Here is the 2023-24 Iowa men’s basketball schedule

Iowa released its 2023-24 men’s basketball schedule Tuesday as the Big Ten announced the dates for its conference games.

The Hawkeyes open the season on Nov. 7 against North Dakota. Their first Big Ten game is Dec. 4 at reigning league champion Purdue. After visiting Iowa State three days later, Iowa faces Michigan on Dec. 10 in its first Big Ten home game.

A few initial observations:

• Carver-Hawkeye Arena gets a weekend-heavy Big Ten slate this season. Iowa has three conference home games on Saturdays, three on Sundays and two on Fridays. The others are on a Tuesday and Wednesday. The Hawkeyes also host three nonconference games on Fridays.

• Two of Iowa’s more challenging stretches could come in late January and late February. Iowa hosts Purdue (Jan. 20) and Maryland (Jan. 24) in back-to-back games before visiting Michigan (Jan. 27) and Indiana (Jan. 30) and returning home to face Ohio State (Feb. 2). Later, it has trips to Maryland (Feb. 14), Michigan State (Feb. 20) and Illinois (Feb. 24) around a home game against Wisconsin (Feb. 17).

• Iowa only has one game during the last week of the regular season, at home against Illinois on the season’s final day (March 10). The Big Ten tournament is March 13-17 in Minneapolis.

• Iowa doesn’t have any nonconference home games against power-conference opponents. Along with the Iowa State game, Iowa has previously-announced games at Creighton in the Gavitt Games on Nov. 14 and Oklahoma, then USC or Seton Hall in San Diego on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. The highest-ranked nonconference home opponent in Kenpom.com’s 2023 rankings is No. 250 Northern Illinois.

2023-24 Iowa men’s basketball schedule

Monday, Oct. 30 — Quincy (exhibition)

Tuesday, Nov. 7 — North Dakota

Friday, Nov. 10 — Alabama State

Tuesday, Nov. 14 — at Creighton

Friday, Nov. 17 — Arkansas State

Thursday, Nov. 23 — vs. Oklahoma (at San Diego), 2 p.m. (FS1)

Friday, Nov. 24 — vs. Seton Hall or USC (at San Diego)

Wednesday, Nov. 29 — North Florida

Monday, Dec. 4 — at Purdue

Thursday, Dec. 7 — at Iowa State

Sunday, Dec. 10 — Michigan

Saturday, Dec. 16 — vs. Florida A&M (at Des Moines)

Wednesday, Dec. 20 — UMBC

Friday, Dec. 29 — Northern Illinois

Tuesday, Jan. 2 — at Wisconsin

Saturday, Jan. 6 — Rutgers

Friday, Jan. 12 — Nebraska

Monday, Jan. 15 — at Minnesota

Saturday, Jan. 20 — Purdue

Wednesday, Jan. 24 — Maryland

Saturday, Jan. 27 — at Michigan

Tuesday, Jan. 30 — at Indiana

Friday, Feb. 2 — Ohio State

Thursday, Feb. 8 — at Penn State

Sunday, Feb. 11 — Minnesota

Wednesday, Feb. 14 — at Maryland

Saturday, Feb. 17 — Wisconsin

Tuesday, Feb. 20 — at Michigan State

Saturday, Feb. 24 — at Illinois

Tuesday, Feb. 27 — Penn State

Saturday, March 2 — at Northwestern

Sunday, March 10 — Illinois

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com