IOWA CITY — Ben McCollum’s second season at the helm of Iowa basketball features a bulked-up non-conference slate.
In McCollum’s inaugural season with the program, Iowa played just three high-major opponents in the regular season, outside of Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes currently have five scheduled for the 2026-27 campaign.
Four of those five games are being played in the state of Iowa, but only one is at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It’s fair to wonder why that’s the case. But McCollum explained his rationale.
“I’d love to have them in Carver, but people don’t want to do home and homes anymore, for the most part,” McCollum said in July. “It’s hard to schedule. So, my thought was this: I can go to an MTE (multi-team event) in California, an MTE in Hawaii, an MTE in the Bahamas, which would be probably more fun for me and my family.
“Or, I can do it in the state of Iowa, the exact MTE that we would do somewhere else. Our fans get to come watch it. They watch it, they like the product and now we fill Carver for the Big Ten. So that was kind of the theory behind it. We’ll see if it works. Hopefully, it doesn’t spoil our fans and make them lazy for coming to Carver. ‘I already saw them in Des Moines.’ So that was my thought on it. We’ll see if it pans out.”
Regardless of where the games are being played, Iowa has a more legitimate non-conference schedule on the docket.
Let’s rank Iowa’s most intriguing non-conference matchups, from five to one.
5) Virginia Tech: Nov. 10, Sioux City, Iowa
The Hokies don’t have the national profile or Midwest spin as some of the other programs on this list. Virginia Tech also hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mike Young since 2022. If Iowa is becoming the program that McCollum envisions, this is the type of game that the Hawkeyes should win, especially since it’s being held in Iowa.
The fact that this ranks fifth on the list speaks to the depth of Iowa’s non-conference schedule. Virginia Tech is still an ACC program. The matchup also comes very early in the season, so there’s no guarantee either team will be close to prime form.
4) Creighton: Nov. 15, Des Moines, Iowa
The Bluejays might’ve been higher on the list if this were one of Greg McDermott’s dominant teams. But there’s more unknown surrounding Creighton entering the 2026-27 campaign.
McDermott, Creighton’s long-time coach, has retired and Alan Huss is in his first season at the helm. With a new head coach and a roster that looks different than last season, it’s unclear how everything will fit together.
Still, this has been a very good Big East program. The matchup makes a lot of sense, considering the regional interest with the programs being in neighboring states. It also gives Iowa a chance to prove it belongs in the same conversation with what has been a well-established Big East contender.
3) Xavier: Nov. 20, Cincinnati, Ohio
This could be flipped with Creighton, but for a couple of reasons, it takes the third spot.
After an underwhelming first season under head coach Richard Pitino, Xavier did an admirable job revamping its roster this offseason, landing the 18th-best transfer portal class in the country, according to 247Sports. For comparison, that’s only one spot behind UConn, which has appeared in the national title game in three of the last four seasons.
This is also the only true road game of the five contests on this list, adding another layer of difficulty. The Cintas Center can be a formidable environment. Iowa had trouble in true road games last season too, highlighted by perplexing losses to Maryland and Penn State.
The Hawkeyes will get tested in a true road game less than one month into the season.
2) Iowa State: Dec. 10, Iowa City, Iowa
Of course, this game has juice because it’s a heated in-state rivalry.
But it’ll also be Iowa’s first home Cy-Hawk matchup since McCollum was hired. This will be the biggest non-Big Ten game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena next season by far and should bring an electric atmosphere.
On top of that, Iowa is aiming for its first win against the Cyclones since 2022. The Hawkeyes should have a very real chance of finally breaking through as Iowa State deals with life after Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic.
All of those factors make for what should be a very hyped game.
1) Alabama: Dec. 21, Des Moines, Iowa
This is the crowning jewel of Iowa’s non-conference schedule.
Alabama has emerged as an SEC powerhouse under head coach Nate Oats, advancing to at least the Sweet 16 in each of the last four seasons, including runs to the Final Four in 2024 and the Elite Eight in 2025. The head coaching matchup between Oats and McCollum is compelling.
Like Iowa, Alabama lost a player selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, Labaron Philon Jr., who led the Crimson Tide in points (22) and assists per game (five) last season. But Alabama, which brings in one of the nation’s best high school recruiting classes, is still projected to be a threat this season. ESPN had the Crimson Tide 15th in its Way-Too-Early Top 25 released in June.
This also has the makings of a clash in styles. Alabama’s up-tempo, high-octane offense is in stark contrast with Iowa’s more deliberate play.
This matchup is a great opportunity for Iowa to see how it measures up against a nationally contending program.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at TTachman@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Hawk Central: Ranking non-conference matchups on Iowa basketball’s 2026-27 schedule
Reporting by Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register / Hawk Central
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By Tyler Tachman, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
