Ben McCollum and Iowa Men's Basketball are taking a play out of Jan Jensen's playbook by ramping up the competition on the non-conference schedule.
McCollum and the program are striking while the iron is hot, not only on the recruiting trail but also on the schedule. The program has already locked in an "away" matchup with Creighton and former Hawkeye Josh Dix in Des Moines on November 15, and now they are adding an SEC powerhouse with an impressive resume.
Iowa has locked in a home-and-away series with Alabama for 2026 and 2027
After a subpar finish to the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes were still thoroughly in the NCAA Tournament as a nine-seed, the first time the program made the field since 2023, and the first time under McCollum.
The squad made a miraculous run, and even though it ultimately ended with a loss to Illinois in the Elite Eight, the expectations have ramped up considerably. With higher expectations come more eyeballs, and the program is making sure they stay fixed on the Hawkeyes.
❗️Game Announcement❗️
— Iowa Men's Basketball (@IowaHoops) June 18, 2026
Iowa vs. Alabama
Dec. 21, 2026
Des Moines, Iowa | Casey's Center pic.twitter.com/WmAwYJpbPi
The Hawkeyes have scheduled a massive home-and-away series with the Alabama Crimson Tide. The first game takes place in Des Moines on December 21 at the Casey's Center, with the away matchup in Mobile, Alabama, occurring in 2027. The matchup will be a great test for McCollum and his squad in year two because Alabama is no slouch.
The Crimson Tide have a combined 53-19 record over the past two seasons, including back-to-back deep NCAA Tournament runs to the Elite Eight and the Sweet 16. They also finished second in the SEC last season and are poised to make another run this season.
If Iowa wants to be the best, it has to beat the best, and Alabama has definitely been one of the best programs in the SEC for the past few seasons. It will be a great early test for the program to see how they match up against NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents, and an excellent gauge of where they are before the calendar flips to the new year.
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