Iowa WBB Announces 2026-27 Nonconference Schedule

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa women’s basketball team announced its 2026-27 nonconference schedule Tuesday, featuring seven home contests inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes will also play two road contests and three neutral-site games, including matchups in Sioux City, Iowa, and Nassau, Bahamas.

“I’m really excited,” P. Sue Beckwith, MD, head women’s basketball coach Jan Jensen said. “I think we’ve challenged ourselves with a really competitive nonconference schedule, and we also know how tough the Big Ten is. This year is unique because we have six newcomers to five returners, so I think this schedule will be important as we continue to come together and grow as a team.”

Iowa opens the regular season with back-to-back home contests, welcoming Towson on Nov. 2 and Eastern Illinois on Nov. 5. The Hawkeyes will then travel to face UConn on Nov. 8 before returning to Iowa City to host in-state foe Northern Iowa on Nov. 12.

The matchup with UConn begins a home-and-home series between the programs, with the Nov. 8 contest set to be played in either Storrs or Hartford, Connecticut. The Huskies will make the return trip to Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the 2027-28 season.

“We’re starting a home-and-home with UConn and getting to play the first one on the road,” Jensen said. “It’s going to be an amazing and electric environment because UConn is arguably one of the standards. We’re really excited that they reached out and wanted to start this series.”

Iowa will face Vanderbilt on Nov. 15 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City before hosting Montana State on Nov. 19. Vanderbilt advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while Montana State won 27 games and advanced to the Great Eight of the WNIT last season.

“Getting to play in Sioux City against Vanderbilt is exciting for a couple of reasons,” Jensen continued. “We’re going to be playing on the western side of the state, where we have so many great fans who come to Carver, and now they won’t have to travel as far to see us. They’ll also get to see us face a quality opponent on a neutral floor.”

The Hawkeyes will spend Thanksgiving week in Nassau, Bahamas, playing two games at the Baha Mar Classic on Nov. 23 and Nov. 25. Iowa will face Utah and Toledo during the event, with matchups to be determined.

Iowa closes out its nonconference schedule with a trip to Des Moines to face Drake on Dec. 1 before returning to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 9. The Hawkeyes will close the nonconference slate with home contests against Southern on Dec. 13 and Northern Illinois on Dec. 20.

“Basketball in this state is special, and playing our in-state rivals is always exciting for our fans,” Jensen said. “We also have a great opportunity in the Bahamas against Utah and Toledo. When you look at the schedule as a whole, it’s a challenging slate that will test us in a lot of different ways. I know our players will embrace those opportunities and be ready to compete.”

Iowa finished the 2025-26 season with a 27-7 overall record and a 15-3 mark in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes earned their eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and extended their streak to 10 straight 20-win seasons.

The complete schedule, along with times and television information, will be announced once finalized.

2026-27 Nonconference Schedule
Nov. 2 – Towson
Nov. 5 – Eastern Illinois
Nov. 8 – at UConn
Nov. 12 – Northern Iowa
Nov. 15 – vs Vanderbilt (Sioux City, Iowa)
Nov. 19 – Montana State
Nov. 23 – Baha Mar Classic vs. Utah/Toledo (Nassau, Bahamas)
Nov. 25 – Baha Mar Classic vs. Utah/Toledo (Nassau, Bahamas)
Dec. 1 – at Drake
Dec. 9 – Iowa State (Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series)
Dec. 13 – Southern
Dec. 20 – Northern Illinois