The University of Iowa women's basketball program released its 2026‑27 non‑conference schedule, a slate that blends home dominance at Carver‑Hawkeye Arena with tests against national powerhouses.
The lineup features seven home contests, two road trips and three neutral‑site games, including the much‑anticipated showdown with UConn and a meeting with Vanderbilt slated for Sioux City.
The season opens with back‑to‑back victories over Towson and Eastern Illinois in early November, setting a tone of early momentum for the Hawkeyes.
A highlight comes on November 8 when UConn travels to Connecticut for the first leg of a home‑and‑home series, before the teams reconvene in Iowa later in the month.
Vanderbilt will meet Iowa in Sioux City on November 15 at the Tyson Events Center, adding another marquee opponent to the non‑conference slate.
The Hawkeyes will also compete in the Baha Mar Classic in Nassau, Bahamas, facing Utah and Toledo on November 23 and 25, respectively, before returning to the Midwest for in‑state rivalries.
Iowa will host Drake in Des Moines on December 1 and later take on Iowa State in the Cy‑Hawk Series on December 9, underscoring the importance of local matchups.
Coach Jan Jensen emphasized the competitive nature of the schedule, noting the arrival of six newcomers and the experience of five returning players as the team prepares for the Big Ten season.
The 2025‑26 campaign concluded with an eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a decade‑long streak of 20‑win seasons, a foundation that fuels optimism for the upcoming year.
A challenging road ahead
The upcoming schedule is designed not only to test the Hawkeyes against elite competition but also to sharpen the roster ahead of conference play, with each game serving as a building block for postseason aspirations.