Iowa State is back in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving week, and now the path is set.
The No. 18 Cyclones will play in the Players Era Festival for a second straight year, this time as part of the Players Era 16 field.
Their opening game is locked in: Iowa State will face San Diego State on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m.
CT.
That first matchup is only the beginning. Every team in the field is guaranteed at least three games, and the Cyclones now know the full shape of their pod.
Iowa State is grouped with Tennessee and Maryland, with the Volunteers set to meet the Terrapins in the other game. Tennessee, of course, is the team that eliminated Iowa State from the 2026 NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16.
Last year’s trip to this event was a breakout stretch for the Cyclones. They opened with a dramatic win over St.
John’s, then rolled past Creighton and Syracuse. The final two wins came without Tamin Lipsey in the lineup.
Even with that strong run, Iowa State did not reach the big-money side of the tournament and ended up in a consolation game. That format changes this season, with the event splitting into the Players Era 8 and Players Era 16 brackets.
The bracket path now comes into focus depending on what happens against San Diego State. If Iowa State loses, it will play a consolation game on Thanksgiving at 1 p.m.
ET/12 p.m. CT.
From there, the consolation bracket would send the Cyclones into either a Fifth Place or Seventh Place Game on Friday, Nov. 27, at 11:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m.
CT or 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m.
CT.
If the Cyclones beat the Aztecs, they move on to a semifinal against the winner of Tennessee and Maryland. That game would be played on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, at 3:30 p.m.
ET/2:30 p.m. CT.
The stakes climb from there. The semifinal winner advances to the Championship on Friday, Nov. 27, at 9 p.m.
ET/9 p.m. CT, while the loser drops into the Third Place game, scheduled for 1 p.m.
ET/12 p.m. CT that same day.
The winner of the Michelob Ultra Arena bracket will then meet the winner of the T-Mobile Arena bracket for the Players Era 16 title on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 10:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. CT.
That other bracket is loaded too, with Texas Tech, Louisville, St. John’s and Oregon all in the mix.
In Other News...
Iowa State Heads Into A Tough Arizona Test With One Big Unknown
A bye week gave Iowa State a little extra time to reset before heading into a tricky trip to Arizona, where the Wildcats are marking the 100-year anniversary of their Bear Down motto with a Homecoming stage that figures to bring plenty of energy. The matchup also comes with a familiar college football wrinkle for the Cyclones, since both teams have had a week to prepare and the game now shifts toward execution, health and how well Iowa State can match up in a game that should feel bigger than an ordinary nonconference date.
Arizona has its own pieces in place, from quarterback Noah Fifita to running back Kedrick Reescano, wide receiver Isaiah Mizell and linebacker Taye Brown, all of whom have been part of the Wildcats recent push. For Iowa State, the bigger question is still hanging over the roster: the injury report has not yet been settled, leaving a little uncertainty around how the Cyclones will look when they finally line up against a team playing with a celebratory backdrop and plenty of momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Tamin Lipseys Return Is Taking Shape For Iowa State
Tamin Lipseys return is starting to come into focus for Iowa State, and the early signs are encouraging for a team that expects to lean on him heavily once the games start counting. T.J. Otzelberger said Lipsey has been practicing with the Cyclones and that the staff has a plan to ease him back into action after he was held out of the first exhibition game.
The absence was not tied to eligibility, but to a prior injury, and the approach has been to build him back up carefully rather than rush the process. Otzelberger is hoping Lipsey can get into the upcoming game against Northwestern, which would offer a meaningful next step in his return and give Iowa State a better sense of where things stand. [Read more 🡒]
Freya Jensen Could Be Crucial As Iowa State Starts Over
Freya Jensen is one of only three players back on Iowa States womens basketball roster, and that alone gives her a different kind of value as the Cyclones start over. After playing limited minutes last season, Jensen is being counted on for much more than a spot role this time around, with her experience and familiarity offering some stability for a team filled with newcomers trying to settle into a new system and environment.
Jensens path also gives Iowa State a useful blend of perspective and skill. Before arriving in Ames, she played for Aabyhoj IF Senior Womens Team in Denmark, and she brings speed and shooting ability to a group that needs both. For a roster still learning how to fit together, those traits matter, but so does the steadiness that comes from a returning player who understands what the program is asking every day. [Read more 🡒]