Big 12 Matchups

Iowa State vs Northwestern

Iowa State Cyclones vs Northwestern Wildcats

Who wins Iowa State vs Northwestern?

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Head-to-head on record

Iowa State vs Northwestern series
TeamWinsSeries
Iowa State Cyclones1Northwestern leads
Northwestern Wildcats7

Meetings since 1895: 8. Source: CollegeFootballData game log.

The series in numbers

Northwestern has won the last 7 meetings.

1-7 Regular season
1-7 Last 8
11-24 Avg score
7 Longest Northwestern win run

Biggest Iowa State win 36-0 in 1895, a 36-point margin.

Biggest Iowa State loss 0-35 in 1953, a 35-point margin.

Every Iowa State vs Northwestern meeting

Iowa State Cyclones vs Northwestern Wildcats, every meeting on record
SeasonResultSiteScore
1956 Northwestern win Evanston 13-14
1954 Northwestern win Evanston 14-27
1953 Northwestern win Evanston 0-35
1950 Northwestern win Evanston 13-23
1946 Northwestern win Evanston 9-41
1945 Northwestern win Evanston 6-18
1937 Northwestern win Evanston 0-33
1895 Iowa State win Evanston 36-0

Scores from the Iowa State perspective. Source: CollegeFootballData game log, since 1895.

Matchup stats

Last five games

Northwestern

DateOppResult
10-02 vsPSU W 34-13
09-25 atIU L 23-29
09-19 vsCOLO W 41-7
09-05 vsSOU W 34-18
12-26 vsCMU W 34-7

Iowa State

DateOppResult
10-03 vsWVU W 45-42
09-26 vsUTAH L 17-31
09-19 vsBGSU W 55-7
09-12 atIOWA L 13-16
09-05 vsSEMO W 38-10

Completed results from CollegeFootballData via the CFB Data Hub

2026 standings

Big Ten

TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Indiana 500 1.00022154
Nebraska 500 1.00021871
UCLA 400 1.00017975
USC 510 .833224153
Ohio State 410 .80021163
Iowa 410 .80014563
Wisconsin 410 .80015883
Minnesota 410 .80016090
Oregon 310 .75019093
Northwestern 310 .75013267
Penn State 320 .60016080
Washington 320 .60013392
Michigan 320 .60011579
Illinois 230 .400153130
Maryland 230 .400152151
Purdue 230 .400152175
Michigan State 230 .40091116
Rutgers 140 .200150161

Big 12

TeamWLTPCTPFPA
Utah 400 1.00017341
Texas Tech 500 1.00017481
BYU 400 1.00014957
Houston 410 .80020599
Baylor 410 .80017471
Arizona 410 .80016283
Cincinnati 410 .800169116
Kansas State 310 .75016261
Oklahoma State 310 .75014979
UCF 320 .60016288
Iowa State 320 .600168106
West Virginia 320 .600187144
Kansas 220 .50014468
Arizona State 220 .500133127
TCU 230 .40012767
Colorado 230 .40093127

Records computed from completed games this season

Northwestern Wildcats lead the series since 1895, 7-1. Here is the series on record and how to watch when Iowa State and Northwestern meet.

How to watch Iowa State vs Northwestern

When Iowa State and Northwestern are scheduled, here is how to find the game.

  1. National TV National windows are set by Set weekly by the conference TV partners (ESPN, ABC, FOX, FS1).
  2. Streaming ESPN+ and the FOX Sports app stream the national windows.
  3. Radio Listen on the Iowa State radio network.
  4. Confirm kickoff Kickoff and the exact channel are set by the networks before game week. Check the match center for the Iowa State vs Northwestern time and line.

The live time, line and how-to-watch details land on the match center and how to watch pages once the game is scheduled.

The Iowa State this season

Follow Iowa State in the title race on the Big 12 standings, and model the finish with the title race calculator. For the conference series that define the year, see the Big 12 rivalry pages, or browse every Big 12 matchup.

About the author and reviewer

Written by

The BIG12.CO Desk

Conference Newsroom · Independent Big 12 coverage since 2026

The house desk of BIG12.CO - independent researchers tracking every Big 12 game, stat and storyline.

Fact-checked by

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Fact & Data Review · Primary-source verification

Every stat and historical claim on data pages is checked against official box scores and the live feed before publication.

Independence: BIG12.CO was not paid by any school, network or sportsbook for this page. Corrections are logged in our editorial policy.

Iowa State vs Northwestern: the essentials

Iowa State Cyclones vs Northwestern Wildcats is a non-conference matchup that sets the Big 12 against the Big Ten (Power 4). Northwestern Wildcats lead the series since 1895, 7-1. Across 8 meetings on record the series is one-sided so far, and whenever the two programs are scheduled this page carries the Iowa State vs Northwestern head-to-head record, the matchup numbers for both sides, and how to watch on TV and streaming. It sits alongside the Iowa State Cyclones team hub, the Big 12 this week round-up and the live conference standings. For Northwestern against the whole conference, see Northwestern vs the Big 12.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the all-time record between Iowa State and Northwestern?

Northwestern Wildcats lead the series since 1895, 7-1. The two programs have met 8 times on record.

How can I watch Iowa State vs Northwestern?

National windows are set by Set weekly by the conference TV partners (ESPN, ABC, FOX, FS1). Kickoff time and the exact channel are set by the networks before game week.

Are Iowa State and Northwestern in the same conference?

No. Iowa State plays in the Big 12. Northwestern plays in the Big Ten (Power 4). This is a non-conference game.