4 intriguing non-conference games that Hawkeye fans must pay attention to

It feels like just yesterday that the Hawkeyes were dancing all the way into the Elite Eight.

After a remarkable 2025-2026 campaign, the Hawkeyes have been diligently preparing for next season with multiple new faces in the gym. The program lost only four players from the improbable NCAA Tournament run and has reloaded with other talented players to push for another deep run. As Ben McCollum gets his guys ready for 2026-2027, the program released the non-conference schedule, with multiple tough matchups before the start of Big Ten play.

Iowa MBB released its challenging non-conference schedule

Excluding Iowa State, the program had a pretty easy non-conference slate last season and hit a wall during Big Ten play. The squad was up and down in McCollum's first season, going an even .500 in Big Ten play (10-10), but played their best basketball when it mattered the most. In year two, McCollum is ramping up the competition to be better prepared for the gauntlet that is the Big Ten Conference, and they have some very interesting opponents before getting to conference games this season.

Several intriguing games fill the non-conference slate, with four standing out as the Hawkeyes prepare for next season.

Iowa vs. Virginia Tech - Nov. 11 (Sioux City, Iowa)

Virginia Tech 2025-2026 record: 19-13 (8-10 ACC), 11th in ACC

Virginia Tech has consistently been a 19-plus-win team under head coach Mike Young, failing to reach that mark in only three of his seven seasons. The ACC has been one of the most competitive conferences from top to bottom, and the Hokies have been in the middle of the pack for the past few seasons. Tech struggled in 2024-2025 before rebounding last season and winning 19 games. It was a solid return to a 19-win season, and they return multiple senior leaders this season, including Jaylen Curry and Ethan Copeland.

The Hokies struggled offensively last season, averaging only 78.8 points per game (No. 104 overall), and were equally as bad on offense, giving up 74.9 points per game (No. 210). Despite their defensive struggles, the Hokies' defense was solid against the three, holding teams to an average of 30.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Hokies have a veteran backcourt, which will be a good early test for Iowa's guards, but if they play the way we know they can, Iowa should leave Sioux City with a victory.

Iowa vs. Creighton - Nov. 15 (Des Moines, Iowa)

Creighton 2025-2026 record: 16-18 (9-11 Big East), 5th in Big East

Before a surprising collapse last season, the Creighton Bluejays were an NCAA Tournament staple. In 13 seasons with Greg McDermott at the helm, the Bluejays made the NCAA Tournament eight times, with their best finish in 2022-2023 when they reached the Elite Eight. If this game took place in the past, it easily would have been Iowa's toughest non-conference game on the schedule, but after McDermott announced his retirement, the game lacks the luster that it could have had.

Multiple players hit the transfer portal after the season, and Creighton is without its two leading scorers from last season (Josh Dix, Nik Graves). This game's main draw is that it will be played at the Casey's Center in Des Moines, Iowa, about two hours for both programs. It will also be interesting to see how Iowa starts the season in year two under Ben McCollum, but this game feels a few years too late.

Iowa vs. Iowa State - Dec. 10 (Iowa City, Iowa)

Iowa State 2025-2026 record: 29-8 (12-6 Big 12), 2nd in Big 12

Iowa State has become a powerhouse in the Big 12 and nationally under T.J. Otzelberger, and that continued last season. The Hawkeyes traveled to Ames last season for the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry game and had a golden opportunity to knock off the Cyclones early on. Iowa led at half before ultimately giving the game away, with Iowa State narrowly escaping with a 66-62 victory. The Cyclones have gone 4-1 against the Hawkeyes since Otzelberger took over in 2021, including a 1-0 record against Ben McCollum.

The Cyclones caught the Hawkeyes early last season and could have easily lost that game, but McCollum is now in year two, and Iowa has the talent to get it done at home. The Cyclones will also be without talented sophomore Killyan Toure after he underwent shoulder surgery, giving the Hawkeyes an advantage. The Cyclones will still be a very tough challenge for the Hawkeyes, and it will be very interesting to see what the squad does offensively without star guard Bennett Stirtz running the show. Iowa should be more well-balanced than last season, but if the squad wants to be among the best, they have to beat the best, and Iowa State has consistently been that.

Iowa vs. Alabama - Dec. 21 (Des Moines, Iowa)

Alabama 2025-2026 record: 25-10 (13-5 SEC), 2nd in SEC

When you think of Alabama, you think college football, but Nate Oats has done everything to shift that more toward men's basketball. Oats has turned Alabama into a perennial national championship contender, reaching the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and the Final Four over the past three seasons. The Crimson Tide had another stellar season last year before being upset in the Sweet 16. Oats has already racked up 170 wins in seven seasons with Alabama, and this game is easily one of the toughest on Iowa's non-conference schedule.

Alabama is primed to be at the top of the SEC once again and will be in the conversation for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. This will be a great test for the Hawkeyes, and even though it won't be played at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, it will test the sqaud's ability and mental fortitude against a consistent Tournament team. McCollum and the program aren't fooling around with a challenging non-conference schedule, and adding Alabama signals that Iowa is ready to play the best teams in the country.

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