Men's Basketball to Play Iowa in Des Moines on Nov. 15
5/28/2026 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. — The Creighton men's basketball team will play the University of Iowa at Casey's Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday, Nov. 15 with Casey's serving as the presenting sponsor for the interstate match-up.
Tickets will go on sale Monday, June 1 at 10 a.m. (CT) exclusively via hyveetix.com. Maury Hanks, president of Global Sports Management, said the tip-off time will be announced in the future.
"I think that ultimately when your season in college basketball is evaluated, the success is evaluated on how you do in March," said Creighton Coach Alan Huss. "I don't know if there's a better way to simulate a March-type environment than to play against a well-coached team from the Big Ten that just happens to be our neighbor from one state away.Â
"Obviously, they had a historic season last season. It'll be a great crowd. I think our people will be excited. Their people will be excited. It's just a game that makes sense. I think we're all thrilled for the opportunity. Hopefully it'll be a Quad one game, and a Quad one game that our fans can make it to."
Iowa was ranked 15th in the final Associated Press poll — the highest final ranking since 2021.
Iowa returns three starters from its 2025-26 team which advanced to Elite Eight in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while finishing the season with a 24-13 overall record—tied for the fifth most wins in a single season in program history. Iowa downed three higher seeds -- No. 8 Clemson, No. 1 Florida and No. 4 Nebraska to advance to the Elite Eight. The Hawkeyes were the lowest seed in Big Ten history to reach the Elite Eight.
Creighton is one of 11 schools to have made the postseason each of the last 10 seasons including 2025-26 when it advanced to the semifinal round of College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas.Â
The Bluejays have won the past two meetings vs. Iowa (2023 in Omaha and 2011 in Des Moines).
"We're excited to bring our team to Des Moines for a second straight year," said Iowa head coach Ben McCollum. "It's important to showcase our team to our fans in the metro to continue to build momentum and excitement for our program across the state. This season's game will be a great opportunity to play a strong Creighton program on a neutral court at the Casey's Center. It will be exciting for our players and everyone involved to have two Power Conference teams meet in an early-season match-up. I'm looking forward to an incredible atmosphere."
Huss was named the 17th head coach in Creighton men's basketball history on March 25.  Huss, who served six years as assistant coach (2017-23) before returning in April of 2025 as associate head coach and head coach in waiting, took over after the retirement of Greg McDermott following Creighton's postseason run at the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas on April 4, 2026. A 2002 Creighton graduate, Huss becomes the first alum to take the reins of the men's basketball program since Tom Apke patrolled the Bluejay sideline from 1974-81.
"We look forward to hosting Iowa and Creighton, two teams with high expectations for next season, at Casey's Center," said Oak View Group's Chris Connolly, General Manager of Casey's Center. "It's exciting to bring two strong fan bases together in Des Moines on a Sunday in November, and we thank Maury (Hanks) and his team for putting the game together."
