Iowa Smashes Jimmy V Classic Viewership Records

Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball continues to be at an all-time high.

Dec 10, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones coach Bill Fennelly greets Iowa Hawkeyes coach Jan Jensen after the game at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Having sold out of season tickets for three straight seasons, it's hard not to be on the Iowa Hawkeyes bandwagon. Second-year head coach Jan Jensen has been with the team long enough to know just how special this environment is.

While she's still getting her feet wet as a head coach, Jensen experienced a wild Cy-Hawk game in Ames. Iowa ended up dropping its first game of the season, doing so in front of a record audience.

After the Cy-Hawk game on Dec. 10, ESPN reported just how many records the Iowa vs. Iowa State game broke. At the end of the day, ESPN couldn't have picked two better teams to represent the Women's Jimmy V Classic.

Iowa Hawkeyes women' basketball head coach Jan Jensen calls a play during the first quarter against Iowa State in the NCAA women’s basketball Cy-Hawk Series on Dec. 10, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa vs. Iowa State Was The Most-Watched Women's Jimmy V Classic

The 2025 women's @TheJimmyVClsc was the most-watched ON RECORD!
 
🏀 1.0M viewers, 1.3M peak
🏀 Most-watched #NCAAWBB game across all nets this season
🏀 ESPN's 2nd most-watched Nov./Dec. game EVER pic.twitter.com/ZriBZTYvhZ

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) December 12, 2025

Throughout the years, plenty of quality teams have come together to face off in the Jimmy V Classic. While the women haven't had Jimmy V games as long as the men, there's still a rich history dating back to 2002.

2025 was the first appearance for both teams in the Jimmy V Classic. Whether this would've been given that title or not, there's no doubt the viewership would've been there. Since the Cy-Hawk rivalry already carries such a legacy, ESPN PR was thrilled to tout the success of the game.

The game peaked at 1.3 million viewers as it averaged one million throughout. No women's Jimmy V Classic game has ever seen numbers like that. They said it was up 210% YoY, which is an astonishing growth that doesn't even seem real. If that's not enough, it was the most-watched women's game on any network this season.

Iowa Women's Basketball Reaches New Heights

Oh, what fun! pic.twitter.com/SLDfvfW43T

— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) December 13, 2025

In total, this was ESPN's second-most watched game ever in November or December. Records continue to be smashed as Iowa is coming for the dynasties of women's college basketball. They already have a five-star recruit on the way for 2026 as Jensen continues to pave the way for the next great Hawkeyes.

Coming off a stellar win against Lindenwood, one can only wonder what the ratings are going to look like for their Champions Classic game against No. 1 UConn. Iowa fans travel well, but they clearly are just as attached to their television.

Come Dec. 20, Iowa faces its toughest test of the season. They'll be playing the Huskies in the Barclays Center, and there's no doubt once again the world will be watching. That game tips off at 1:30 p.m. EST on FOX.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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