7 Iowa football 2018 kickoffs set

IOWA CITY — Afternoon start times for the opening three University of Iowa football games were announced Thursday by the Big Ten Conference, BTN, ESPN and Fox television networks.

Start times for seven Iowa contests were announced, including five of seven home games.

The Sept. 15 home game against Northern Iowa will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on BTN. Iowa and UNI have never met in a night game.

Iowa opens the season Sept. 1, with a 2:30 p.m. contest against Northern Illinois on BTN. The Hawkeyes host instate rival Iowa State Sept. 8, starting at 4 p.m. on Fox.

Following consecutive road games in October, Iowa returns to Kinnick Stadium for homecoming against Maryland (Oct. 20), starting at 11 a.m. The network designation has not been announced. Iowa's annual Black Friday contest against Nebraska (Nov. 23) will air on Fox at 11 a.m.

The Hawkeyes will be the homecoming opponent at Minnesota (Oct. 6) and at Indiana (Oct. 13). The annual meeting for Floyd of Rosedale will be played at either 3:30 or 4 p.m., on a yet to be determined network. Iowa's game in Bloomington has an 11 a.m. kickoff and will air on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2.

Kickoff times for the remainder of the season, beginning with the Big Ten opener against Wisconsin, will be announced no later than 12 days before the game, per the media rights agreements between the Big Ten Conference and its television partners.

2018 SCHEDULE

Sept. 1 — Northern Illinois, 2:30 p.m., BTN

Sept. 8 — Iowa State, 4 p.m., Fox

Sept. 15 — Northern Iowa, 6:30 p.m., BTN

Sept. 22 — Wisconsin, TBA

Oct. 6 — at Minnesota, 3:30 or 4 p.m., TBA

Oct. 13 — at Indiana, Noon, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2

Oct. 20 — Maryland, 11 a.m., TBA

Oct. 27 — at Penn State, TBA

Nov. 3 — at Purdue, TBA

Nov. 10 — Northwestern, TBA

Nov. 17 — at Illinois, TBA

Nov. 23 — Nebraska, 11 a.m., Fox