Several Iowa men’s basketball nonconference games are booked for 2020-21 season

Almost all of the nonconference portion of Iowa's 2020-21 men's basketball schedule has been set.

Two of the most-interesting games on the nonconference side, however, are to be determined. They are the Hawkeyes' Big East Conference foe in the Gavitt Games and their Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

After that, it's Iowa State and mid-majors in Iowa City. For years, a man Charles (he doesn't wish to be identified) has a passion of tracking down nonconference basketball schedules before teams release them. He made Freedom of Information Act requests to about 200 universities to get them. He has a blog called The D1 Docket.

As Charles has published, here are eight nonconference games Iowa is contracted to play this season, all at Carver-Hawkeye Arena:

Nov. 10

: Southern U. (17-15 last season, 13-5 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference)

Nov. 13

: North Carolina Central (18-13, 13-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)

Nov. 16 or 20

: South Dakota (20-12, 10-6 Summit League)

Nov. 24

: Chattanooga (20-13, 10-8 Southern Conference)

Nov. 27

: Kansas City (16-14, 8-7 Western Athletic Conference)

Dec. 10

: Iowa State (12-20, 5-13 Big 12)

Dec. 19

: Northern Illinois (18-13, 11-7 Mid-American Conference)

Dec. 29

: Alabama State (8-24, 7-11 SWAC)

The first three games constitute an exempt multi-team exempt event (MTE) Iowa is hosting. Iowa, Southern, North Carolina Central and South Dakota will all play each other. South Dakota will host two games before playing at Iowa.

One more nonconference game would be added to give Iowa 11 to go with its 20 Big Ten games.

Iowa played at Syracuse in last year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and hosted DePaul in the Gavitt Games.

Kansas City and Alabama State played at Iowa in 2018. Southern, South Dakota and Northern Illinois did so in 2017.

The guarantees for the scheduled games other than Iowa State (which rotates sites) are between $92,500 and $100,000.

Comments: (319) 368-8840; mike.hlas@thegazette.com