Stay ConnectedDes Moines Register Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow leads the conversation with our beat writers and frequent special guests to discuss the latest in Iowa football, men’s and women’s basketball and more.
Follow coverage from the entire Hawk Central team at hawkcentral.com or with the Hawk Central app.
Copyright: © Copyright 2021
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman convene for 56 minutes, the bulk of which is devoted to evaluating potential breakout players on the 2026 Iowa football team. Who is the No. 1 pick in our offensive and defensive drafts? Plus, some Big Ten Media Days preview talk and women's basketball practice evaluations.
After some vacation and the departure of our radio show on KXnO, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman are back together for a fresh episode of Hawk Central after an action-packed Wednesday in Hawkeye sports. Chad and Tyler break down what they've seen so far from Iowa men's basketball practice and who are "locks" to make Ben McCollum's rotation. We also talk receivers and quarterbacks in football after some interesting interviews.
For the third straight summer, Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester sits down with the Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow to talk football and preview the upcoming Hawkeye season. Big topics covered include the quarterback battle ahead, the Shanahan system evoluation at Iowa and whether Lester has the pieces to finally run the offense he wants.
The Register's Chad Leistikow sits down with George Barnett, who is entering his sixth year as Iowa's offensive line coach, and they cover a lot of good ground. This is Barnett's first interview since his offensive line won the Joe Moore Award. We discuss the impact of that honor, the NFL Draft, how his father's death shaped his coaching journey and what's next for the Iowa offensive line in 2026 and beyond.
The Register's Chad Leistikow outlines how the layoffs at KXnO impact Hawk Central going forward before bringing on Tyler Tachman to discuss Iowa basketball's latest schedule addition (Virginia Tech) and the NBA Draft experience for first-rounder Bennett Stirtz. The last 70% of the show is Chad's sit-down interview with Iowa football assistant defensive line coach Jay Niemann, who provides insight into a potentially concerning position group.
The Register's Hawkeye beat reporter Tyler Tachman breaks down where the Iowa football and men's basketball programs stand on the recruiting trail.
Sean Bock of 247Sports joins the Register's Tyler Tachman to talk all things Iowa men's basketball. We dive into recruiting, along with potential lineup combinations and schemes for the 2026-27 season.
The summer program is about to begin for Iowa football and men's and women's basketball, and it is a really big summer for all three. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman start with football's biggest summer story lines, including of course the quarterback situation between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. Oh, and highly acclaimed QB recruit Tradon Bessinger arrives soon, too. Chad recaps his recent conversation with Iowa women's coach Jan Jensen while Tyler unpacks a lot of the top story lines for Ben McCollum and the Iowa men.
Readers wanted to know who would be tougher to replace, Kirk Ferentz or Beth Goetz? Is Iowa's next football coach on staff? How much patience will Goetz have with Tom Brands? And in the back half of our show, Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman take questions about the manner in which we cover the Hawkeyes. We lead with the Iowa women scheduling a home-and-home series with national power UConn.
The Register's Chad Leistikow hosts a special-edition Hawk Central with the architects of the Iowa women's basketball offseason in LaSondra Barrett (recruiting coordinator) and Sean Sullivan (general manager). The coaches explain how the five-player class (four college transfers, one freshman) came together over the course of nearly 40 minutes. To finish the show, Chad is joined by Register colleague Tyler Tachman to discuss the Big Ten's preferred 24-team football playoff format and what it means for Iowa.
A heavy men's basketball episode of Hawk Central this week, as head coach Ben McCollum's new contract opens up a lot of discussion about the future of the program. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman, who is at the NBA Combine, talk through the particulars plus look ahead to the recently-revealed Big Ten schedule breakdown. Chad also offers insight into a change for the Iowa women, and we react to the Washington football game being on a Friday night in Seattle.
With spring football and the NFL Draft in the books, we truly usher in the offseason Iowa's major sports, and it's a good time to reflect on the some award-winning performances. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman debate the top transfer, top freshman, most surprising story and more in this early-May episode of Hawk Central. We also discuss some of the best moments from Tyler's 1-on-1 interview with basketball coach Ben McCollum.
Coming out of Iowa's spring football practices, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman rank the team's position groups, one through nine, to provide context about where the 2026 Hawkeyes should be strong and where they could suffer. Chad and Tyler have completely different rankings 1 through 4, but then become more aligned when getting to the team's biggest weaknesses.
Live from Iowa City, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect all they saw from Iowa football's open spring practice.
There's a lot happening in Hawkeye sports in late April, starting with the double-weekend pickups for Iowa men's basketball in Ty'Reek Coleman and Andrew McKeever. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down their arrivals while evaluating the Ben McCollum Year 2 roster as a whole. We also explore Iowa football's QB battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. Finally, Dargan Southard makes his final Hawk Central appearance to take stock of Amari Whiting's signing with Iowa women's basketball.
A breaking-news Tuesday starts with Iowa football being forced to vacate four wins from its 2023 season from a recruiting violation related to old friend (or foe, perhaps?) Cade McNamara. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman delve into the NCAA ruling, Ben McCollum's quiet portal moves and Jan Jensen's big Georgia splash.
With the Big Ten claiming national championships in men's and women's basketball, we now turn our attention to the offseason fully. The women's portal exits are done, but what can we expect on the men's side? The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow wander through Ben McCollum's roster, his decision to turn down a North Carolina interview and more ... including an early women's portal visitor and spring-football conversations.
The Monday-night news of Addie Deal intending to enter the tranfer portal shook the Iowa women's basketball fan base, but how should this news be absorbed? Big-picture conversations about the dwindling roster numbers for Jan Jensen's squad and what the concern level should be. On the men's side, how can Ben McCollum capitalize on an Elite Eight run as portal season is set to begin on the men's side? Plus, a little spring football talk with Chad Leistikow, Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard.
Live from Houston, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down every element of Iowa basketball's improbable Sweet 16 win over Nebraska. In Ben McCollum's first year, Iowa is headed to its first Elite Eight since 1987.
One Hawkeye basketball team is moving on (surprisingly), and the other is staying home (also surprisingly). The Iowa men are headed to the Sweet 16, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman revisit the stunning upset of Florida while looking ahead to a quick turnaround to a Thursday game against a familiar rival in Nebraska. Chad and Dargan Southard also unpack the stunning upset loss for the No. 2 seed Iowa women to Virginia, looking at three things that caused that result and a look ahead to portal season.
Live from Tampa, the Register's Tyler Tachman joins Chad Leistikow to dissect Iowa basketball's stunning upset over defending national champion Florida. In Ben McCollum's first season, the Hawkeyes are headed to their first Sweet 16 since 1999. Up next...Nebraska.
Live from Tampa, the Register's Tyler Tachman joins Chad Leistikow to break down Iowa's basketball's win over Clemson. In Ben McCollum's first season, the Hawkeyes have their first NCAA Tournament win since 2021.
On this three-segment show of Hawk Central, the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Iowa men's basketball beat writer Tyler Tachman, who previews the first-round matchup with Clemson and we buy or sell Iowa's chances as a Sweet 16 team. On the women's side, Chad and beat writer Dargan Southard look at the Hawkeyes' surprising tournament-tested stature for being a young team and wonder: If the game's on the line, who gets the last shot? It's NCAA Wrestling Championships week, too, in Cleveland. Eli McKown joins Chad to preview the paths of Iowa's nine NCAA qualifiers.
The Register's Chad Leistikow, Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard break down the NCAA Tournament paths for Ben McCollum's bunch and Jen Jensen's squad after learning their March Madness journeys on Selection Sunday.
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman start Hawk Central on the men's side, soaking in two close calls last week against Michigan and Nebraska while looking ahead to a Wednesday-morning matchup vs. Oregon or Maryland. Chad and Dargan Southard offer a lot of perspective about the Hawkeye women's performance at the Big Ten Tournament, including how to balance a 51-point loss to UCLA with an impressive run to the conference championship game.
The Iowa men's basketball team is picking up the pieces after a jarring loss at Penn State in which lineup combinations were baffling. The Register's Tyler Tachman joins Chad Leistikow to unpack the issues and two big games ahead as Ben McCollum's squad looks to relieve NCAA Tournament pressure. Meantime, the Iowa women are rolling into Indianapolis. What to make of this overachieving journey so far? Chad and Dargan Southard break it down and preview the Hawkeyes' postseason path.
An eventful Sunday of Iowa basketball has become a 75-minute Monday podcast surrounding the Hawkeyes' fortunes. First, the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Iowa women's basketball writer Dargan Southard. They break down the Hawkeyes' 62-44 win over then-No. 5 Michigan, with big-picture commentary about Jan Jensen, Ava Heiden and Hawkeye seniors Hannah Stuelke and Kylie Feuerbach. Register men's basketball writer Tyler Tachman joins Chad after the Iowa men lost at Wisconsin, 84-71. We look ahead to matchups against Ohio State and Penn State that could make or break the Hawkeyes' postseason opportunities.
After Iowa's 57-52 win over ninth-ranked Nebraska, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman react from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. How did Iowa win this game despite shooting 25% (7-for-28) in the second half? What about the court storm and Pryce Sandfort's treatment? We break down the on-floor and off-floor impacts of this top-10 victory for the Hawkeyes in a 30-minute podcast.
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard discuss what the No. 11 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament Selection Committe's Top 16 Reveal means and how the Hawkeyes are trending with Taylor Stremlow at the 2 spot going forward after an 80-67 win at Nebraska. We also discuss the slim margin for error that remains for this team, which is only a reliably 6 deep at the moment.
On a Friday bonus edition of the Hawk Central podcast, the Register's Chad Leistikow hosts an hour-plus conversation on the state of Iowa basketball. First, the more positive side of things with the Hawkeyes men, who are on a five-game winning streak with a good chance to make it seven in a row soon. Chad is joined by Tyler Tachman to boil down Ben McCollum's developing squad and sprinkle in some football talk, too. Dargan Southard joins Chad in the back half of the show as the Iowa women have dropped three in a row on the heels of an eight-game Big Ten winning streak. What buttons does Jan Jensen need to push next?
A basketball-only edition of Hawk Central starts with Tyler Tachman from the Pacific Northwest. The Register's Iowa men's basketball writer discusses what he saw from Bennett Stirtz, Alvaro Folgueiras and Brendan Hausen in an impressive 84-66 win over Oregon. He and Chad Leistikow look ahead to a big toss-up game vs. Washington before turning it over to women's basketball. Chad and Dargan Southard detail the Taylor McCabe injury fallout (both emotional and on-court) while picking up the overreaction pieces from Iowa's 0-2 trip to Los Angeles.
Chad Leistikow hosts a Tuesday edition of the Hawk Central Hour, and women's basketball leads the conversation after the Hawkeyes' 91-70 rout of No. 11 Ohio State and the career-ending injury to guard Taylor McCabe. Chad and Register teammate Dargan Southard analyze the (Addie) Deal going forward and more. Chad and Tyler Tachman follow up by breaking down the "bye week" for the Iowa men and look ahead to Wednesday's game against USC.
Live from College Park, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Dargan Southard to dissect Iowa women's basketball's crazy overtime win over Maryland.
Both Iowa basketball teams are coming off big weekend wins. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard detail a 2-0 week for the Iowa women, including a top-15 home win against Michigan State on Sunday. We explore the play of Hannah Stuelke, the emergence of Addie Deal and the latest on Emely Rodriguez. Chad and Tyler Tachman delve into the Iowa men's trip to Indiana, which resulted in a dominant victory at Assembly Hall.
The Hawkeyes have been busy in the transfer portal, with a run of 11 football commitments in eight days. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman size up the big-picture approach and discuss the 11 newcomers who will arrive this month. Chad and Tyler also surmise what happened with Iowa men's basketball in a 0-2 week, while Chad and Dargan Southard have a different conversation after the Hawkeye women find a way to go 2-0 without playing their best basketball.
During Iowa's bowl trip in Tampa, Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz sat down with the Register's Chad Leistikow for about an hour, most of it in podcast form, to tackle a lot of crucial categories in today's college-sports landscape. Goetz is asked about football succession plans, the nerves of the Ben McCollum hire, her thoughts on Iowa wrestling and, most importantly, Iowa's financial position in a revenue-sharing world.
Who said Iowa football season was over? The transfer portal has fully kicked in, and the Hawkeyes have a little bit of movement out and some early movement into the program. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Tyler Tachman to recap the takeaways of the ReliaQuest Bowl while looking ahead to the offseason that has already begun. Chad and Tyler also revisit Iowa's big basketball win over UCLA, and Dargan Southard joins Chad to discuss the latest happenings with Iowa women's basketball.
Live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Tyler Tachman to dissect Iowa's ReliaQuest Bowl win over Vanderbilt.
It's almost game time, which means it's time for our ReliaQuest Bowl preview special on the Hawk Central Hour. In this 56-minute episode, the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by On3's Tom Kakert, who has been to all seven of Iowa football's seven visits to Tampa under Kirk Ferentz. We share memories of past games here, while digging in deep to preview the challenge ahead for No. 23 Iowa against Diego Pavia and No. 14 Vanderbilt. Tyler Tachman is on vacation but does weigh in with his game prediction as well.
With two Cy-Hawk basketball games (which both unfolded in similar fashion) in the books and Big Ten Conference play looming, it feels like a good time to take stock of the Iowa basketball programs. Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman tip things off with a conversation about the men's 66-62 loss in Ames. Later, Dargan Southard and Chad recap the women's response to a 74-69 loss at Iowa State. We also mix in some football.
The Iowa football team is headed to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida, and the Register's Chad Leistikow hosts a robust, 73-minute show providing an early preview of the Hawkeyes vs. Vanderbilt matchup. We preview Iowa vs. Iowa State basketball on the women's side with Dargan Southard and the men with Tyler Tachman. To finish, Chad sits down exclusively with Iowa football GM Tyler Barnes to discuss the Hawkeyes' recruiting class of 2026 and transfer-portal plans.
With Iowa's 40-16 Black Friday win over Nebraska in the books, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman evaluate the 8-4 regular season and look ahead to the state of the football roster going into the 2026 season. Basketball chatter is also on the menu for this extended Hawk Central episode, as Chad breaks down the men's Big Ten-opening loss to Michigan State. We finish with 15 quality minutes on the unbeaten Hawkeye women, who open Big Ten play on Saturday at Rutgers.
Live from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Tyler Tachman to dissect Iowa's emphatic 40-16 road win over Nebraska.
It's a busy holiday week for the Hawkeyes, and our super-sized Hawk Central Hour (podcast-only edition) has you covered. The Register's Chad Leistikow hosts more than an hour of conversation about hoops and football, leading off with Tyler Tachman from California after the Iowa men took down Ole Miss in Palm Desert. Chad and Tyler then do our deep dive into the Iowa-Nebraska football matchup, and Dargan Southard joins the show to discuss the 11th-ranked Iowa women's basketball team, which is coming off important wins over Baylor and Miami.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down Iowa's last-second win over Michigan State.
The Hawkeyes' season has become a battle of trying to finish 8-4 after back-to-back crushing losses to Oregon and USC. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dive into what the team is still playing for while examining the pass-game struggles in Year 2 of the Tim Lester offense. We also break down Five Big Questions to preview Iowa vs. Michigan State before launching into a healthy discussion on the early start for Ben McCollum's basketball team.
Ahead of senior day vs. Michigan State, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman assess what remains for Iowa to squeeze out of this season after several painful losses. They also look at the Hawkeyes' updated injury situation.
Live from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Tyler Tachman to dissect Iowa's 26-21 loss at USC that saw the Hawkeyes go scoreless in the second half.
Iowa's No. 21 rating in the College Football Playoff as the top three-loss team in the rankings signaled that the Hawkeyes have a ton to play for against No. 17 USC on Saturday. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman look at the importance of winning this game regardless, the consequences of another loss and answer Five Big Questions to preview the Nov. 15 game in (rainy?) Los Angeles.
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down what's most pivotal for Iowa football this week if the Hawkeyes are going to rebound at USC following a tough Oregon loss.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect Iowa's 18-16 loss to Oregon on a last-second field goal from Atticus Sappington.
In a podcast-only edition of Hawk Central, the Register's Chad Leistikow, along with Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard, go long in previewing Saturday's big Iowa vs. Oregon football showdown at Kinnick Stadium. With Iowa entering the first College Football Playoff rankings at No. 20, what added elements does that add to this top-20 showdown? We answer Five Big Questions before predictions then segments to recap the basketball openers for the Iowa men and women.
Ahead of Iowa's Week 11 showdown vs. No. 6 Oregon, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow break down if the Hawkeyes have enough in the tank to pull a major home upset.
The Iowa media met with all three Hawkeye coordinators on Tuesday, and there was plenty of great information to unpack from Tim Lester (offense), LeVar Woods (special teams) and Phil Parker (defense). The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman revisit the highlights and look forward to Ben McCollum's first game as Iowa's basketball coach.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect every element of Iowa's riveting win over Minnesota.
Is this Iowa-Minnesota game a trap for Iowa? Both teams could be facing an emotional letdown coming off big wins, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman analyze the importance of this battle for the Floyd of Rosedale. We dig into Five Big Questions, including Iowa's quest for its first Big Ten touchdown pass and the battle of wits between former Western Michigan head coaches.
With Iowa football eyeing its third consecutive win, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down how the Hawkeyes keep their Minnesota dominance going.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down Iowa football's thrilling win over Penn State.
The Hawkeyes (4-2) welcome the Nittany Lions (3-3) for a Kinnick Stadium night game (6 p.m., Peacock) on Oct. 18 with high stakes for the home team especially. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down the importance of Iowa needing to win a "big game," and we definitely believe that this still constitutes a big game with Penn State's reputation and talent levels. Later, Chad and Dargan Southard team up to bring you hot takes from Iowa women's basketball media day.
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect what Iowa football can expect from Penn State as the Nittany Lions look to push forward after firing James Franklin.
On the drive home from Camp Randall Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman unpack what was a dominating 37-0 thumping by Iowa over Wisconsin. Mark Gronowski's comeback was the first big story of the day, and the stories just kept coming in this extended version of our postgame pod.
The Iowa football team comes out of a bye week with more mystery than ever, with quarterback questions while facing an opponent in Wisconsin with its own question marks. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman first take the QB out of the equation and look at the big-picture implications of this game before diving into a detailed game preview from Iowa's perspective. We also dabble with some Iowa men's basketball talk ahead of Big Ten Media Days.
With Mark Gronowski's status up in the air for Saturday's game vs. Wisconsin, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman assess how the Hawkeyes can escape Camp Randall Stadium victorious.
We were hoping to have more concrete injury information for you on quarterback Mark Gronowski, but his status remains "cloudy" according to offensive coordinator Tim Lester. The good news: It's an Iowa bye week, so there's time to sift through it all. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman spend at least half of this week's Hawk Central Hour discussing the quarterback possibilities with Gronowski, Hank Brown and even Jeremy Hecklinski going forward. We also dig into the good and bad of Iowa's defense and special teams through five games.
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dissect every angle of McKenna Woliczko's commitment to Iowa women's basketball.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect Iowa's 20-15 home loss to No. 12 Indiana. A game in which the Hawkeyes had a chance to end their losing streak vs. ranked teams, but couldn't push the upset bid across the finish line.
A tough task awaits the Hawkeyes against No. 12 Indiana this Saturday at Kinnick Stadium. The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow get your set for this Homecoming matchup with our five big questions about the game while also discussing the Ferentz vs. Cignetti angle and debate who Iowa's best defensive player might be.
Listen as the Register's Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard break down where Iowa football stands entering a pivotal Week 5 showdown against No. 12 Indiana.
Live from SHI Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Tyler Tachman to dissect Iowa's gritty 38-28 win at Rutgers.
Iowa football opens Big Ten Conference play this Friday night at Rutgers, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down this winnable matchup for the slightly-favored Hawkeyes. We also touch on new basketball recruit Ethan Harris and make our score predictions for the game.
After Iowa put together its best offensive showing of the year in Week 3 against UMass, the Hawkeyes head to Rutgers for Friday's Big Ten opener. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect where the Hawkeyes stand as the competition intensifies.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect Iowa's offensive performance in Saturday's 47-7 win over UMass.
As Iowa licks its wounds from a 16-13 loss at Iowa State, the Hawkeyes' ineffective passing game remains the top focus. The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dig into the bubbling questions that Tim Lester's offense could be too refined to get right at the college level. We also preview Iowa vs. UMass with five big questions and offer our predictions.
Listen as the Register’s Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard dissect Iowa’s disappointing passing game and what steps forward can be taken in Week 3 against UMass.
Live from Jack Trice Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect Iowa's uninspiring loss to No. 18 Iowa State. More struggles for quarterback Mark Gronowski despite the Hawkeyes' strong defensive and special teams work.
Listen as the Register's Tyler Tachman catches up with former Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins, who recently made the Baltimore Ravens' 53-man roster out of training camp as an undrafted free agent.
We get you set for Saturday's Iowa-Iowa State showdown, as host Chad Leistikow previews the game from Iowa State's side with the Register's Travis Hines and from Iowa's side with the Register's Tyler Tachman. Chad and Tyler finish the show with their game predictions.
Ahead of Iowa's Week 2 showdown at No. 18 Iowa State, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard break down the level of urgency surrounding the Hawkeyes offense after a lackluster showing in Week 1 vs. Albany.
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Lestikow and Tyler Tachman break down every angle of Iowa's season-opening win over Albany.
We're all ready for the games now, yes? To size up expectations for the Hawkeyes' season football opener against UAlbany, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman evaluate the quarterback, left tackle, receivers and other spots with a game of "better, the same or worse." Then, in a return staple to our preview show, we answer Five Big Questions about the upcoming game and learn a little bit more about Albany.
With Iowa expected to cruise against an overmatched FCS foe, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect what should be considered a successful season opener.
The Iowa football regular season is 10 days away, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman look at the Hawkeyes' schedule of opportunity and challenge. We also look at bold predictions for the upcoming season. In the final segment, Dargan Southard joins Chad to discuss the Iowa women's basketball official visit ahead for mega-prospect McKenna Woliczko.
With Iowa football's media day and Kids Day practice in the books, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman provide a big-picture review on what we learned, which pairs nicely with our "instant reaction" podcast after Saturday's scrimmage action. We have rewatched the film and look back at the quarterback performances of Mark Gronowski, Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski while discussing what the No. 2 QB battle might look like as things spill into the fall.
Live from Kinnick Stadium on a steamy Saturday afternoon, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect every element of Iowa's Kids Day open practice.
Now it's really starting to feel like football season. The pads are popping in Iowa's fall camp, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman get you set for this week's media day and open practice with a breakdown of five key position battles on the Hawkeyes roster.
Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester sits down with the Register's Chad Leistikow for the full hour to discuss the progress of his offense, play-calling and the 2025 Hawkeyes.
Live from Las Vegas, the Register's Tyler Tachman joins colleague Chad Leistikow to dissect all we learned from Iowa football's appearance at Big Ten media days. Plus, Dargan Southard joins the show to talk Iowa women's basketball after their summer media sessions.
On this July 16 episode of Hawk Central Hour, the Register's Chad Leistikow dives into the latest on Ben McCollum's busy offseason leading Iowa basketball. Plus, Iowa football strength and conditioning director Raimond Braithwaite joins the show with the 2025 season roughly six weeks away.
In a special edition of the Hawk Central Hour, Iowa wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr sits down with the Register's Chad Leistikow for more than 40 minutes to break down his ascending room ahead fo the 2025 football season. To finish the show, Chad and Tyler Tachman discuss the impact of four-star basketball commitment of Trey Thompson.
This week's Hawk Central radio show is basically a game of "What Did Chad Miss?" while on vacation? Now, as the Register's Chad Leistikow returns to the fold from Maine, teammate Tyler Tachman takes his turn with some time off but not before sharing insights on Iowa men's basketball practice plus some news bits in Iowa football and women's basketball observations.
As he readies for year 27 as Iowa's defensive coordinator, Phil Parker joins the Register's Chad Leistikow to recap the Hawkeyes' 2024 defensive performance and what to expect this coming fall.
The big news of the week was approval of the $2.8 billion House vs. NCAA court settlement, which opens the door for the salary-cap era of college athletics. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman use most of our 48-minute show to discuss the impact on Iowa athletics.
For about 38 minutes, Barnes and the Register's Chad Leistikow go over the future and drive of Kirk Ferentz, the pay model that Iowa is using when revenue sharing (likely) begins July 1 and what recruiting strategies and needs are looming for the Class of 2026.
Ben McCollum seems to have put the finishing touches on his first Iowa men's basketball roster, adding two more pieces in the closing weeks of May. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by basketball beat writer Tyler Tachman to size up the 13 players (12 scholarship) now in the fold for the Hawkeyes and what our expectations might be for this rotation and roster. We also dig into football and baseball in our final two segments.
This week's Hawk Central radio show leads off with some newsy developments in Iowa women's basketball, headlined by the addition of Central Florida transfer Emely Rodriguez. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Dargan Southard, who updates listeners on why he's on the disabled list while providing fun conversation about the 2025-26 Hawkeyes. We also preview the Big Ten Baseball Tournament path for Iowa before making room for Register colleague Tyler Tachman, who talks Iowa football with Chad about what we've learned in recent conversations with Seth Wallace and Tim Lester.
You've (maybe) heard of the Golden Herkys. Now, it's time for the Hawk Central Herkys. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman, on this finals week at the University of Iowa, put a bow on the year of Hawkeye athletics with some unique categories and awards.
Kirk Ferentz suggested some final transfer-portal additions "wouldn't be headline news," but any roster adjustments for Iowa football warrant headlines. So, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman take a closer look at the impact of incoming transfers Jeremy Hecklinski, Shahid Barros and Ty Hudkins ... and what that tells us about the Hawkeyes' future plans.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
