The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers yesterday in the Sweet 16 matchup and qualified for the Elite 8. This is their first trip to the NCAA Tournament with Ben McCollum in his first year as a head coach.
Iowa didn’t have the best run during the regular season. They are the No. 9 seed with a 24-12 overall record and 10-10 in the conference. March Madness, however, has been a completely different experience for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa’s entry to the Elite 8 in 2026 is very special, as the last time they made the Elite 8 was nearly 40 years ago. Overall, this is their fifth Elite 8 appearance.
Iowa Hawkeyes Elite 8 Appearances
1955
The Iowa Hawkeyes played their first season in 1901-02. In 1955, they made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Iowa defeated Penn State 82-53 in the Sweet 16, Marquette 86-81 in the Elite Eight, and lost 73-76 to La Salle in the Final Four.
1956
Iowa returned to the NCAA Tournament the following year, winning 97-83 against Morehead State in the Sweet 16, 89-77 against Kentucky in the Elite Eight, 83-76 against Temple in the Final Four, and lost to San Francisco 71-83 in the championship game.
1980
Iowa vanished from the NCAA Tournament for a while, making just two appearances between 1956 and 1980. They made the Elite Eight for the third time and secured an 81-80 win over Georgetown, but ended up losing to Louisville in the Final Four.
1987
The Hawkeyes remained competitive throughout the ‘80s, missing just one NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. However, they couldn’t get past the Sweet 16 round, except for their 1987 run.
The Hawkeyes played Santa Clara in the first round, UTEP in the second round, and Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. After three hard-fought wins, they fell to UNLV 81-84 in the Elite Eight and were eliminated from the tournament.
2026
It’s been a long wait for the Iowa Hawkeyes to get back in the Elite Eight bracket. This is their first appearance since 1987. In fact, they couldn’t even make it to the Sweet 16 round after their 1999 season.
This year, the Hawkeyes have been on a roll. They defeated the Clemson Tigers 67-61 in the first round, the Florida Gators 73-72 in the second round, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers 77-71 in the Sweet 16 round.
The Hawkeyes will face the Illinois Fighting Illini in their Elite Eight matchup on Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston.
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