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Iowa City has become a hub for college football shows after a recent announcement

A popular weekend CFB show is headed back to IC!
ByJordan Underwood
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Hawkeye and Oregon fans gather for FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Nov. 8, 2025 in front of the Old Capitol Building on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City, Iowa.
Hawkeye and Oregon fans gather for FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Nov. 8, 2025 in front of the Old Capitol Building on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Iowa has had many high-profile Big Ten games this season, prompting college football programs to take over campus.

Iowa City welcomed ESPN's "College GameDay" and "The Pat McAfee Show" ahead of a crucial week five matchup against Ohio State, and although the game didn't go well, campus vibes stayed high. It was a star-studded weekend, with former Hawkeye stars Caitlin Clark, Dallas Clark, and others making appearances. It was a great weekend, and before Iowa returns to Kinnick Stadium in week nine, the campus is getting another surprise visitor.

Fox's 'Big Noon Kickoff' returns to Iowa City for Iowa-Wisconsin

ESPN took over downtown Iowa City for a wildly successful weekend, including a massive donation from Pat McAfee. McAfee donated $1 million to the Stead Family Children's Hospital, and the weekend raised much more. The shows not only highlighted the best of Iowa City, but also featured Iowa's rise to the top of the Big Ten before a top-15 matchup against Ohio State. With No. 25 Wisconsin coming to town, downtown Iowa City will be full once again.

After a crazy weekend in college football, Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" announced it will stop in Iowa City in week nine for the annual battle for the Heartland Trophy between Iowa and Wisconsin. This is a very high-stakes matchup, with bragging rights and a spot in the top 25 rankings on the line. Iowa plummeted out of the rankings this week, falling from No. 15 to unranked after losing to Minnesota, giving them more motivation next weekend. Iowa would like nothing more than to tie the all-time series at 49 wins apiece and add another ranked win to its resume.

Wisconsin heads to Iowa City after thrashing No. 16 USC, boosting them to No. 25 in the rankings. They'll want to stay there and prove they are for real by knocking off the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has dominated the last four meetings, including a 37-0 win last season in Maddison, and faces an uphill battle to knock off a hot Badgers squad this season. If the stakes weren't already high enough, adding "Big Noon Kickoff" to the mix ups them even more.

"Big Noon. Kickoff" has been competing with ESPN's "College GameDay" since beginning in 2019, and has steadily grown in popularity. The noon college football window has become an important part of college football fans' Saturday plans, and Iowa is lucky to be featured once again. To make it all worthwhile, Iowa must find a way to knock off Wisconsin and get its College Football Playoff hopes back on track. What better way to boost its CFP chances than to beat the Badgers during a primetime window?

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