Which Iowa Teams Are Playing in the NCAA Tournament?

Iowa Basketball Teams in the NCAA Tournament 2025

Basketball fans in the Hawkeye State have a lot to talk about this week.

Four teams in Iowa have clinched a spot in the upcoming NCAA tournament this year. There were a few surprises, and last-minute heartbreakers that took a few of our teams out of the running.

Here's the status of the D1 basketball teams in Iowa and whether or not they'll be dancing this March.

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Drake University (Men's Team): Missouri Valley Conference

It's been an exciting few weeks for the men's basketball program at Drake.

Last week, they claimed the title of Missouri Valley Conference champions after cleaning up at the tourney, according to reports. 

Drake's Tournament Matchup

The Bulldogs beat Bradley for the title on Sunday, March 9th.

Now, the team is off to the NCAA tournament. On Selection Sunday, the team were selected as the 11th seed and will be facing No. 6 seed Missouri in Kansas on Thursday, March 20th at 6:35 PM CST, according to reports.

The game will be televised on TruTv.

University of Iowa (Men's Team): Big Ten

Just like last year, the Hawkeyes will not be appearing in March Madness.

Fran McCaffery's Departure

Fans of Iowa were shocked when they learned over the weekend that university officials fired Head Coach Fran McCaffery.

This was confirmed in a statement from Director of Athletics Chair Beth Goetz that was released on Friday, March 14th.

"Fran McCaffery has been an integral part of our Hawkeye family for the past 15 years. He is a tremendous coach and teacher, and we are grateful for the positive impact he has made on the institution and the community," said Goetz.

 

University of Northern Iowa (Men's Team): Missouri Valley Conference

While the Panthers will not be appearing in the NCAA tournament this year, they still are going to be hooping.

UNI's NIT Tournament Bid

The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team accepted a bid to play in the National Invitation Tournament.

This first round game is set for Wednesday, March 19th at 8:00 PM CT and the Panthers will face off against MSU in Oklahoma.

You'll be able to catch the game on ESPN2.

Iowa State University (Men's Team): Big 12 Conference

The Cyclones are going dancing!

Iowa State's Tournament Matchup

On Selection Sunday, Iowa State (24-9) was selected as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Men's tournament. They are set to play No. 14 seed Lipscomb Bisons (25-9) on Friday, March 21st at 12:30 PM CST, according to reports.

The game will be played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and can be watched on TNT.

Sports analysts are predicting that the Cyclones will come out on top in this matchup and move on to the second round.

Drake University (Women's Team): Missouri Valley Conference

The Bulldogs were so close to securing their way into March Madness.

Drake's Postseason Play

Over the weekend, the Drake women's team (22-11) played in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in Indiana. They made it all the way to the championship matchup, but fell to Murray State (83-62).

According to reports, the team was only two wins away from securing an automatic bid for the tourney!

However, they are not through playing this year. The Bulldogs have accepted a bid to participate in the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament though. They are set to host Marquette on Thursday, March 20th.

University of Iowa (Women's Team):  Big Ten Conference

The Hawkeyes have made seven consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament.

This 2024-2025 season was the start of a new era for the team, with Head Coach Lisa Bluder retiring at the end of last season and then Assistant Coach Jan Jenson stepping up to fill her place.

Iowa's Tournament Matchup

With a 10-8 conference record and 22-10 overall record for the season, the team was predicted to clinch a spot in the tournament.

On Selection Sunday, the Hawkeyes secured a spot and will be going dancing.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are the No. 6 seed in the tourney and will be facing off against No. 11 Murray State on Saturday, March 22nd at 11:00AM.

They will be heading out to Norman, Oklahoma to play at Lloyd Noble Center.

University of Northern Iowa (Women's Team): Missouri Valley Conference

The Panthers have played one heck of a season!

UNI's Historic Season

This squad pulled off an upset against (at the time) No. 8 ranked Iowa State in a thrilling matchup in November. This was the first time in program history that they beat a top ten ranked team.

Also, no conversation about the Panthers is complete without mentioning the powerhouse that they have in senior guard Maya McDermott. 

She had a 90.6 Free Throw percentage this season, averaged 18.5 points per game, and finished the season with 185 points.

UNI's WBIT Appearance

While the UNI Panthers did not make it into the NCAA tournament, they will be playing in the postseason. For the first time in program history, the women's team will be heading off to play in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, otherwise known as the WBI, according to reports.

UNI is heading out to Florida to play against No. 3 seed Florida in the first round. While there is no date or time set yet for the matchup, we will be keeping you updated.

Iowa State University (Women's Team) ~ Big 12

Just like their male counterparts, the women are going to be dancing!

The Iowa State Cyclones (22-11) are set for one of the First Four games. This No. 11 seed team will face off against fellow No. 11 team Princeton at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 19th, according to reports.

Iowa State in the First Four Games

These teams will face off in South Bend, Indiana to qualify to be a part of the official 64 team March Madness Tournament bracket.

Earlier this season, the Cyclones were a top ten rated team but have faced a few challenges and shortcomings that dragged them down a few spots.

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