Iowa Basketball Locks in Premier Big East Non-Conference Opponent

The Iowa Hawkeyes are upping their game. They have locked in a premier opponent for their non-conference slate in 2026-27.

Feb 14, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum reacts during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Just as the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team did in landing a home-and-home series against the UConn Huskies, the men's program is following suit by locking up a flagship early-season non-conference matchup.

Following a magical March Madness run to the Elite 8 in head coach Ben McCollum's first season in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes are upping the ante with a big-time game in November.

The Iowa Hawkeyes will square off with the Creighton Bluejays, who hail from the Big East, in a matchup on November 15 in Des Moines, Iowa, at the Casey's Center.

The neutral site location is nearly smack dab in the middle of the two schools. For the Hawkeyes, it is slightly less than a two-hour trek to Des Moines, while Creighton, just across the border in Nebraska, is two hours on the dot from Des Moines.

See 🫵 in DSM, Hawkeyes!

🏀 vs. Creighton | Sunday, Nov. 15
📍 Casey's Center pic.twitter.com/2XBwej251q

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) May 28, 2026

The matchup provides a test for Ben McCollum and his newly revamped roster via the transfer portal early in the year. This is a great opportunity for Iowa to use as a measuring stick against a program in Creighton that is routinely in the NCAA Tournament.

How Iowa Basketball Builds On Success

Iowa turned things around in a big way in McCollum's first season as the head coach. A proven winner at Northwest Missouri State and Drake, he reignited the fan base at Iowa.

The Hawkeyes went a pedestrian 24-13, but the way they did it sticks in everyone's mind. Iowa rattled off three NCAA Tournament wins to make a run to the Elite 8.

Wins over Clemson, No. 1-seeded Florida, and rival Nebraska had Iowa stealing headlines throughout March until the Illinois Fighting Illini put an end to the run in the Elite 8.

Iowa lost some pieces this offseason to the portal and expiring eligibility. Elite point guard Bennett Stirtz, March Madness hero Alvaro Folgueiras, and the versatile Tavion Banks are no longer with the program.

McCollum did revamp the roster by adding center Andrew McKeever from Saint Mary's and guard Ty'Reek Coleman from Illinois State. Both figure to play key minutes for the Hawkeyes in 2026-27.

Iowa-Creighton History

Iowa and Creighton have met 26 times, with the Hawkeyes holding a 14-12 advantage in the series. The last meeting came in 2023, when Creighton took down Iowa 92-84.

The Bluejays are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign that saw them finish 16-18 overall and miss the NCAA Tournament. Creighton's lowly season ended a streak of NCAA Tournament appearances dating back to the 2020-21 season.