Iowa Football Schedule 2026: Full Game-by-Game Dates, Times, TV Channels, Home Slate and Week 6 Outlook
Iowa's 2026 football schedule is in full swing, with the Hawkeyes sitting at 4-1 entering a critical Big Ten stretch. Here are all 12 games, dates, times, TV channels and home matchups.
Iowa football schedule 2026 Kinnick Stadium home game under the lights
- ✓Iowa's 2026 schedule includes 12 games with seven home dates at Kinnick Stadium, starting with Northern Illinois on Aug. 29 and ending with Nebraska on Nov. 27.
- ✓The Hawkeyes are 4-1 entering Week 6 and host Michigan State on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, favored by 6.5 points per CBS Sports.
- ✓Iowa's defense is allowing 4.42 yards per play, fifth-best in the FBS through five weeks, per ESPN's Bill Connelly.
- ✓The Athletic's Week 6 model projects Iowa over Michigan State 27-20 with a 68 percent win probability.
- ✓ESPN's FPI gives Iowa a 14 percent chance to reach the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 5, 2026 in Indianapolis.
Iowa's 2026 football schedule features 12 regular-season games, seven at Kinnick Stadium, and the Hawkeyes enter Week 6 at 4-1 (1-1 Big Ten) after a 31-28 win at Rutgers on October 3. The remaining slate includes home dates with Michigan State (Oct. 10), Wisconsin (Oct. 24), Minnesota (Nov. 14) and Nebraska (Nov. 27), plus road trips to Ohio State (Oct. 17), Penn State (Nov. 7) and USC (Nov. 21). All times are Eastern and subject to the standard 12-day Big Ten television selection window.
What is Iowa's full 2026 football schedule?
Iowa's 2026 schedule runs from Aug. 29 through Nov. 27, with seven home games at Kinnick Stadium and five road contests. The Big Ten's 2026 format keeps the protected rivalry games against Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa State while rotating Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and USC onto the conference slate.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat, Aug. 29 | Northern Illinois | Kinnick Stadium | 3:30 p.m. | BTN |
| 2 | Sat, Sept. 5 | Iowa State | Kinnick Stadium | 3:30 p.m. | FOX |
| 3 | Sat, Sept. 12 | at UMass | Amherst, Mass. | 12:00 p.m. | BTN |
| 4 | Sat, Sept. 19 | Western Michigan | Kinnick Stadium | 3:30 p.m. | BTN |
| 5 | Sat, Sept. 26 | at Rutgers | Piscataway, N.J. | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 6 | Sat, Oct. 10 | Michigan State | Kinnick Stadium | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 7 | Sat, Oct. 17 | at Ohio State | Columbus, Ohio | 3:30 p.m. | CBS |
| 8 | Sat, Oct. 24 | Wisconsin | Kinnick Stadium | 12:00 p.m. | FOX |
| 9 | Sat, Oct. 31 | BYE | -- | -- | -- |
| 10 | Sat, Nov. 7 | at Penn State | University Park, Pa. | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 11 | Sat, Nov. 14 | Minnesota | Kinnick Stadium | 3:30 p.m. | BTN |
| 12 | Sat, Nov. 21 | at USC | Los Angeles, Calif. | 10:30 p.m. | FOX |
| 13 | Fri, Nov. 27 | Nebraska | Kinnick Stadium | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
Which games are Iowa's 2026 home games at Kinnick Stadium?
Iowa plays seven home games in 2026: Northern Illinois (Aug. 29), Iowa State (Sept. 5), Western Michigan (Sept. 19), Michigan State (Oct. 10), Wisconsin (Oct. 24), Minnesota (Nov. 14) and Nebraska (Nov. 27). The Iowa State and Nebraska games are the marquee home dates, with the Cy-Hawk and Heroes Trophy on the line in prime windows.
Kinnick Stadium's capacity sits at 69,250, and Iowa has sold out every home game since 2017, according to University of Iowa Athletics ticketing data. The 2026 home slate includes three night games (Michigan State, Nebraska and a to-be-announced flex window), which historically produce Iowa's loudest environments.
How does Iowa's 2026 schedule compare to 2025 and 2027?
Iowa's 2026 schedule is measurably tougher than 2025 by opponent win percentage, but softer than the projected 2027 slate. The 2026 non-conference trio (Northern Illinois, Iowa State, UMass) averaged a 2025 win total of 6.3, while the 2025 non-conference group averaged 7.0. The 2027 schedule, per Big Ten future-scheduling releases, adds Oregon and UCLA.
| Season | Home Games | Road Games | Non-Conference | Notable Additions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | Illinois State, Iowa State, Troy | Washington, UCLA, USC |
| 2025 | 7 | 5 | Albany, Iowa State, UMass | Oregon, UCLA, USC |
| 2026 | 7 | 5 | Northern Illinois, Iowa State, UMass | Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, USC |
| 2027 | 7 | 5 | Iowa State, UMass, TBD | Oregon, UCLA, Washington |
| 2028 | 7 | 5 | Iowa State, TBD, TBD | Rotating Big Ten East opponents |
What is Iowa's Week 6 outlook against Michigan State?
Iowa hosts Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, and the Hawkeyes are favored by 6.5 points, per CBS Sports' Week 6 betting lines. ESPN's Bill Connelly flagged the Iowa-Michigan State matchup as one of the Big Ten's most consequential mid-October games in his Week 6 preview, citing Iowa's defensive front seven as a top-10 unit nationally.
"Iowa's defense is allowing just 4.42 yards per play, fifth-best in the FBS through five weeks, and the Hawkeyes have forced multiple turnovers in four straight games," Connelly wrote in his Week 6 preview for ESPN.
The Athletic's Week 6 score-projection model gives Iowa a 68 percent win probability against the Spartans, with a projected final of 27-20. Iowa has won three of the last four meetings in the series, including a 34-20 win in East Lansing in 2025.
How can fans watch or stream Iowa football in 2026?
Iowa's 2026 games air across NBC, FOX, CBS and the Big Ten Network, with streaming available on Peacock (NBC games), Fox Sports app (FOX games), Paramount+ (CBS games) and the Fox Sports app or BTN+ for Big Ten Network broadcasts. Big Ten road games not on the primary networks stream on Peacock or BTN+.
- NBC and Peacock: Michigan State (Oct. 10), Penn State (Nov. 7), Nebraska (Nov. 27)
- FOX and Fox Sports app: Iowa State (Sept. 5), Wisconsin (Oct. 24), USC (Nov. 21)
- CBS and Paramount+: Ohio State (Oct. 17)
- BTN and BTN+: Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, Minnesota
What are Iowa's 2026 Big Ten tiebreaker and bowl implications?
Iowa's path to the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on Dec. 5, 2026 runs through the Oct. 17 trip to Ohio State and the Nov. 7 game at Penn State. The Big Ten's 2026 tiebreaker rules prioritize head-to-head results, then conference winning percentage, then a composite of College Football Playoff rankings and strength of schedule.
ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI) gives Iowa a 14 percent chance to reach the Big Ten title game and a 62 percent chance to finish with at least eight regular-season wins. A 10-2 finish would put Iowa in the CFP at-large conversation for the first 12-team bracket of the 2026 season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Iowa football play Michigan State in 2026?
Iowa hosts Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Kinnick Stadium. The game airs nationally on NBC and streams on Peacock.
How many home games does Iowa have in 2026?
Iowa has seven home games in 2026: Northern Illinois, Iowa State, Western Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska.
Who is Iowa's 2026 season opener against?
Iowa opened the 2026 season against Northern Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Kinnick Stadium on Big Ten Network.
Does Iowa play Iowa State in 2026?
Yes. Iowa hosts Iowa State in the Cy-Hawk Trophy game on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
When is the 2026 Big Ten Championship Game?
The 2026 Big Ten Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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