If you just woke up in a panic checking your phone for a kickoff time, take a deep breath. You haven't missed a surprise postseason miracle. Honestly, if you're asking what channel is the hawkeye football game on today, the answer is pretty simple: it’s not on.
Today is Wednesday, January 14, 2026. The Iowa Hawkeyes have already hung up the cleats for the 2025-26 season.
They finished things off in style a couple of weeks ago, taking down the Vanderbilt Commodores 34–27 in the ReliaQuest Bowl. That win capped off a solid 9–4 season, leaving fans feeling way better than they did after those narrow losses to Indiana and Oregon. But because it’s mid-January, the "game" has shifted from the turf at Kinnick to the chaotic world of the transfer portal and the recruiting trail.
What Channel Is The Hawkeye Football Game On Today?
Since there is no live game happening right now, you won't find the Hawkeyes on ABC, FOX, or even the depths of Peacock this afternoon. However, if you're just looking for a Hawkeye fix or some Big Ten action, the Big Ten Network (BTN) is your best bet for replays and analysis.
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Where to find Hawkeye content right now:
- Big Ten Network (BTN): They basically run a loop of "The B1G Show" and "The Journey." You’ll likely see highlights of Mark Gronowski’s record-breaking rushing touchdowns or Phil Parker’s defense doing Phil Parker things.
- B1G+: This is the streaming home for the non-televised stuff. If you’re a die-hard, you can find condensed game replays from the 2025 season here.
- Fox Sports App: Since Fox carries a huge chunk of the Big Ten schedule, their app usually keeps the full-game archives of the Hawkeyes' bigger matchups.
It’s kinda weird seeing the season end so "early" when the College Football Playoff is still humming along—the National Championship between Indiana (yes, Indiana!) and Miami isn't until January 19—but that’s the reality of the new 12-team playoff era. If you aren't in the bracket, your season ends with the New Year's bowls.
Why the Search Traffic is Spiking for Hawkeye Football
You aren't the only one confused. There are actually a few reasons why people keep asking what channel the game is on during a random Wednesday in January.
First, the transfer portal is absolutely on fire right now. Just yesterday, January 13, news broke that Iowa landed a massive commitment from South Dakota running back L.J. Phillips Jr. He’s a 5-foot-9, 225-pound tank who put up over 1,900 yards for the Coyotes. People see "Iowa Football" trending on social media and instinctively think there’s a game or a press conference they’re missing.
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Second, the Big Ten schedule is a maze. With teams like USC, Oregon, and Washington in the mix, kickoff times and channels were all over the place this past year. We saw games on Peacock that used to be on local TV, and that "where do I watch this?" muscle memory is hard to break.
Looking Back: Where Iowa Played in 2025
If you're trying to plan for next year or just reminiscing, the Hawkeye broadcast map was basically a tour of every streaming service known to man.
- NBC/Peacock: The "streaming exclusive" era hit Iowa hard. The Indiana game was a Peacock-only affair, which, let's be real, annoyed a lot of folks in the Hawkeye State.
- CBS: This remains the home for the Black Friday tradition. The Nebraska game on November 28 was a classic CBS 11:00 AM kickoff.
- FOX/FS1: Most of the high-profile Big Ten matchups, like the Penn State thriller, landed here.
- ESPN: Usually reserved for the bowl games, which is exactly where the ReliaQuest Bowl lived on New Year's Eve.
What’s Next for the Hawkeyes?
Since you can't watch a game today, you might as well look at what’s coming. Kirk Ferentz is entering his 28th season in 2026. That is just wild to think about. The team is losing some legends—Logan Jones won the Rimington Trophy and is headed to the NFL, and Kaden Wetjen’s return skills will be sorely missed.
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But the 2026 schedule is already looking spicy. They open against NIU on September 5, followed by the Cy-Hawk game against Iowa State on September 12.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve so you aren't asking what channel is the hawkeye football game on today next September, here is what you should do:
- Download the Hawkeye Sports App. It’s the most reliable way to get "official" kickoff times before the national media picks them up.
- Check the Big Ten Network schedule weekly. They usually announce "windows" (12 PM, 3:30 PM, or 7 PM) about six to twelve days before a game.
- Keep your Peacock subscription active. Like it or not, the Big Ten’s deal with NBC means at least one or two Iowa games a year will likely be behind that streaming wall.
The season might be over, but for Iowa fans, the "In Phil Parker We Trust" mantra is a year-round lifestyle. Enjoy the break while it lasts, because September in Iowa City comes fast.