Iowa football vs. Northern Illinois: Updates, score, highlights today

Iowa opens its 2026 college football season at home from Kinnick Stadium against Northern Illinois.

The Hawkeyes finished 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten) a season ago, registering its 11th season under head coach Kirk Ferentz with nine or more wins. Ferentz also collected his 11th bowl win of his head coaching career, passing Penn State's Joe Paterno for the most bowl victories in Big Ten Conference history.

As the 2026 season arrives, Iowa is still sorting out its starting quarterback situation. CBS reported Saturday morning that Hank Brown will get the start and first few offensive series, but Jeremy Hecklinski is also expected to play.

Iowa returns just eight starters and only three defensively. With plenty of new faces across the board, Hawkeye fans are excited to get their first look at Iowa in 2026.

As kickoff arrives, follow along here for live updates, the score and highlights from the action at Kinnick.

This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football vs. Northern Illinois: Updates, score, highlights today

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