After dancing their way into March Madness, Iowa State’s men’s basketball shifts its gears to the 2026-27 season.
The Cyclones’ non-conference schedule consists of 14 games and a tournament. Of the 14 games, nine are at home and five are on the road.
October
Iowa State’s two October games are both exhibition games.
Oct. 18 – Creighton
The Cyclones kick off their season at home against the Creighton Bluejays. Iowa State holds an 18-15 record against Creighton and has won the last eight meetings between the two.
Oct. 25 – at Northwestern
Iowa State’s first road trip takes the Cyclones to Evanston, Illinois, to take on Northwestern. The Cyclones and the Wildcats each have a 1-1 record against each other.
The two last met in 2010 when the Wildcats took the victory at home.
November
Nov. 2 – vs. Memphis (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
The Cyclones’ first official and neutral-site game is against Memphis in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the Sanford Pentagon.
The two have only met once, which was in 2021, when Iowa State took the victory.
Nov. 6 – Southern Miss
Iowa State will then begin a three-game homestand. First on the agenda will be Southern Miss.
The Cyclones have played the Golden Eagles four times, dating back to the 1984-85 season, and remain undefeated.
Nov. 10 – Southern
Iowa State has nearly the exact same history with the Southern University Jaguars as with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
The Cyclones have won all four of their contests against the Jaguars. The most recent victory came in the 2018-19 season.
Nov. 15 – Niagara
Iowa State’s final home game before heading west sets up an inaugural meeting with Niagara.
Nov. 24 – vs. San Diego State – (Las Vegas)
The Cyclones will head to Sin City to take on San Diego State. Iowa State and San Diego State have met six times, with the Cyclones being 4-2.
Nov. 26-28 – Players Era Festival – (Las Vegas)
The Cyclones will then take part in the Players Era tournament. This tournament features the combination of NIL prize money and some of college basketball’s top teams.
This year’s included teams are Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Oregon, St. John’s, San Diego State, TCU, Tennessee and Texas Tech.
December
Dec. 2 – Alcorn State
Iowa State kicks off its December games at home against Alcorn State. The Cyclones are 3-0 against the Braves.
Dec. 6 – Purdue
A highly anticipated matchup in men’s basketball is when the Purdue Boilermakers pay Iowa State a visit. The two have met six times and have split the outcomes 3-3.
Iowa State is coming off its upset of Purdue 81-58, the largest win margin in the matchup’s history.
Dec. 10 – at Iowa
The Cyclones will hit the road to take on Iowa as a part of the notorious Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Against Iowa, Iowa State is 31-48 and is on a three-game win streak.
Dec. 13 – North Carolina Central
Iowa State will have its reunion with the North Carolina Central Eagles after a 12-year hiatus from competing with each other.
In the inaugural meeting, the Cyclones took the victory in the second round of March Madness.
Dec. 18 – vs. Missouri State (Kansas City)
The Cyclones will meet the Missouri State Bears for the first time as part of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) 2026 Hall of Fame Classic.
The game will take place in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center, also known by fans as “Hilton South.”
Dec. 21 – Northern Arizona
Iowa State will wrap up December and the non-conference schedule with a homestand. The Cyclones will face the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in a reunion.
The two last met in 2010 when Iowa State took a 78-64 victory.
Dec. 29 – New Hampshire
The Cyclones’ final non-conference opponent is the New Hampshire Wildcats. The two have met once before, back in the 2023-24 season.
Iowa State took an 85-70 victory at home.
