How To Watch Iowa State Cyclones Men’s Basketball in 2025
✦ Edited and fact-checked by Junior Sports Writer Alex Vejar, our junior sports writer with over 10 years of covering sports.
A season of new faces and new channels
The biggest question in Ames is a simple one: who is going to score the basketball? After losing Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones to the NBA, Iowa State has to replace its entire starting backcourt and a massive chunk of its offense. Utah Valley transfer Dominick Nelson (14.4 ppg last season) should help with that. He’s an elite foul-drawer who lives at the rim, but he’ll need to shoulder a heavy load from day one.
The best news, however, is the positive Tamin Lipsey injury update. After suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain in September, the team’s heart and soul is reportedly on track to return for the November 3 season opener. His leadership is everything. With Lipsey running the show, the “Core Five” (including forward Joshua Jefferson and guard Nate Heise) returning, and a promising “Wisconsin Pipeline” of freshmen, the pieces are there. The optimism is cautious, but it’s real.
Finding this new-look team is now a bigger challenge than ever. The new Big 12 media deal is fragmented across five—yes, five—broadcast partners. Games will be scattered across the ESPN family (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+), FOX Sports (FOX, FS1), CBS Sports (CBS, CBS Sports Network), and for the first time, exclusive packages on Peacock, TNT, and truTV. This guide is my complete breakdown of exactly how to watch Iowa State basketball through this new and confusing TV landscape.
2025–2026 Iowa State men’s basketball TV schedule
It all tips off on Monday, November 3, against FDU. The first major test comes during Thanksgiving week at the Players Era Men’s Championship in Las Vegas, which features St. John’s and Creighton. The annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series against Iowa is always a must-watch event, and that rivalry tips off in Ames on December 11.
Big 12 play is a gauntlet, beginning January 2 against West Virginia. The conference adds even more firepower this year, but I’ve got my eye on the home-and-home with Kansas (a Valentine’s Day matchup on ABC is special) and that brutal early March road trip to new conference foe Arizona.
| Opponent | Day | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairleigh Dickinson Knights | Monday, Nov. 3 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Grambling Tigers | Thursday, Nov. 6 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Mississippi State Bulldogs | Monday, Nov. 10 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Stonehill Skyhawks | Monday, Nov. 17 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| St. John’s (#5) | Monday, Nov. 24 | 4:30 p.m. | truTV |
| At Creighton (#23) | Tuesday, Nov. 25 | 2:00 p.m. | truTV |
| Alcorn State Braves | Wednesday, Dec. 3 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| At Purdue (#1) | Saturday, Dec. 6 | 12:00 p.m. | CBS |
| Iowa Hawkeyes | Thursday, Dec. 11 | 8:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Eastern Illinois Panthers | Sunday, Dec. 14 | 1:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Long Beach State Beach | Sunday, Dec. 21 | 6:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| Houston Christian Huskies | Monday, Dec. 29 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| West Virginia Mountaineers | Friday, Jan. 2 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| At Baylor Bears | Wednesday, Jan. 7 | 8:00 p.m. | Peacock Premium |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys | Saturday, Jan. 10 | 4:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Kansas (#19) | Tuesday, Jan. 13 | 9:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At Cincinnati Bearcats | Saturday, Jan. 17 | 2:00 p.m. | Peacock Premium |
| UCF Knights | Tuesday, Jan. 20 | 7:00 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| At Oklahoma State Cowboys | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 4:00 p.m. | Peacock Premium |
| Colorado Buffaloes | Thursday, Jan. 29 | 7:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| At Kansas State Wildcats | Sunday, Feb. 1 | 2:00 p.m. | FOX |
| Baylor Bears | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 2:00 p.m. | TBA |
| At TCU Horned Frogs | Tuesday, Feb. 10 | 9:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Kansas (#19) | Saturday, Feb. 14 | 1:00 p.m. | ABC |
| Houston (#2) | Monday, Feb. 16 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| At BYU (#8) | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| At Utah Utes | Tuesday, Feb. 24 | 9:00 p.m. | FS1 |
| Texas Tech (#10) | Saturday, Feb. 28 | 4:00 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| At Arizona (#13) | Monday, March 2 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Arizona State Sun Devils | Saturday, March 7 | 2:00 p.m. | FS1 |
Data effective as of post date.
Best TV plans for watching Iowa State men’s basketball
Let’s be blunt: this new media deal is messy for fans. To get 100% of the games, you’ll need your local channels (ABC, FOX, CBS), national cable networks (ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, CBS Sports Network, TNT, truTV), and two separate streaming subscriptions (ESPN Select and Peacock).
My top recommendation for a foundational “cable-replacement” service is Hulu + Live TV. It carries your local ABC/CBS/FOX stations, the full suite of ESPN channels, FS1, CBSSN, TNT, and truTV. Best of all, Hulu + Live TV now includes ESPN Select in its base price. Since a huge number of Big 12 games (especially non-conference) are on ESPN+, this bundles a huge part of the schedule for one price. YouTube TV is another excellent choice that carries nearly all the same channels, but you will have to subscribe to ESPN Select separately.
No single service has it all this year. After you have your base plan, you must add Peacock. NBC secured a package of 18 exclusive Big 12 men’s basketball games, and you can’t get them anywhere else. If your main streaming plan (like YouTube TV) doesn’t include ESPN+, you’ll also need to add that separately (or get the Disney Bundle) to get the dozens of other games streamed there.
How to watch Iowa State men’s basketball FAQ
Where can I watch Iowa State men's basketball for free?
Finding a free Iowa State men's basketball live stream is tricky. Your most reliable bet is using a good over-the-air (OTA) antenna to catch games broadcast on your local ABC, CBS, or FOX affiliate channels. You can also take advantage of free trials for live TV streaming services like Fubo or YouTube TV.
How can I stream Iowa State basketball without cable?
A live TV streaming service is your best option. I recommend Hulu + Live TV because it includes ESPN, FS1, TNT, and your local channels, plus it bundles ESPN Select—which includes all ESPN+ content— in its plan. To get all the games, you will also need to subscribe to Peacock separately for its exclusive Big 12 package.
Can I watch Iowa State basketball on Peacock?
Yes. As part of the new media deal, Peacock will stream 18 exclusive Big 12 men's basketball games this season. These games will not be available on any other channel, making a Peacock Premium subscription essential for Cyclones fans who want to see every game.
Do I need ESPN+ to watch Iowa State basketball?
Yes. It’s where you’ll find hundreds of live games from across Iowa State’s conference, including select early-season matchups. Fortunately, you can often get that content at no extra cost by logging into the ESPN app if you already subscribe to a live TV service like Stream with DIRECTV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV.
Why you should trust us
Our CableTV.com editorial team cross-referenced the official Iowa State men’s basketball schedule with the channel lineups of every major TV provider. Using those details, we selected our viewing recommendations based on channel availability, pricing, and ease of use.
This guide is updated regularly throughout the season to ensure our information is accurate. To learn more about our methods, check out our How We Rank page.
