Hawkeyes Kick Off Season Against NIU | Iowa Hawkeyes Football News

Hawkeye football fans, the wait is over—after 248 days, Iowa kicks off its 2026 season at Kinnick Stadium against Northern Illinois, now rebranded and led by new coach Rob Harley. With a quarterback battle brewing in Champaign and Iowa’s offense poised to feature Hank Brown, this opener promises drama on both sides of the ball. Can NIU’s revamped roster handle the pressure? How will Iowa’s defense adapt after last year’s shakeup? All eyes are on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 3:15 PM CT—favored by 31.5 points, it’s college football’s first big test of the year. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/cdf15f178df832a6