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Welcome back to our countdown to the 2026 Iowa football season!
Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes swarm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.
Each day of this countdown has usually featured an article profiling a member of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on their jersey number but like Saturday, we're going to have to mix it up today.
Today's piece has one thing in common with Saturday's article - it involves ESPN's hit pregame show College GameDay.
While the show has visited Ames for the 2019 and 2021 Cy-Hawk games, the last time the program headed east to Iowa City was all the way back in 2006. Considering Iowa has featured plenty of good teams since then, it's a statistic that's hard to believe.
Though ESPN and the Big Ten no longer have a media relationship, there's always a chance the show could visit Iowa City.
Here are the Iowa home games it has the best chance of attending in 2026:
This one is a no-brainer. Kirk Herbstreit, who's been an analyst on GameDay since 1996, played quarterback for the Buckeyes, and ESPN loves to bring one of the biggest brands in the sport on its airwaves whenever it can (Ohio State has the most GameDay appearances of any school).
If both teams enter the matchup 4-0, then it would be awfully hard for ESPN to pass on this game. Kinnick Stadium would be an absolute madhouse if GameDay returned to town, and it would be pretty fitting for the show to return to Iowa City for this game because it was the exact same setting back in 2006.
Iowa. Ohio State. Kinnick Stadium. Both undefeated. Both contenders in the Big Ten and national championship race.
The scenario seems too good to pass up, but it would require both teams to win big games before getting to this contest. Ohio State has to play at Texas in Week 2, while Iowa plays at Michigan the week before this game.
Again, if the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes are both undefeated heading into this matchup, it's possible GameDay finally pulls the trigger.
Ohio State is easily Iowa's best chance to host GameDay this year, but the other matchup on the schedule that could be a good fit would be the Halloween showdown against rival Wisconsin.
This one is definitely a wild card considering the Badgers aren't expected to be a great team in 2026, but if Wisconsin and Iowa are both exceeding expectations by this point, bringing GameDay to this historic rivalry (a place it's never been) could be intriguing.
I highly doubt this scenario will happen, though.
HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5!
This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium.
Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
Continue reading...
Since May 28, we've been counting down the final 100 days until the Hawkeyes swarm out of the Kinnick Stadium tunnel for their season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5.
Each day of this countdown has usually featured an article profiling a member of the 2026 Hawkeyes based on their jersey number but like Saturday, we're going to have to mix it up today.
Today's piece has one thing in common with Saturday's article - it involves ESPN's hit pregame show College GameDay.
While the show has visited Ames for the 2019 and 2021 Cy-Hawk games, the last time the program headed east to Iowa City was all the way back in 2006. Considering Iowa has featured plenty of good teams since then, it's a statistic that's hard to believe.
Though ESPN and the Big Ten no longer have a media relationship, there's always a chance the show could visit Iowa City.
Here are the Iowa home games it has the best chance of attending in 2026:
Ohio State
This one is a no-brainer. Kirk Herbstreit, who's been an analyst on GameDay since 1996, played quarterback for the Buckeyes, and ESPN loves to bring one of the biggest brands in the sport on its airwaves whenever it can (Ohio State has the most GameDay appearances of any school).
If both teams enter the matchup 4-0, then it would be awfully hard for ESPN to pass on this game. Kinnick Stadium would be an absolute madhouse if GameDay returned to town, and it would be pretty fitting for the show to return to Iowa City for this game because it was the exact same setting back in 2006.
Iowa. Ohio State. Kinnick Stadium. Both undefeated. Both contenders in the Big Ten and national championship race.
The scenario seems too good to pass up, but it would require both teams to win big games before getting to this contest. Ohio State has to play at Texas in Week 2, while Iowa plays at Michigan the week before this game.
Again, if the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes are both undefeated heading into this matchup, it's possible GameDay finally pulls the trigger.
Wisconsin
Ohio State is easily Iowa's best chance to host GameDay this year, but the other matchup on the schedule that could be a good fit would be the Halloween showdown against rival Wisconsin.
This one is definitely a wild card considering the Badgers aren't expected to be a great team in 2026, but if Wisconsin and Iowa are both exceeding expectations by this point, bringing GameDay to this historic rivalry (a place it's never been) could be intriguing.
I highly doubt this scenario will happen, though.
You Can Win FREE Tickets To Iowa's Season Opener!
HawkeyeRoundtable is giving away TWO tickets to Iowa's season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 5!
This is easily the biggest giveaway we've ever done on this site, and it's a great opportunity for two lucky fans to experience the joy of attending a Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium.
Click here to automatically become a member to enter the contest! Additional contest details can be found in our community section, too!
HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
Continue reading...
