Iowa State has announced its 2026-27 women’s basketball non-conference schedule, a slate highlighted by three matchups against in-state rivals and three contests against 2026 NCAA Tournament teams. The Cyclones will host one exhibition and nine regular-season contests at Hilton Coliseum as part of their early-season preparations.
The schedule opens with a six-game home stretch in Ames, starting with an exhibition game against Upper Iowa on Oct. 28. Iowa State will officially tip off the regular season
on Nov. 2 against Grambling State, continuing the homestand with consecutive games against Nicholls State on Nov. 5, Eastern Illinois on Nov. 8, Howard on Nov. 12 and UIC on Nov. 15.
Iowa State will take its first road trip on Nov. 18 to face Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, marking the first in-state rivalry matchup of the season. The Cyclones will quickly return to Hilton Coliseum on Nov. 22 to host Drake.
For Feast Week, the Cyclones travel to Nassau, The Bahamas, to compete in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship. Iowa State is scheduled to play Belmont on Friday, Nov. 27, before squaring off against USC on Sunday, Nov. 29. The USC Trojans enter the matchup having competed in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Upon returning to Ames, the Cyclones will host Norfolk State on Dec. 1 and Loyola on Dec. 6. The annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series will resume on Dec. 9 in Iowa City against Iowa, before the team returns home to close out the non-conference season against Chicago State on Dec. 13.
Tipoff times and television broadcast selections will be announced at a later date.
2026-27 Iowa State Women’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Oct. 28 – Upper Iowa (Exhibition) – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 2 – Grambling State – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 5 – Nicholls State – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 8 – Eastern Illinois – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 12 – Howard – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 15 – UIC – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 18 – at UNI – Cedar Falls, Iowa
Nov. 22 – Drake – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 27 – vs. Belmont – Nassau, The Bahamas
Nov. 29 – vs. USC – Nassau, The Bahamas
Dec. 1 – Norfolk State – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 6 – Loyola – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 9 – at Iowa – Iowa City, Iowa
Dec. 13 – Chicago State – Hilton Coliseum
