IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team will return to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines for the second time in three seasons, facing Bucknell on Saturday, Dec. 20, it was announced Wednesday by Global Sports Management.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday, June 6 at 11 a.m. (CT) exclusively via hyveetix.com.  The start time will be announced at a later date.

“We are excited to bring our team to Wells Fargo Arena in December to showcase our players to our fan base in the Des Moines metro area,” said Iowa head coach Ben McCollum. “This is a great opportunity to play a strong Buckell team on a neutral court and to continue to build excitement for our program.”

The Hawkeyes have won seven of their last eight games in Wells Fargo Arena since 2013.  Iowa defeated Florida A&M, 88-52, in the HyVee Hawkeye Showcase during the 2023-24 season.

Bucknell was co-regular season champion of the Patriot League in 2024-25, posting a 13-5 record along with an 18-15 overall mark.  The Bison are led by third-year head coach John Griffin III, who is a 2008 Bucknell graduate and was a guard on the team’s 2005 and 2006 championship teams that won NCAA Tournament first-round games over Kansas and Arizona.

Iowa is 1-0 all-time against the Bison, winning 91-52 in Iowa City during the 1997-98 season.   The Hawkeyes are 14-0 all-time against current programs from the Patriot League.