BOONE, Iowa (KCAU) — The championships for several Iowa boys’ high school sports will soon air on PBS for the first time ever.

In a release Friday, Iowa PBS announced that the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) championships in boys’ football, wrestling and basketball will be broadcast on-air and streamed for free online starting in fall 2025. This coverage is in addition to multiple Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union championships that already air on Iowa PBS.

“The stories of Iowa student-athletes, teams, coaches, and communities are at the center of our Iowa PBS Sports coverage,” Iowa PBS executive director and general manager Andrew Batt said in a statement in part. “Every Iowan deserves an opportunity to witness these athletes pursue a championship on our state’s most extensive broadcast and streaming network.” 

IHSAA’s wrestling championships have previously aired live on Iowa PBS. However, football’s championships have never aired live there (only airing pre-recorded in 1984 and 1985), and basketball’s have never appeared at all on PBS.

“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 in a statement. “Our fans have asked for a free and easily accessible broadcast option and Iowa PBS is just that.” 

According to the release, the 2025-2026 championships are scheduled for the following dates:

• 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 

IHSAA championships have aired exclusively through the Iowa High School Sports Network for almost 20 years. However, IHSAA’s media rights contract with the network is set to end after the 2024-2025 athletic year.

Iowa PBS is available in all 99 Iowa counties.

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