Work crews are putting the finishing touches on a new stadium on the campus of Drake University. The fourth thousand seat two-tiered Mediacom Stadium is a joint effort between Drake and the Des Moines Public schools. It will serve as the home for football and soccer for the Des Moines high schools as well as the new home for Drake men’s and women’s soccer. Jason Allen is Director of activities for the Des Moines schools.

With no running track it will provide a regulation size pitch for soccer.

Allen says there will be events beyond football and soccer.

For Drake it brings the men’s and women’s soccer programs back on campus for home contests.

That’s Drake AD Brian Hardin who expects the stadium to host more than 100 events each year.

Hardin says the stadium is even better than he thought it would be.

The first football game is next Thursday when Des Moines Roosevelt hosts Waukee. Drake soccer is expected to begin playing in the stadium by the middle of this month.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa’s Big Ten Conference football opponents for the next five seasons (2024-28) were announced Thursday by the Big Ten Conference. Dates for league games will be released at a later date.

In 2024, Iowa will host conference opponents Nebraska, Northwestern, Washington and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes will travel coast-to-coast, playing at Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and UCLA. In nonconference play Iowa hosts Illinois State, Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series and Troy.

In 2025, Iowa’s five league home games include Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon and Penn State. The Hawkeyes travel to Nebraska, Rutgers, USC and Wisconsin. Nonconference contests include Florida Atlantic and Massachusetts visiting Kinnick Stadium and the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game at Iowa State.

The Hawkeyes will make their first visits to Washington and Oregon as members of the Big Ten Conference in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

The 2024 football season will debut the Flex Protect XVIII model, which features a combination of protected opponents. Each season, the Hawkeyes maintain rivalry games with Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. Iowa is the only Big Ten team to maintain contests with three protected rivals.

The scheduling model balances annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones. The format maintains control and flexibility as the college football postseason format evolves, with the goal to create access for programs into an expanded College Football Playoff. It also balances historic competitiveness and recent competitive trends, including home/away balance of traditionally competitive schools.

Beginning with the 2024 season, the annual Big Ten Championship Game will feature the top two teams in the overall standings at the end of the regular season.

• Iowa last met USC in the 2019 Holiday Bowl (W, 49-24)
• The Hawkeyes last played UCLA in the 1986 Rose Bowl (L, 45-28)
• Iowa last met Oregon in Eugene in 1994 (L, 40-18)
• The Hawkeyes last played Washington in the 1995 Sun Bowl (W, 38-18)

IOWA FUTURE FOOTBALL BIG TEN OPPONENTS

 2024

Away: Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, UCLA

Home: Nebraska, Northwestern, Washington, Wisconsin

2025

Away: Nebraska, Rutgers, USC, Wisconsin

Home: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State

2026

Away: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington

Home: Nebraska Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin

2027

Away: Indiana, Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin

Home: Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, UCLA, USC

2028

Away: Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, Purdue, USC

Home: Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers, Wisconsin

The (3-3) Exira-EHK Spartans are in control of their district 9 destiny, after a gritty 28-22 win against Fremont-Mills last Friday. Both teams put an emphasis on their ground game and physicality on defense. Both teams rushed the ball at least 30 times and had a combined 366 rushing yards. Turnovers was key for the Spartans to take the win on the road. They had three turnovers and the Knights had none. Exira-EHK Head Coach Drew Buckholdt commented on the resilience of his defense.

The firm and determined mentality of the Spartans starts with their senior, quarterback Jameson Kilworth. Last Friday Kilworth carried the ball 24 times and collected 114 yards and a touchdown. In the pocket he was just as effective going 7-7 for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. His main target was senior Cash Emgarten who had 6 receptions, 103 yards, and 2 touchdowns.

Even with the ability to pass well, Kilworth loves the option to put his shoulder down and run with the ball.

Now the Spartans are back home this Friday facing the (2-4) East Mills Wolverines. A team that has struggled earlier n in the year due to a multitude of injuries at the QB spot. But, had a respectable 59-20 win against Griswold.

Every game now for Exira-EHK has playoff implications and Coach Buckholdt is tuning the noise out. Deciding to take each week as it comes and not taking the Wolverines lightly.

Kickoff is set for 7pm in Exira and KJAN has the coverage. The pregame show starts at 6:30pm.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former University of Iowa wide receiver Robert Smith will serve as honorary captain when the Hawkeyes entertain Purdue on Saturday on Duke Slater Field at Kinnick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:33 p.m. (CT) and the Homecoming game will be streamed on Peacock.

Smith played four seasons for head coach Hayden Fry from 1983-86. He caught four receptions in both the 1984 Freedom Bowl and 1986 Rose Bowl. Smith had a team-best 115 receiving yards, including a 49-yard touchdown reception from QB Chuck Long in Iowa’s 55-17 win over Texas in the Freedom Bowl and 44 receiving yards against UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

Smith ranks 26th in Iowa career receiving yards (1,438 yards). He averaged 20.8 yards per catch (69 receptions, 1,438 yards). Hawkeye senior receiver Nico Ragaini enters Saturday’s game against the Boilermakers with 1,424 yards, 15 yards from surpassing the former Hawkeye. Smith is tied for 41st in program history in scoring with 102 points (17 touchdowns). He returned a punt 55 yards for a touchdown in a 31-14 victory over Purdue on Oct. 15, 1983 — the 26th longest punt return for a score in school history.

Smith is in his 21st season as an NCAA Big Ten football official. He has officiated 12 NCAA bowl games, including the 2011 and 2014 BCS National Championship games. Smith, who is also Chair of the National Association of Sports Officials Board of Directors, has a total of 30 years as an official for college football and high school girls and boys basketball. Smith was part of the first all-African American football officiating crew in the history of the Big Ten and any Autonomy Five conference on Oct. 24, 2020 (Michigan at Minnesota).

He received the NFHS Officials Association Official of the Year for boys and girls basketball. Smith was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame in 2014, and the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Basketball Officials Hall of Fame in 2018.

Smith will accompany the Iowa captains to midfield for Saturday’s pregame coin toss. He will also be with the Hawkeyes in the locker room before and after the game.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head tennis coach Jaron Maestas has announced the signing of Gala Arangio, who will arrive in Ames for the spring semester and has four years to play.

“Gala is a kid that plays with a ton of passion and heart,” Maestas said. “She loves the sport of tennis and we are excited for her to bring that to Ames. I think that energy will be infectious to the team and I really look forward to this.”

Arangio ranked No. 1 in the Mexican Tennis Federation. She also had a Italian Tennis Federation ranking of 2.6.

Arangio joins the Cyclones with a strong tennis history, having ranked as high as No. 265 in the ITF Pro Singles Rankings. Her top WTA Singles Ranking was No. 1,041, while she ranked No. 1,059 in doubles.

The Buenos Aires, Argentina, native has was a semifinalist in doubles action at the W15 Monastir and reached the round of 16 at the W60+H Irapuato.

She attended Enlightium Academy High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society. Arangio is quadrilingual, speaking Spanish, English, Italian and French.

The AHSTW Vikings football team has had a up and down season. The Vikings began their season with two straight blowout wins by a combined score of 105-34. The Vikings then would lose their next three in heartbreak fashion as two of the three games were decided by one possession and the game at home vs top 5 ranked Treynor the Vikings lost 26-25. The Vikings took that loss and rallied together as a team in an absolutely dominating performance as they defeated Missouri Valley 49-0. This performance was all started by the impressive play of the defense and their ability to get off the field in crucial down situations said Head Coach Grant Harris.

The offense came to play as well as they tallied seven touchdowns and rushed for 240 yards as a team. The Vikings were led by junior Luke Sternberg who exploded for 193 yards and three touchdowns on just 9 carries. Coach Harris says the goal for the Vikings is to get the ball to Sternberg on the outside in space.

This week the Vikings welcome in the 2-4 Red Oak Tigers who are coming off a 38-12 loss vs Shenandoah. Coach Harris said for his team to come out with a victory on Friday night it’s all about doing it for each and every player in that locker room.

The Vikings sitting at 3-3 with two games remaining know every game counts and matters if they want to make a playoff push and extend their season. The AHSTW Vikings and Red Oak Tigers will kick off at 7:00pm Friday evening. You can listen to the full interview with Coach Harris below.

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