Iowa and Iowa State Battle for Cy-Hawk Trophy on Big Ten Saturday Night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
NBC Sports’ College Football Saturday Opens with No. 3 Notre Dame Hosting Rice at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
College Countdown Begins at 3 p.m. ET Ahead of Notre Dame-Rice; Big Ten College Countdown Begins at 7 p.m. ET Ahead of Iowa-Iowa State
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 10, 2026 – NBC Sports presents a college football doubleheader this Saturday, highlighted by the annual Cy-Hawk rivalry as the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes host the Iowa State Cyclones on Big Ten Saturday Night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET.
Saturday’s coverage begins with the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish hosting the Rice Owls at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, preceded by College Countdown at 3 p.m. ET.
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock: Rice at No. 3 Notre Dame
The No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish host the Rice Owls this Saturday, Sept. 12, from Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Live coverage begins with College Countdown at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. This will only be the fifth-ever meeting between the two programs, with Notre Dame undefeated in the all-time series that dates to 1915.
The Fighting Irish are coming off a season-opening 41-13 win against Wisconsin on Sunday. Quarterback CJ Carr threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns while running back Aneyas Williams had 101 total yards (90 rushing, 11 receiving) and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Irish to victory. The game was held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay as part of Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series and was only the third-ever college football game played at the iconic stadium.
The Rice Owls defeated the Houston Christian Huskies, 31-3, at home on Saturday in the first-ever meeting of the two programs. The Owls rushed for 465 yards, led by Tyvonn Byars and Jacurri Brown’s combined 202 rushing yards, with their two quarterbacks, Brown and Gael Ochoa, only attempting a combined 11 passes the entire game.
Dan Hicks (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), and Caroline Pineda (sideline reporter) will call Rice-Notre Dame from Notre Dame Stadium. Reggie Smith will serve as rules analyst.
Big Ten Saturday Night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock: Iowa State at No. 21 Iowa
The annual Cy-Hawk rivalry takes center stage on Big Ten Saturday Night as the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes host the Iowa State Cyclones from Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City this Saturday, Sept. 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Live coverage begins with Big Ten College Countdown at 7 p.m. ET.
Iowa holds a 46-25 advantage in the all-time series, though Iowa State has won the previous two meetings, capturing both with a game-winning 54-yard field goal in the final minutes. The rivalry has been competitive of late, with each of the last four meetings decided by one possession and the combined score across those games tied 59-59.
The Hawkeyes opened the season with a 40-0 shutout of Northern Illinois behind a dominant rushing attack led by running back Kamari Moulton, who rushed for a career-high 183 yards and two touchdowns. Iowa also scored on a 77-yard punt return touchdown and limited Northern Illinois to 189 total yards of offense.
Iowa State rolled to a season-opening victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday, led by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Isaac Terrell, who recorded three sacks. The Cyclones also received a standout play from defensive back Beni Ngoyi, whose one-handed interception was among the highlights of opening weekend. First-year head coach Jimmy Rogers seeks his first Cy-Hawk Trophy in his rivalry debut.
Iowa City native and former University of Iowa quarterback Paul Burmeister will handle play-by-play alongside Todd Blackledge (analyst) and Kathryn Tappen (sidelines) for Iowa State at Iowa. Terry McAulay serves as the rules analyst.
Big Ten College Countdown
The Big Ten College Countdown team features host John Fanta alongside analysts Chris Simms, Joshua Perry, college football insider Nicole Auerbach, and betting analyst Connor Rogers.
Big Ten College Countdown will lead into Big Ten games on NBC/Peacock. In addition, College Countdown will lead into Notre Dame Football games on NBC/Peacock.
College Football Programming on NBC Sports NOW:
Fanta in 60, a fast-paced sports and entertainment show hosted by John Fanta and sports betting analyst Jay Croucher, airing Mondays from 6-7 p.m. ET. Fanta covers a combination of sports and pop culture conversations, speaks with guests, and takes viewer voicemails. The show covers multiple sports, betting and fantasy analysis, with guests including talent from across the NBC Sports and entertainment roster, as well as current and former athletes and coaches.
Rushing the Field returns for its third season, with new episodes featuring Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry airing Thursdays at 6 p.m. ET. Auerbach and Perry break down the biggest stories and discuss the latest news and trends in college football.
Big Ten Football Highlights Factory airing Mondays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. ET features highlights from every Big Ten Football game of the season, including matchups featuring some of the top teams in the nation, from Ohio State and Michigan to Oregon and USC.
NBC Sports’ 2026 Big Ten and Notre Dame Football games announced to date:
Date | Time (ET) | Matchup | Platform(s) |
Sat., Sept. 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Rice at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Sept. 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Iowa State at Iowa | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Sept. 19 | 12:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin | Peacock |
Sat., Sept. 19 | 2 p.m. | Southern Illinois at Illinois | Peacock |
Sat., Sept. 19 | 4 p.m. | Western Kentucky at Indiana | Peacock |
Sat., Sept. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Michigan State at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Oct. 10 | 3:30 p.m. | Stanford at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Oct. 10 | 7:30 p.m. | USC at Penn State (White Out) | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Miami at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Boston College at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Sat., Nov. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | SMU at Notre Dame | NBC, Peacock |
Fri. Nov. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota at Wisconsin | NBC, Peacock |
The remaining NBC Sports’ Big Ten Football games will be announced during the season, with each matchup typically announced 12 days prior to the scheduled game date.
Peacock will simulstream all of NBC Sports’ college football games and studio shows airing on the NBC broadcast network this season, including Big Ten Saturday Night and Notre Dame Football home games.
In addition to Big Ten football, Peacock’s sports programming features live coverage of the NFL, including Sunday Night Football, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Big Ten basketball, BIG EAST basketball, Big 12 basketball, Notre Dame Football, Premier League, golf, NBA and WNBA, and much more.
To learn more about how to watch Big Ten Football on Peacock and how to sign up, click here.
--NBC SPORTS--
