After a young team finished 27-7 overall and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, it's safe to say there's a palpable buzz surrounding Iowa women's basketball again. 

The buzz never really left after Caitlin Clark graduated, but the optimism that the Hawkeyes could return to national championship contention is very much alive. 

Ava Heiden and Taylor Stremlow are back after breakthrough sophomore campaigns, and a talented transfer portal class will only help Iowa remain one of the nation's top women's basketball programs. 

The Hawkeyes' talent is well-documented, but as the saying goes, to be the best, you have to beat the best. Head coach Jan Jensen has been an aggressive scheduler during her two years at the helm of the program, but 2026-27 will be her toughest schedule yet. 

Iowa already scheduled a marquee home-and-home series with Geno Auriemma and perennial national contender Connecticut a few weeks ago. The two teams will play in either Storrs or Hartford this season before making the return trip to Iowa City in 2027-28. 

This article could stop right there, because playing the Huskies at any point during the season is tough enough, but Jensen is clearly determined to place her program on a high pedestal. 

Just over a week after the matchups against UConn were announced, the Hawkeyes are upping the ante even more. Iowa will play a likely fringe top-10 Vanderbilt squad on a neutral floor in Sioux City, Iowa on Nov. 15. 

These are two high-profile matchups that could both make and break the Hawkeyes' chances at hosting another NCAA tournament regional at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but you have to risk a lot to be rewarded in this sport. Iowa's chips are definitely all on the table here, but it can't be stated enough how healthy this is for college athletics. 

In an era where Power Four programs often schedule cupcakes to beef up their NET ranking, the Hawkeyes are doing anything but. Iowa could slip in the NET rankings if it suffers a similar lopsided loss (90-64 last season) to UConn this year, but it deserves plenty of flowers for doing it again. 

While many may not think of Vanderbilt as a formidable women's basketball program, the Commodore program is on a tear right now. Head coach Shea Ralph has led Vandy to three consecutive NCAA berths, including a 29-win campaign and Sweet 16 appearance in 2025-26. 

Iowa will have a definitive home court advantage against the Commodores due to the game being held in Sioux City, but either way, it's another incredible challenge for Jensen's team. 

You're probably wondering what the point of this article is, so let's get to that right now. The bottom line here is that scheduling tough opponents in the non-conference will only make you better come NCAA tournament time. 

If you also throw in the annual in-state clashes with Iowa State, Northern Iowa, and Drake, then you've got more intense competition for the Hawkeyes. 

Will Iowa win all of these aforementioned games? It's very possible, but even if it doesn't, it's being challenged for Big Ten and postseason play. When you have a roster that is more than capable of accomplishing big things in 2026-27, something as little as scheduling could pay huge dividends. 

Incredible scheduling by Jensen. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]