You can tell football season is almost upon us when schedules start becoming clearer.
The Hawkeyes wrapped up spring ball and are now diligently awaiting a massive recruiting period this weekend. Before the first big official visit weekend for programs across the country, Iowa learned the times for a four-game chunk of its schedule.
The first three games have now been decided, including an intriguing rivalry matchup in week two that has massive implications and in-state bragging rights.
The annual Cy-Hawk matchup is slated for primetime in week two
Iowa Football seemingly plays for a trophy almost ever week, and now one of the biggest matchups the program has circled on the calendar every year will take place in primetime.
🚨 GAME TIMES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/2tjMTFLLoI
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) May 27, 2026
The program now knows the times of four games next season, but the one that really stands out is the matchup against rival Iowa State in week two. The 73rd overall matchup in the Cy-Hawk series will take place on Saturday, September 12, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time on NBC. There is no doubt that this will draw more eyes to one of the longest-running rivalries in college football, which is perfect for a revenge game.
Throw projections and records out the window; there is a ton at stake every year in this matchup, and unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, recent history has been against them. The Cyclones defeated the Hawkeyes on a last-second field goal last season, and thanks to a recruiting misstep by Kirk Ferentz and Jon Budmayr, Iowa's win in 2023 was vacated.
That means the Cyclones have technically won the last three games in the series, and the Hawkeyes will be ready to re-take the coveted Cy-Hawk Trophy next season in Kinnick Stadium.
The schedulers got the Cy-Hawk game 100 percent correct
Everyone in the state of Iowa knows how important the annual football matchup between Iowa and Iowa State is, and now the game will be shared with the rest of the country. It is very rare for a state to have two good football teams, and even though Iowa State will look a whole lot different, it will still be an intense matchup.
Long-time Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell bolted for Penn State during bowl season in 2025, and the program quickly replaced him with Washington State head coach Jimmy Rogers.
Rogers was quick to add another chapter to the heated rivalry, using some colorful words about beating Iowa in a speech to the Cyclone faithful at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. This adds another level of intrigue to the September 12 game, and thankfully, it will be in primetime.
Iowa faces a lot of pressure as the early favorite against a rebuilding Iowa State program, given past failures to beat the Cyclones, and the game happening in primetime. The Cy-Hawk series is heavily skewed towards Iowa, which has a 46-25 overall record in the football rivalry matchup, but there has been way too much "Iowa State" inscribed on the trophy recently.
The pressure is all on the Hawkeyes, and they must deliver in front of a big viewing audience.
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