The long wait is officially over! After 248 days without Hawkeye football, Iowa is back in action in Kinnick Stadium as the Hawkeyes play host to the Northern Illinois Huskies to kick off the 2026 season.
NIU comes to Iowa City with an entirely new look, head to toe. That is, the Huskies jumped ship from the MAC after last season and are officially a member of the Mountain West beginning this year. To mark the occasion, they also come in with a brand new coach after Thomas Hammock left the team to join
the Seattle Seahawks, leaving the role to former DC and interim HC Rob Harley.
Harley inherits a roster with plenty of turnover. Like the Hawkeyes, the Huskies are searching for a new QB in 2026 and enter the day with a full on competition. Unlike Iowa, NIU does not have a starter publicly announced for today (ICYMI, Iowa is starting Hank Brown in game one).
Who will it be under center for NIU? Can Hank Brown get things going for the Hawkeyes? Will Iowa actually stick with a full timeshare in this one or will be get an answer early at QB?
Will either Iowa signal-caller actually have an opportunity to sling it? Or will we see Tim Lester lean on the likes of LJ Phillips and Kamari Moulton with a strong running game?
And on the other side of the ball, how does Iowa replace all the turnover Phil Parker’s defense saw after 2025? Those questions and so many more will be answered soon enough as the Hawkeyes play host to the Northern Illinois Huskies in the 2026 season opener!
Here’s a quick reminder on the details for today’s matchup:
Date: Saturday, September 5th
Time: 3:15 pm CT
Matchup: Northern Illinois Huskies (0-0, 0-0) at #22 Iowa Hawkeyes (0-0, 0-0)
Location: Kinnick Stadium – Iowa City, IA
TV: BTN
Updated Weather Forecast: mostly sunny with temps in the low 90s
Updated FanDuel Line: Iowa -31.5, O/U 44.5
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Go Hawks!
