Iowa Uniform Schedule 2026: Every Jersey and When the Hawkeyes Wear It

Iowa wears the black jersey with gold pants at Kinnick Stadium and the white jersey with gold pants on the road, under the same black Tigerhawk helmet every week. That is the Iowa football uniform in one sentence, and it covers almost every Saturday. The exception so far in 2026 was the Cy-Hawk game, where the Hawkeyes went all black under the lights and beat Iowa State 16-13. This is the full Iowa 2026 uniform schedule: every jersey, every game week by week, and what the Hawkeyes are expected to wear next. We update this page as each combination is confirmed.

The Iowa 2026 Uniform Sets

Iowa runs one of the most stable wardrobes in the Big Ten. The helmet does not change, the home and road jerseys follow the same stripe pattern, and the gold pants go with both. The variable is black. Iowa pulls out black pants, or the full all-black look, for the nights it wants Kinnick to feel different: Wisconsin in 2022, Oregon in 2025 with the stadium painted black, and Iowa State this September. A reported teaser video before the Cy-Hawk game was titled "Kinnick after dark." Big Ten home teams wear color and visitors wear white, so every road date below is predictable, and every night game at Kinnick is a candidate for black.

The Full Iowa 2026 Uniform Schedule, Week by Week

September 5 vs. Northern Illinois. ★ Confirmed from the Big Ten Network broadcast: black helmet, black jersey, gold pants, the standard Kinnick home look for the opener. Northern Illinois came in wearing white jerseys with black pants. Iowa won 40-0, with 33 of those points in the first half.

September 12 vs. Iowa State. ★ Confirmed from game photos: the all-black alternate, black Tigerhawk helmet, black jersey with white numerals and the gold and white shoulder stripes, and black pants with no gold stripe down the leg. Iowa teased the look the day before the prime-time NBC game. Iowa State wore cardinal helmets with the gold Cyclones script, white jerseys and white pants, an all-white road look the Cyclones had not worn in this series since 2012, per the pregame report. Iowa won 16-13 and kept the Cy-Hawk Trophy in Iowa City.

September 19 vs. Northern Iowa. Black expected. An in-state FCS opponent in an afternoon kickoff is the textbook slot for the standard black and gold home set.

September 26 at Michigan. White expected. Iowa opens Big Ten play at the Big House, where Michigan wears navy at home, so the Hawkeyes go white jersey and gold pants under the black helmet.

October 3 vs. Ohio State. Black expected. The kickoff time is still to be announced. If this one lands in prime time, it becomes the leading candidate for a second black-pants night at Kinnick, and we will flip the cell the moment Iowa confirms it.

October 9 at Washington (Friday). White expected. A Friday night trip to Husky Stadium, 9 p.m. Eastern and 6 p.m. local. Washington wears purple at home, which leaves Iowa in white. ESPN files this game under October 10 because its feed runs on UTC.

October 17. Bye.

October 24 at Minnesota. White expected. The Floyd of Rosedale game at Huntington Bank Stadium, with Minnesota in maroon at home.

October 31 vs. Wisconsin. Black expected, with an asterisk. It is Halloween at Kinnick against the program Iowa went all black for in 2022, so this is the home date we are watching most closely for the alternate. Wisconsin will be the team in white.

November 7 at Northwestern. White expected, with Northwestern in purple at home.

November 14 vs. Purdue. Black expected. The final Saturday home game falls on Veterans Day weekend, the usual window for Iowa's annual military appreciation game and the American flag Tigerhawk decal on the right side of the helmet. Iowa has not announced the date yet, so treat the decal as likely, not confirmed.

November 21 at Illinois. White expected, at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

November 27 vs. Nebraska (Friday). Black expected. The Heroes Game on Black Friday, an 11 a.m. Central kickoff on CBS, with Nebraska in white as the visitor.

The Bottom Line

Two games in, Iowa has shown both sides of its closet: the black and gold home set for Northern Illinois and the all-black alternate for Iowa State. Everything else on the calendar follows a simple rule. Black jersey and gold pants at Kinnick, white jersey and gold pants on the road, the same gold-striped Tigerhawk helmet every week. The open questions are the night games: Ohio State if it gets a prime-time slot, Wisconsin on Halloween, and whichever home date carries the flag decal. The grid above has every date, and we add a star as each uniform is confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What jersey is Iowa wearing this week?

Iowa hosts Northern Iowa at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, September 19, and the black home jersey with gold pants is expected. The Hawkeyes wore the all-black alternate in their last game, the 16-13 win over Iowa State. After Northern Iowa, Iowa travels to Michigan on September 26, where the white road jersey is expected.

What are Iowa's football uniforms for 2026?

A black home jersey and a white road jersey, both with black and gold shoulder stripes, worn with gold pants. The helmet is black with a single gold center stripe and the gold Tigerhawk. Iowa also has black pants, which turn the home set into an all-black alternate. Nike makes the uniforms.

Does Iowa have a new alternate uniform in 2026?

Sort of. For the Cy-Hawk game on September 12 Iowa went all black, pairing the black home jersey with black pants that drop the gold stripe down the leg. The jersey itself is the standard home top; the pants are the change. It is the only alternate Iowa has worn so far this season, and we will add any others to this page when they are revealed.

What did Iowa wear against Iowa State?

Iowa wore the all-black alternate against Iowa State on September 12 at Kinnick Stadium: black helmet, black jersey and black pants. Iowa teased the look the day before the prime-time NBC broadcast. Iowa State wore cardinal helmets, white jerseys and white pants, and Iowa won 16-13.

When is Iowa's military appreciation game in 2026?

Iowa has not announced it yet. The Hawkeyes hold one every year and wear an American flag Tigerhawk decal on the right side of the helmet, a tradition that dates to 2009. In 2025 it was the Oregon game on Veterans Day weekend. The Purdue game on November 14 falls in that same window this year.

How many games does Iowa play in 2026?

Twelve regular season games: seven at Kinnick Stadium and five on the road, with a bye on October 17. Two of them are on Fridays, at Washington on October 9 and against Nebraska on November 27. The full schedule with expected uniforms is in the grid above.