(Boone) For the first time ever, three Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) football, wrestling, and basketball championships are coming to Iowa PBS.
According to the IHSAA press release, the state’s public broadcasting network will produce and broadcast finals from the three most-watched boys’ high school sports starting in fall 2025-26. Through a multi-year initial agreement, each of the selected championship events will appear on statewide Iowa PBS and stream for free through both Iowa PBS and IHSAA.
“The stories of Iowa student-athletes, teams, coaches, and communities are at the center of our Iowa PBS Sports coverage,” said Andrew Batt, executive director and general manager at Iowa PBS. “We are excited to extend our award-winning, in-depth broadcasts to the IHSAA and mutually ensure statewide access of these games across all 99 counties of Iowa and beyond. Every Iowan deserves to witness these athletes pursue a championship on our state’s most extensive broadcast and streaming network.”
Iowa PBS’s live broadcast and streaming of IHSAA championship sports will complement the statewide network’s existing coverage of Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union championships for various sports.
While the IHSAA’s wrestling championships have a history with Iowa PBS, football and basketball will make their modern-era debuts in 2025-26.
Wrestling’s most recent public media broadcast came in 2002, while football finals made two recorded appearances in 1984 and 1985. Basketball was the first IHSAA sport televised – WOI-TV from Ames broadcast from Iowa City’s Fieldhouse in 1953 – yet the finals have never been shown on Iowa PBS.
Their inclusion on Iowa PBS will be the cornerstone of the IHSAA’s broadcast plan for free and accessible state tournament video, starting with football’s semifinals and finals in fall 2025.
“We are thrilled to partner with Iowa PBS to bring our football, wrestling, and basketball state championship broadcasts to fans across the state,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “Our fans have asked for a free and easily accessible broadcast option and Iowa PBS is just that.”
In December 2024, the IHSAA announced the conclusion of its long-standing contract with the Iowa High School Sports Network (IHSSN), with coverage ending after the 2024-25 athletic year. Through a nearly 20-year arrangement, IHSAA events appeared on various commercial broadcast and cable television partners across the state, managed by IHSSN.
Through this agreement with Iowa PBS, IHSAA will maintain overall event rights while partnering with the successful Iowa PBS Sports team and their 99-county broadcast coverage map.
Iowa PBS will also produce special IHSAA programs highlighting stories of student-athletes, their sports, and communities.
The IHSAA’s championships in the three Iowa PBS sports are scheduled over four dates. The 2025-26 dates include:
- Football: Nov. 20-21, 2025 – UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls
- Wrestling: Feb. 21, 2026 – Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines
- Basketball: March 13, 2026 – Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines
