AMES, Iowa – Iowa State has announced its men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season.

The schedule features eight regular season home games and one exhibition at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State will play a pair of exhibition games this season, starting Oct. 17 at Creighton, followed by a Oct. 26 game against Northwestern at Hilton Coliseum.

The regular season opener is slated for Nov. 3 against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Cyclones will have a second home game during the opening week of the season, facing Grambling State Nov. 6. In the third game of the first week of the season, Iowa State travels to Sioux Falls, S.D. to face Mississippi State at the Sanford Pentagon. The Bulldogs went 21-13 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State will host one more game before Feast Week, as Stonehill College comes to Hilton Coliseum Nov. 17.

Iowa State will travel to the Players Era Festival Nov. 25-29 in Las Vegas. Exact dates and opponents for the Players Era Festival will be determined later this summer. Teams currently scheduled to participate are Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, St. Joe’s, St. John’s, Syracuse, Tennessee and UNLV. Of the 18 teams in the field, 13 appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season, with 11 of those 13 winning at least one game in the tournament. Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum to face Alcorn State Dec. 3.

The Cyclones will face back-to-back Big Ten opponents early in December. Iowa State travels to Purdue on Dec. 6, a team that went 24-12 last season and advanced to the Sweet 16 before dropping a 62-60 decision to eventual national runner-up Houston. The Cyclones will host Iowa on Dec. 11 in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State is looking for its third-straight win in the series, something the Cyclones haven’t done since 2013-15.

Iowa State will play three more non-conference games in December to close out the slate. The Cyclones will host Eastern Illinois on Dec. 14 and Long Beach State on Dec. 21. Iowa State will close the non-conference slate against Houston Christian on Dec. 29.

Times and television selections will be announced at a later date.

2025-26 Iowa State Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Oct. 17 – at Creighton (Exhibition) – Omaha, Neb.
Oct. 26 – Northwestern (Exhibition) – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 3 – Fairleigh Dickinson – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 6 – Grambling State – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 10 – vs. Mississippi State – Sioux Falls, S.D.
Nov. 17 – Stonehill – Hilton Coliseum
Nov. 25-29 – Players Era Festival – Las Vegas, Nev.
Dec. 3 – Alcorn State – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 6 – at Purdue – West Lafayette, Ind.
Dec. 11 – Iowa (Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series) – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 14 – Eastern Illinois – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 21 – Long Beach State – Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 29 – Houston Christian – Hilton Coliseum

2025-26 Season Ticket Information:
–Season Ticket Renewals – Cyclone fans who purchased season tickets last year will be contacted (by email) by early July with additional details to renew their seats for the 2025-26 season.
–New Season Tickets – Demand for season tickets continues to be strong. We expect a variety of seating options will be available for Cyclone Club members and public ticket buyers. To join the waitlist please click here.
–Single-Game Tickets – The athletics department will offer a variety of single-game ticket promotions. Detailed information will be shared prior to the start of the season.

Should you have questions in regard to requesting season tickets or renewing tickets from last year, please contact the Iowa State Athletics Ticket Office by phone at 888-478-2925 or by email at tickets@iastate.edu.