Northern Iowa basketball coach Ben Jacobson says the Panthers have moved on after getting hit hard by the transfer portal. UNI lost seven players from a team that finished strong in posting a 19-14 record. Leading scorer Nate Heise is now at Iowa State and point guard Bowen Born left for Colorado State.

The Panthers brought in four transfers to join three incoming freshmen.

Jacobson says the Panthers focused on offense during summer workouts.

Jacobson is entering his 19th season as Panther coach. He has led the program to four Missouri Valley regular season titles and four trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Drake basketball coach Ben McCollum has built the Bulldog roster from scratch after a successful run at Northwest Missouri State. Former coach Darian DeVries left for West Virginia and it triggered a mass exodus. The Bulldogs have gone from a potential Missouri Valley Conference favorite to rebuilding mode.

McCollum says summer workouts were even more important after rebuilding the roster.

McCollum had four players from Northwest Missouri State follow him to Drake and he says summer workouts showed him what they had from a talent perspective.

The Bulldogs have posted six straight seasons of 20 wins ore more and have won the last two Valley tournament titles.

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who made the game-winning field goal in Kansas City’s Super Bowl victory two years ago, has agreed on a four-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

ESPN reported that Butker is receiving a $25.6 million extension that includes $17.75 million guaranteed.

Butker has converted 89.1% of his field goals (197 for 221) in seven seasons with the Chiefs. He’s made 70% percent (28 for 40) from beyond 50 yards.

Butker has been excellent in the playoffs, making 32 of 36 field goals (88.9%) and 62 of 65 extra points (95.4%).

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa graduate student Macy Enneking was named a United Soccer Coaches Player to Watch on Tuesday, the organization announced on Monday. Enneking is the first Hawkeye player to earn this preseason distinction.

“For a goalkeeper, there is no place to hide,” said Assistant Coach J.P Valadares. “Macy has proven to be a winner. With hard work, she has consistently developed every area of her game. The recognition of being included in this list is a great acknowledgement of all she has done, is doing and will do, both at Iowa and at the next level.”

The list is compiled by the Division I All-America Committee and released by position. The list includes returning All-Americans and first or second-team all-region players from the previous season. Enneking became one of four players in Iowa history to be recognized first-team All-North Region in 2023.

Enneking set a program individual record for goalkeeper shutouts last season (12.5) and helped lead the Hawkeyes to one of the top statistical defenses in program history. Iowa combined for 13 shutouts and a 0.76 goals-against average, which were both school records.

Last season, Enneking was named a Big Ten Player to Watch in the preseason before ending the season with all-region honors and an All-Big Ten Tournament Team nod. As a freshman in 2020, Enneking was Big Ten Tournament Defensive MVP and a unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman selection. The Hilliard, Ohio, native has started in goal for each of Iowa’s two Big Ten Tournament Championships in program history, as well as both of the program’s NCAA Tournament victories.

Enneking and the Hawkeyes open the regular season against Oregon State on Aug. 15 at the Rumble in the Rockies in Missoula, Montana. Iowa opens the home slate on Aug. 29 against Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. (CT).

AMES, Iowa – ISU head soccer coach Matt Fannon has announced one final addition to the 2024 soccer team in Seulgi Lee.

Lee, a 5-8 senior midfielder, arrives in Ames after a pair of stops across her four-year college career. She began collegiate play at Barton Community College before spending a pair of years with Michigan Tech.

At Barton CC, Lee became the school’s first two-time NJCAA All-America recipient and was named as her region’s MVP in 2021. At Michigan Tech, Lee played in just one game her junior year due to injury before coming back strong as a senior. Following a medical redshirt, Lee was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Second Team in 2023 and also earned First Team All-Conference honors as she helped Michigan Tech make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.

“It’s unusual to bring someone in so late in the process but we’ve been keeping an eye out for last minute midfielders to provide cover in that area specifically,” says coach Fannon. “When Lee became available, I was able to speak with her and very quickly realized she is exactly the person and player that will be able to seamlessly slip into our team with minimal fuss. We expect big things from her, as she is a talented player.”

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Lee owns six career goals from her time at Michigan Tech.

Lee joins a four-member transfer class, and will integrate in with fellow transfers Morgan Furmaniak, Adelaide Wolfe, Yira Yoggerst and Ella Zimmerman for the 2024 season.

The Cyclones are set to kick off the 2024 season this Wednesday, August 7, with an exhibition contest against Minnesota at the Cyclone Sports Complex at 6 p.m. The season officially begins next week on August 15 against Western Illinois at 6 p.m. As a reminder, admission to the Cyclone Sports Complex is free.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa Soccer is set to host South Dakota on Wednesday for a Noon (CT) exhibition at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Attendance is free for all home matches.

The Hawkeyes return nine starters from a team that made the fourth NCAA Tournament in program history and won the Big Ten Tournament for the second time in the past four seasons. Last time out, Iowa set a new program home attendance record (2,639) for an NCAA Tournament First Round victory over Bucknell.

Returning veterans headline an Iowa roster that includes seven graduate-students and six seniors.

Captains Macy Enneking and Maggie Johnston return as graduate seniors. Enneking set a program individual record for goalkeeper shutouts last season (12.5), and Johnston also helped the Hawkeye defense to a school-record 0.76 goals-against average at the defender position.

Fourth and fifth-year players combine for 19 of Iowa’s 26 returning goals and 55 of 75 total points returning on offense. Graduate-student Kelli McGroarty led the Hawkeyes with 18 points and seven goals last season.

Senior Kenzie Roling led Iowa with five assists, part of 11 total points for the Waverly, Iowa, native. Senior Elle Otto contributed five goals and three assists for 13 points.

Iowa also features talented underclassmen, including sophomore defenders Millie Greer and Eva Pattison, who started on a Hawkeye defense last season that produced a program-record 13 shutouts.

Sophomore Sofia Bush contributed eight points through 17 starts as a rookie in 2023. Bush (#87) and Greer (#39) were named top-100 freshman at the end of last season by Top Drawer Soccer.

Ten newcomers will make their Iowa debut, including six freshmen and four transfers with extensive playing experience.

Graduate-student Maya Hansen joins the Hawkeyes from South Dakota State, where she holds program records with 44 goals, 107 points and 18 game-winning goals. Graduate-student Madison Wilson previously played at Dayton. Wilson led the Flyers with 16 points last season.

Another graduate-student, Lauren Geczik, comes to Iowa City from Texas A&M, where she tallied 13 points last season. Geczik made 29 starts and played in 39 games with the Aggies.

Junior Alexia Griffin played at Southern Miss, where she started in all 18 games for 1,439 minutes as a sophomore defender in 2023.

The Hawkeyes open the regular season against Oregon State on Aug. 15 at the Rumble in the Rockies in Missoula, Montana. Iowa opens the home slate on Aug. 29 against Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. (CT).

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Four University of Iowa volleyball matches will be televised during the 2024 season, it was announced Monday morning by the Big Ten Conference and Big Ten Network.

All four matches will be aired on the Big Ten Network.

Iowa’s BTN appearances include the conference opener at Rutgers (5 p.m. (CT)), home match against Washington (8 p.m.) and road contests at Northwestern (8 p.m.) and Ohio State (6:30 p.m.)

Iowa returns seven student-athletes from last season and adds five transfers and six freshmen.

The Hawkeyes open the season on Aug. 30 at the Puerto Rico Classic against Liberty.

2024 Iowa Volleyball Television Schedule
All matches on BTN; Times (CT)
Sept. 26 – at Rutgers – 5 p.m.
Oct. 4 – vs. Washington – 8 p.m.
Oct. 16 – at Northwestern – 8 p.m.
Oct. 31 – at Ohio State – 6:30 p.m.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team will face Utah State in the 2024 Hall of Fame Classic on Nov. 22 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, it was announced Monday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

The 2024 Hall of Fame Classic will showcase a college basketball doubleheader as Wichita State and Saint Louis will join the Hawkeyes and Aggies in Kansas City.  Specific game times and broadcast assignments will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for the event will go on sale Sept. 10 via the T-Mobile Center box office and t-mobilecenter.com.

The game will be Iowa’s first contest in Kansas City since the 2009-10 season when the program faced Texas and Wichita State in the Guardians (CBE) Classic.  Iowa competed in the 1955 Final Four in Kansas City and it will be the program’s 12th game in the city all-time.

Iowa is 3-1 all-time against Utah State, including winning 94-75 in a neutral site game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Dec. 18, 2021.

The 2024 Hall of Fame Classic will mark the event’s 24th year of operation in Kansas City and its first to be structured as a neutral site doubleheader.

Iowa State All Big 12 guard Tamin Lipsey returned for the final week of summer workouts. The Ames native underwent shoulder surgery at the end of last season and was cleared to return in late July.

Lipsey says by the end of summer drills he was back to full contact.

ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger says Lipsey regained his former by the end of summer drills.

Otzelberger says Lipsey stayed engaged throughout the rehab process.

Lipsey averaged nearly 12 and-a-half points as a sophomore for a Cyclone team that made it to the Sweet-16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Jeff Jackson says the league is prepared to move forwards with 11 schools. Missouri State announced in May it is moving to Conference USA following the upcoming school year as it moves its football program to FBS.

Jackson says the Valley has not shut the door on future expansion.