A Strategic Home‑Court Emphasis
The university revealed a 2026 non‑conference slate that features a dozen matchups, including contests against Lipscomb, Eastern Illinois, Virginia Tech, Creighton, Xavier, UMBC, Prairie View A&M, Iowa State, Western Illinois, Bethune‑Cookman, Alabama, and South Dakota.
Among the opponents, five are classified as high‑major programs: Alabama, Iowa State, Xavier, Creighton and Virginia Tech. Four of those marquee games will be played on Iowa’s home floor, while only a single high‑major contest is scheduled for Carver‑Hawkeye Arena.
Coach McCollum explained that staging the majority of these games in front of local fans is part of a broader effort to build attendance and create a vibrant atmosphere that can carry over into the rigors of Big Ten play.
The roster that will take the court returns ten players from the previous Elite Eight run, among them Cam Manyawu, Cooper Koch, Tate Sage, Kael Combs and Isaia Howard. In addition, the team welcomes four newcomers: Ty'Reek Coleman and Andrew McKeever, acquired through the transfer portal, and freshmen Ethan Harris and Jaidyn Coon.
Looking ahead, Iowa’s Big Ten schedule includes a mix of home and away fixtures against traditional powerhouses such as Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue and Wisconsin, as well as a series of road trips to face Oregon, UCLA and USC.