Iowa State Basketball Playing in One of Coolest Venues To Start Season

For the second straight season, the Iowa State Cyclones have the pleasure of playing in a great venue.

Dec 18, 2021; Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA; Players warm up before the game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Utah State Aggies at Sanford Pentagon. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting ready for their highly anticipated start to the 2026-27 college basketball season. They will begin on Monday, Nov. 2nd, against the Memphis Tigers.

It’s going to be a big game for both teams. Iowa State is coming into the year as a top contender in the Big 12 conference. With an abundance of depth and a few star-caliber players, many believe that the Cyclones might be able to reach the Final Four, a feat they haven’t achieved since 1944.

Memphis, on the other hand, is looking to get back to the NCAA tournament after missing last season. They have been successful recently, but don’t look to be as strong this year. They are second in the American Conference preseason media poll and look to win the conference this season.

The coolest part of the game is the location; it will be played in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD.

Iowa State set to take on Memphis at Sanford Pentagon

Oct 20, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger interviews during the Big 12 Media Days event at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Sanford Pentagon is an iconic college basketball arena. It holds just 3,250 people, but it’s a great place to watch the sport in rural mid-America.

Iowa State has actually played at the Sanford Pentagon three times, with the first coming back in 1965, when they took down the Augustana Vikings, a Division II school based in Sioux Falls. After not playing for 50 years, they were able to make a trip back for a non-conference matchup in 2015, where they took on the Colorado Buffaloes. They won the game 68-62.

After 10 more years, the Cyclones were back for another non-conference matchup in 2025, where they took on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Once again, they were able to get a 96-80 victory, showcasing to the nation that they could have an elite offense.

Iowa State and Memphis will meet in a a neutral site game at the Sanford Pentagon on November 2nd, 2026, per release.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 11, 2026

Just one year later, Iowa State is back in town. It’s the first time they haven’t played on the schedule of years ending in a five, but clearly they enjoyed the venue.

The last two games against good opponents prove that going to the Pentagon will never be a free win, and that’s what makes the venue so great. Even though it's in the middle of nowhere, it attracts tons of valuable opponents. And the Tigers certainly fit the category for this season.

The Cyclones get to play in one of the coolest venues in college basketball this week, and it might be worth the road trip for Iowa State fans to experience their team start the season positively.