Iowa Wrestling: A Season of High Expectations and New Beginnings

The Iowa wrestling program heads into the 2025-2026 season with renewed energy and a lineup built for big moments. The third year of Iowa women's wrestling is set to be a big one, as the official NCAA era begins in the 2025-26 season. After a strong campaign last year that featured multiple All-Americans and a top-5 team finish, the Hawkeyes return key veterans Drake Ayala, Patrick Kennedy and Mikey Caliendo. The schedule is packed with high-stakes duals and traditional rivalries, including marquee matchups against Penn State, Ohio State and Oklahoma State. With a balanced mix of experience and youth, Iowa is poised to make noise throughout the regular season and into championship contention.

Upcoming Dual: National Duals

For fans looking for details about upcoming duals on the Iowa wrestling schedule, the next Iowa wrestling dual is:

Date: Saturday, November 15
Opponent: National Duals
Location: BOK Arena
Time: 9:00 AM CT
TV Info: Flo Wrestling
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Men's Wrestling Schedule 2025-26

Here's a look at the Hawkeyes’ 2025-2026 schedule and the matchups that could shape their season:

November

Thursday, Nov. 6 - Iowa vs. Bellarmine - 6:00 PM CT (B1G+)
Saturday, Nov. 15 - National Duals - 9:00 AM CT
Friday, Nov. 21 - Iowa vs. Pittsburgh - Time TBA

December

Friday, Dec. 12 - Iowa vs. - Time TBA

January

Saturday, Jan. 3-4 - Soldier Salute - Coralville, Iowa - All Day
Friday, Jan. 9 - Iowa vs. Wisconsin - Time TBA
Friday, Jan. 16 - Iowa vs. Penn State - Time TBA
Friday, Jan. 23 - Iowa at Nebraska - Time TBA
Friday, Jan. 30 - Iowa vs. Minnesota - Time TBA

February

Friday, Feb. 6 - Iowa at Ohio State - Time TBA
Sunday, Feb. 8 - Iowa at Michigan State - Time TBA
Friday, Feb. 13 - Iowa vs. Michigan - Time TBA
Sunday, Feb. 15 - Iowa at Purdue - Time TBA

Women's Wrestling Schedule 2025-26

The full schedule for the team was released on Oct. 16. Here's how the schedule will unfold in the first season under the NCAA banner for Hawkeye women's wrestling:

November

Nov. 1 - Luther Hill Open (Simpson College)
Nov. 2 - vs. Central College and Cornell College
Nov. 15 - Yorktown Duals
Nov. 21 - 22 - Missouri Valley College Open (Marshall, Missouri)

December

Dec. 7 - vs. Cowgirl Wrestling Club and Colorado Mesa
Dec. 11 - vs. Grand View University (Waukee Northwest High School)
Dec. 18 - vs.

February

Feb. 8 - For Her Duals (Coralville, Iowa)
Feb. 21 - NCAA Regional Championships (Indianola, Iowa)

March

March 6-7 - NCAA National Championships (Coralville, Iowa)

It is important to note that Cowgirl Wrestling Club is Oklahoma State University's women's wrestling club program, which is aiming to eventually be a full-time, Division I program one day, while Lehigh is in its first official season as a Division I program. Also of note is a dual at Waukee Northwest High School on Dec. 11 against Grand View University. The dual will come after high school girls wrestling powers Raccoon River Wrestling and Ankeny square off, with RRW finishing first in Class 2A last season and Ankeny being the runner-up. Also at Xtream Arena will be the NCAA National Championships after the venue hosted the final National College Women's Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) last season. For Her Duals is a de-facto NCAA vs. NAIA dual tournament in Xtream Arena with four NCAA teams and four NAIA opponents on each side of the bracket culminating into a NCAA vs. NAIA final.

Key Wrestlers to Watch

The lineup is bolstered by rising stars, such as Gabe Arnold and Angelo Ferrari, along with a promising freshman class that adds depth across several weight classes.

How to Stay Updated

Trackwrestling has officially merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform. Fans now can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, view mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles-all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling. This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community.