Fall camp begins Wednesday for the Iowa football team as the Hawkeyes begin preparations for their August 30th opener against the University of Albany. With 12 starters and two specialists returning from last year’s team that finished 8-5 the Hawkeyes expect to field another competitive team.

That’s senior defensive end Ethan Hurkett, who enters his second year as a starter after leading Iowa with six-and-a-half sacks last season. The former Cedar Rapids Xavier standout has gone from unheralded recruit to receiving preseason All Big Ten honors and representing the team at Big Ten Media Days.

In the second year of an 18-team conference that spans four time zones Hurkett says the schedule offers many challenges.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three University of Iowa football players were named to preseason watch lists, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced on Tuesday.

Senior Aaron Graves was named to the 2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List for the national defensive player of the year. Graves was previously tabbed as a 2025 preseason second team All-American by Phil Steele and a candidate for the 2025 Lott IMPACT Trophy.

Senior offensive linemen Gennings Dunker and Logan Jones were recognized on the 2025 Outland Trophy Watch List, presented to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman on offense or defense.

Graves (6-foot-5, 295 pounds) started all 13 games at defensive tackle in 2024, recording 33 tackles, including eight tackles for a loss (six sacks), three forced fumbles, three pass break-ups and two quarterback pressures. His three forced fumbles led the Big Ten. The native of Dayton, Iowa, was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection last season. Off the field, Graves was a second-team Academic All-American.

Former Hawkeye cornerback Cooper DeJean (2023), and linebackers Josey Jewell (2017) and Pat Angerer (2009) were finalists for the Nagurski award.

The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s full membership, selects a 26-man All-America Team and eventually the Nagurski Trophy finalists. The Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner will be chosen from the five finalists named in November. Committee members, by individual ballot, select the winner they regard as the best defensive player in college football.

Dunker (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) started 11 contests as a junior and was a dominant force on the right side of Iowa’s offensive line that was recognized as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2024. The Lena, Illinois, native was a second-team all-conference honoree, as well as an Academic All-District selection. Dunker helped pave the way for Iowa’s offense rushing for more than 200 yards in seven games last season.

Jones (6-foot-3, 302 pounds) was also a preseason Outland Trophy candidate a year ago. He started 12 games as a junior, and was a first-team all-conference selection and an honorable mention All-American by Phil Steele in 2024. The native of Council Bluffs, Iowa, anchored the Hawkeye offensive line that allowed just 17 sacks and helped Iowa rush for 2,564 yards, the most since 2002. Jones was tabbed a preseason second-team All-American by Walter Camp, and a third-team All-American by Athlon and Phil Steele earlier this month.

Established in 1946, the Outland Trophy is named after Dr. John H. Outland, who is one of only a few players in college football history to be named an All-American at two positions. The recipient of the 2025 Outland Trophy will be announced in December.

Four Hawkeyes (Brandon Scherff, 2014; Robert Gallery, 2003; Alex Karras, 1957; Cal Jones, 1955) have won the award. Only three programs in the nation (Nebraska, Alabama, Oklahoma) have had more than four Outland Trophy recipients.

The Hawkeyes open their season on Aug. 30 against UAlbany. The contest is set for a 5 p.m. (CT) kickoff inside Kinnick Stadium.

Tickets are still available for the season-opener against UAlbany, as well as home games against UMass (Sept. 13), Penn State (Oct. 18), Oregon (Nov. 8) and Michigan State (Nov. 22). Tickets can be purchased at hawkeyesports.com/tickets/football or by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa football team will host its annual “Kids’ Day at Kinnick,” presented by the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, on Saturday, Aug. 9. Supporting sponsors for the event include Alliant Energy, Delta Dental of Iowa, Chick-fil-A, and Chase Bank. The open practice begins at 11 a.m. (CT), with gates A, B and H opening at 10 a.m.

Team members will sign autographs for kids at approximately 10:30 a.m. along the front of the west and south stands.

During the practice, the 2025 Kid Captains will join players on the field for photos following an exclusive “inside look” at Kinnick Stadium. The Kid Captain program, a partnership between UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital and the University of Iowa football team since 2009, features the inspiring stories of 12 current and former patients throughout the football season.

Admission is free for all fans, and free parking is available in designated hard surface lots, with regular ramp fees applying. Cashless concession stands will be open, accepting debit or credit cards only, and Kinnick Stadium’s clear bag policy will be enforced.

The Hawkeyes open the 2025 season against UAlbany (5 p.m., FS1) on Aug. 30.

Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets for five home games this fall: UAlbany (Aug. 30), UMass (Sept. 13), Penn State (Oct. 18), Oregon (Nov. 8) and Michigan State (Nov. 22). Home contests against Indiana (Sept. 27; Homecoming) and Minnesota (Oct. 25) are sold out.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz has earned an invitation to the Chris Paul Elite Guard Camp, which will be held July 29-August 1 in Las Vegas.

Stirtz is one of 12 student-athletes to earn an invite to the elite camp, led by 20-year NBA All-Star Chris Paul.  The camp teaches the attendees what it takes to play at the highest level and how to prepare for the hurdles they will face in college and then the NBA.

The Liberty, Missouri, native, who is in his first season as Hawkeye, was an All-America honoree by Field of 68, Andy Katz, Associated Press and the USBWA during the 2024-25 season at Drake.  He was also a finalist for both the Lou Henson Award (top mid-major player) and Riley Wallace Award (most impactful transfer).

The guard was tabbed as the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year after leading the league in scoring (19.2), steals (2.21) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.86), while ranking second in assists (5.7).  Stirtz led the NCAA in minutes played, averaging 39:22 per game.

Stirtz led the Bulldogs to a 31-4 overall record, a MVC regular season and tournament title and to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Stirtz is one of 12 newcomers on the 14-player Hawkeye roster under first-year head Ben McCollum.  Iowa’s transfer class is rated as the eighth-best class in the nation by 247Sports.

The Atlantic softball season has ended, and the Trojans finished the year 27-14 with a second-place finish in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. Coming into the season, Head Coach Terry Hinzmann said there were questions about the starting nine but those were answered quickly.

Atlantic caught fire early by winning six in a row after dropping the season opener but eventually fell to the Hawkeye Ten champions in Creston. The loss gave Atlantic their longest losing streak of the season as the streak stretched to four. Streaks were a theme for the Trojans, but Hinzmann says it’s a marathon and not a sprint as well as a dedicated roster.

Fortunately, enough for Atlantic, the team loses just one senior although McKenna Sonntag was an impactful one.

The Trojans return all three of their pitchers which is huge in Hinzmann’s eyes for experience and depth.

Sophomore Peyton McLaren and Junior Zoey Kirchhoff both tossed over 100 innings and had earned run averages of under four. On the hitting side, Atlantic returns seven starters who all hit above .300 this summer. Hinzmann believes the future is bright for softball in Atlantic.

Freshman forward Dominykas Pleta is expected to have an immediate impact for the Iowa State men’s basketball team. The 6-11 native of Germany played in that country’s top pro league and will have four years to play with the Cyclones.

That’s Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger whose says Pleta is adjusting to the American style of play.

Pleta had to wait to obtain his visa and missed the first two and-a-half-weeks of summer workouts.

Pleta says the biggest adjustment has been the physical style of play.

Despite being 6-11 Pleta feels he has a versatile game.

The Cyclones return three starters from a team that finished 25-10 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Iowa Speedway this week for the Iowa Corn 350 Sunday afternoon. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Busch won races at the speedway in 2009 and 2010 but says a partial repave prior to the cup series debut a year ago has made it a different track.

Busch had mechanical issues in last year’s race but felt the track put on a good show for the cup series.

The race is sold out for the second straight year and Busch is glad to have another Midwest venue on the schedule.

The Weekend begins with an ARCA Menard Series race Friday night. The Xfinity race is Saturday afternoon.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has been named to the 2025 Maxwell Award watch list. The Maxwell Award has been presented annually to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert “Tiny” Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.

Now entering his third season under center, Becht has already cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks in school history having helped Iowa State to 18 wins over the last two seasons, the best two-year stretch in ISU history.

Last season, Becht ranked No. 11 nationally with 3,505 passing yards and 25 touchdowns through the air – and added 318 yards and eight scores on the ground – while leading Iowa State to its winningest season in program history. Led by Becht, Iowa State won 11 games, made a Big 12 title game appearance and earned a thrilling Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over No. 15 Miami last season.

Becht was his best in crunch time last season, leading Iowa State on four game-winning drives where ISU took the lead with under 2:00 remaining in the game (at Iowa, UCF, at Utah, vs. Miami). In his career, Becht has led the Cyclones to five wins where ISU trailed in the fourth quarter.

The Wesley Chapel, Florida native has thrown a touchdown pass in a school-record 18 consecutive games, the nation’s longest active streak entering the 2025 season and the Big 12’s longest streak since Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield had a streak of 40.

Becht has thrown for 3,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, the only Big 12 player to do so and one of just 12 active FBS players who can make that claim. Along with current San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy, Becht is one of two QBs in school history with multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.

Iowa State opens the 2025 season August 23 in Dublin, Ireland against Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Season tickets are on sale, here.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior quarterback Mark Gronowski has been named to the 2025 Maxwell Award Watch List, announced by the Maxwell Football Club on Monday.

The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in college football.

Gronowski (6-foot-3, 230-pounds) will be in his first and final season with the Hawkeyes after transferring from South Dakota State, where he led the Jackrabbits to a pair of FCS National Championships in 2022 and 2023. Gronowski was the 2023 NCAA FCS statistical leader in passing efficiency (179.67) and compiled a 49-6 career record as the Jackrabbits’ starting quarterback. He earned the 2023 Walter Payton Award, which is awarded to the Most Outstanding Player in FCS. The 49 wins ties for most wins by an FCS quarterback. The native of Naperville, Illinois, passed and rushed for touchdowns in the same game 26 times in 55 career starts.

The Maxwell Award has been awarded to College Football’s Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert Maxwell for his contributions to the game as a player, sportswriter and official.

Semifinalists will be announced on Nov. 11, while finalists for the distinction will be revealed Nov. 25. The winner will be announced on Dec. 11.

Gronowski and the Hawkeyes open their season on Aug. 30, against UAlbany. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. (CT) and the contest will be televised on FS1.

Tickets are still available for the season-opener against UAlbany, as well as home games against UMass (Sept. 13), Penn State (Oct. 18), Oregon (Nov. 8) and Michigan State (Nov. 22). Tickets can be purchased at hawkeyesports.com/tickets/football or by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball will have three of its regular season matches televised on the Big Ten Network, the conference announced on Monday morning.

Iowa’s BTN appearances include the road contest at Washington on Oct. 4, home matchup with Rutgers on Oct. 26 and the regular season finale against Penn State on Nov. 29.

Head coach Jim Barnes and seniors Claire Ammeraal and Chard’e Vanzandt will represent the Hawkeyes on Tuesday in Chicago at the Big Ten Volleyball Media Days.

Iowa opens its regular season on August 29 against UNLV in Las Vegas. The Hawkeyes will host a scrimmage at Xtream Arena on August 23. It is free to the public and media are invited to attend.

2025 Iowa Volleyball Television Schedule
All matches on BTN; Times (CT)
Oct. 4 – at Washington (7:30 p.m.)
Oct. 26 – vs. Rutgers (2:00 p.m.)
Nov. 29 – vs. Penn State (TBA)