Still, the SEC remains the most likely place for GameDay to land if Iowa slips. Georgia is one obvious possibility, with the Bulldogs hosting Vanderbilt in Week 5. Their game with Oklahoma probably won’t be enough to draw the show after the Sooners’ loss at Michigan, and if Vanderbilt gets through NC State and Auburn, that matchup would turn into a battle of unbeatens.
Another SEC option could be Mississippi State, which hosts Alabama. The Bulldogs have South Carolina and Missouri up next, and if they bring the same energy they showed at Minnesota, they could enter Week 5 in position to make that game matter.
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For a program long associated with a more familiar scheduling rhythm under Kirk Ferentz, the move stands out as a noticeable break from habit. It also brings back a matchup that has not been played in more than a century, adding a little historical flavor to a schedule that already looks different from the usual Iowa blueprint. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Is Already Pushing For A 2028 Prospect Fans Should Track
Iowa is already getting a head start on the 2028 class with Cole Kelly, a 6-foot-7 forward from Neuqua Valley High School in Illinois who has quickly become one of the names to know for the Hawkeyes. Kelly is a four-star prospect, and Iowa has made its interest clear by bringing him in for an unofficial visit on Sept. 12 while also sending coaches to meet with him in Illinois.
For a program trying to stay ahead in a competitive recruiting race, Kelly is the kind of long-view target that makes sense. Multiple major programs have already extended scholarship offers, but Iowas early push reflects how much value the staff places on his versatility and work ethic. The Hawkeyes are not alone in tracking him, which is exactly why this recruitment is worth watching so early. [Read more 🡒]