Why the Newly Announced Iowa Football vs Michigan Kickoff Time Is Perfect

Iowa opens up on the road versus Michigan, and the kickoff time that has just been announced couldn't be any better.

Sep 16, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; General view of the kick off between the Michigan Wolverines and the Bowling Green Falcons in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

This weekend, the Iowa Hawkeyes have a Week 3 date at home inside Kinnick Stadium against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers to round out the nonconference schedule, which has been entirely at home.

Iowa better take care of business, fast, quick, and efficiently, because things get quite a bit more intense once this game wraps up and the gauntlet of Big Ten play, which might be an understatement for the Hawkeyes' schedule, begins.

It starts on the road in Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines, which is as difficult as it gets.

Iowa Hawkeyes vs Michigan Wolverines kickoff time, TV channel

It was long speculated that this game was going to get primetime treatment, and that has been confirmed with the announcement of the kickoff time for Iowa vs Michigan.

Date: Saturday, September 26

Kickoff time: 2:30 p.m. CT

TV Channel: CBS

With Iowa playing Northern Iowa and Michigan playing UTEP, the odds of this game featuring two undefeated and ranked teams from the Big Ten are only growing more and more likely.

Iowa's win over Iowa State and Michigan's impressive win over Oklahoma have set the stage for a monster Big Ten opener, barring either team falling victim to a catastrophic upset in Week 3.

The Iowa vs Michigan kickoff time is perfect

Going on the road to Ann Arbor is no easy task. The game could be played at two in the morning, and it would be a packed house. That said, this time slot is one that you have to enjoy if you are the Hawkeyes.

First and foremost, it avoids a night game on the road in front of more than 100,000 fans to open up Big Ten play. That's a big deal to avoid. That environment would be raucous, adding a layer to all of the things Iowa already has to be prepared for.

Secondly, if this were at noon, Iowa could face the risk of sleepwalking into Michigan. It'd be an 11 a.m. CT kickoff for the Hawkeyes, which isn't entirely unfamiliar to them, but would be the first of this year and the earliest kickoff of the season to this point by far for Kirk Ferentz's team.

This kickoff time allows Iowa to wake up, go through its pregame routines and rituals at a normal pace, and not rush things. In a game that is expected to be close, with both teams susceptible to being beat, those little things matter and add up over the course of a day.