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 exceptions so far in 2026 were the all-black nights: the Cy-Hawk game, where the Hawkeyes beat Iowa State 16-13, and the October 3 loss to Ohio State. 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, Iowa State this September, and Ohio State on October 3. 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 Cyclones script in white outlined in gold, 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, and still unconfirmed. An in-state FCS opponent in an afternoon kickoff is the textbook slot for the standard black and gold home set, and Iowa won 55-0, but no broadcast frame of the game has been published yet.

September 26 at Michigan. ★ Confirmed from the broadcast: black Tigerhawk helmet, white jersey, gold pants, the road set, for the Big Ten opener at the Big House. Michigan wore the winged helmet with blue over blue. Braeden Jackson returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown right after a Michigan score, and Iowa won 20-19 to move to 4-0. See our Michigan 2026 uniform schedule.

October 3 vs. Ohio State. ★ Confirmed from the game photos: black helmet, black jersey, black pants, all black at Kinnick, with the gold Tigerhawk on the helmet. Ohio State wore the silver helmet, white jersey and white pants. Julian Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Jeremiah Smith, who caught 11 passes for 206 yards, and No. 5 Ohio State won 31-14 to hand Iowa its first loss. The Hawkeyes are 4-1. The Buckeyes' side is on our Ohio State 2026 uniform schedule.

October 9 at Washington (Friday). ★ Confirmed from Iowa's own game photos: black helmet, white jersey, gold pants, the road set, on a Friday night at Husky Stadium. Washington wore the gold helmet, purple jersey and purple pants; see our Washington 2026 uniform schedule. Iowa led 27-3 at halftime, rushed for 263 yards, recorded six sacks and won 41-24 to move to 5-1. 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

Six games in, Iowa has shown every piece of its closet: the black and gold home set for Northern Illinois, the white road set at Michigan and Washington, and the all-black alternate for Iowa State and Ohio 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 Wisconsin on Halloween, the home date we are watching most closely for a third all-black night, 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 wore the black helmet, white jersey and gold pants at Washington on Friday, October 9, confirmed from Iowa's own game photos, and won 41-24 to move to 5-1. A week earlier the Hawkeyes went all black against Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium. After the October 17 bye, Iowa visits Minnesota for Floyd of Rosedale on October 24, where white 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. Iowa brought the same all-black look back for Ohio State on October 3. 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.