Hawkeyes’ Unexpected Bowling Destination Revealed: What Fans Must Know!

Wrapping up the regular season in style, the Iowa Hawkeyes once again took down Nebraska — but this year, it wasn’t a nail-biter. It was a decisive, commanding 40-16 victory in Lincoln that left no doubt about who was in charge on Black Friday. This win marks another chapter in Iowa’s consistent tradition of closing out their season with a triumph over the Huskers—yet this time around, it was a different kind of finish, a dominant statement rather than a last-second squeak. With the regular season behind them and an 8-4 record in tow, the Hawkeyes secure their 13th straight bowl eligibility, keeping their postseason hopes very much alive. Now, the only question left hanging: Where will Iowa be headed for their next game? While the exact bowl destination remains up in the air, the Big Ten pecking order hints strongly at a ReliaQuest Bowl invite, sandwiched just behind the conference’s top-tier playoff hopefuls. It’s an intriguing spot, full of possibilities and strategic decisions that could shift depending on how the dance card plays out. But beyond the rankings and projections, this season’s end sets the stage for one more run, one more shot to cap off a solid year on a high note. Dive into the full scoop on Iowa’s bowl projections and what’s next for the Hawkeyes football saga. LEARN MORE

The Iowa Hawkeyes wrapped up their regular season as they’ve done for much of the last decade – with a win over Nebraska. Unlike the previous two years where Iowa had to squeak by on last-second field goals, this year’s Black Friday showdown was a no-doubter with the Hawkeyes demolishing the Huskers 40-16 in Lincoln.

While that wraps up Iowa’s regular season, there’s still one more Hawkeye football game to be played this year as Iowa is bowl eligible for the 13th consecutive year after finishing the regular season at 8-4 overall.

Where, exactly, the Hawkeyes will be bowling is still up in the air, but only slightly. Iowa finished the year 6th in the Big Ten standings. Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon figure to make the College Football Playoff while USC and Michigan are likely to be left out at 9-3. That puts Iowa as the third Big Ten team in the pecking order for bowls outside the CFP.

For the Big Ten, assuming those top three teams all make the College Football Playoff, that leaves the following pecking order for USC, Michigan, Iowa, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Penn State – in that order.

No. 1 New Year’s Six. The champion goes to either the Cotton Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl or the Peach Bowl unless they are selected for the College Football Playoff.
No. 2 The Citrus Bowl vs SEC
No. 3 The ReliaQuest Bowl vs SEC
No. 4 The Las Vegas Bowl vs Pac-12 (odd-numbered years)
No. 5 The Music City Bowl vs SEC
No. 6 The Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs ACC
No. 7 The Rate Bowl vs Big 12 No. 6
No. 8 The Quick Lane Bowl vs MAC

Running through the pecking order, it seems pretty clear Iowa is locked in to the ReliaQuest Bowl. But it’s worth pointing out the bowl pecking order is their selection order, not necessarily that they are locked in to taking the team in that spot. So it’s possible one of the higher bowls would drop down and take the Hawkeyes, though in a year where the two available teams above Iowa are both big national brands in USC and Michigan, that seems very unlikely.

A more plausible scenario would be the ReliaQuest, which was formerly known as the Outback Bowl, opts to skip over Iowa for a team like Washington, which has never been given their prior bowl tie-ins as a member of the PAC-12. On the positive side for the Hawkeyes here, Iowa hasn’t been to the ReliaQuest/Outback since their 2019 win over Mississippi State. Illinois and Minnesota have both been more recently.

Even so, in a world where Iowa gets passed up for the ReliaQuest, they’re a virtual lock for the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, which has next priority. The Hawkeyes have never played in the Vegas Bowl. Since being added to the Big Ten rotation (in odd years only, with the SEC taking even years while the Big Ten goes to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl) in 2020, only Wisconsin, Northwestern and USC have played in the Vegas Bowl.

It’s worth noting, however, USC’s trip a season ago was related to their former PAC-12 tie-in, not as part of the Big Ten deal. Washington, who sits right behind Iowa in the Big Ten standings, last went to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2019 as a member of the PAC-12.

With that backdrop, here’s a rundown of where several major news outlets are projecting the Hawkeyes to go bowling, including potential opponents.

Media Outlet	Bowl Projection	Opponent	Date	Time
ESPN – Schlabach	ReliaQuest Bowl	Tennessee	Wednesday, December 31	11am CT
ESPN – Bonagura	Las Vegas Bowl	Utah	Wednesday, December 31	2:30pm CT
On3	ReliaQuest Bowl	Vanderbilt	Wednesday, December 31	11am CT
CBS	Las Vegas Bowl	Utah	Wednesday, December 31	2:30pm CT
Sports Illustrated	ReliaQuest Bowl	Tennessee	Wednesday, December 31	11am CT
The Athletic	ReliaQuest Bowl	Texas	Wednesday, December 31	11am CT
USA Today	ReliaQuest Bowl	Texas	Wednesday, December 31	11am CT