
Hawk Central Hour
USA Today
“Hawk Central Hour” airs between 6-7 p.m. on 1460 KXnO-AM on Wednesdays and will feature Des Moines Register Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow and beat writer Tyler Tachman.
Follow their coverage at hawkcentral.com.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Sports & Recreation Podcasts
Networks:
USA Today
Description:
“Hawk Central Hour” airs between 6-7 p.m. on 1460 KXnO-AM on Wednesdays and will feature Des Moines Register Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow and beat writer Tyler Tachman. Follow their coverage at hawkcentral.com.
Language:
English
Episodes
Hawk Central: Iowa football portal season arrives, UCLA basketball win, latest on Emely Rodriguez
1/5/2026
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.
Duration:00:49:17
Iowa football ends 2025 with ReliaQuest Bowl win over Vanderbilt
12/31/2025
Live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Tyler Tachman to dissect Iowa's ReliaQuest Bowl win over Vanderbilt.
Duration:00:30:13
Hawk Central: Our Iowa vs. Vanderbilt preview show, game predictions
12/29/2025
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.
Duration:00:56:12
Hawk Central: Taking stock of Iowa basketball Cy-Hawk losses, bounce-backs
12/16/2025
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.
Duration:00:49:53
Hawk Central: Iowa-Vanderbilt matchup, Cy-Hawk hoops previews, 1-on-1 with Tyler Barnes on recruiting
12/8/2025
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.
Duration:01:13:16
Hawk Central: Early look at 2026 Iowa football, sizing up hoops loss at Michigan State
12/3/2025
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.
Duration:01:07:03
Iowa football trounces Nebraska to cap 8-win regular season
11/28/2025
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.
Duration:00:15:59
PODCAST: Unbeaten Iowa hoops teams, Black Friday football preview vs. Nebraska
11/26/2025
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.
Duration:01:16:43
Iowa football flirts with disaster before surviving against Michigan State
11/22/2025
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down Iowa's last-second win over Michigan State.
Duration:00:25:12
Hawk Central: Can Mark Gronowski, Iowa get pass game going vs. Michigan State?
11/19/2025
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.
Duration:00:49:39
Key injuries loom over Iowa football vs. Michigan State on senior day
11/18/2025
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.
Duration:00:30:03
Another painful loss as Iowa football falls flat in second half at No. 17 USC
11/15/2025
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.
Duration:00:30:24
Hawk Central: Could Hawkeyes still make the College Football Playoff? Our Iowa-USC preview
11/12/2025
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.
Duration:00:49:11
What is essential if Iowa football is to rebound at USC following Oregon loss?
11/11/2025
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.
Duration:00:28:10
Iowa football flirts with riveting upset before falling to No. 9 Oregon
11/8/2025
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.
Duration:00:27:16
Hawk Central: Our big Iowa-Oregon football preview, basketball first impressions
11/5/2025
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.
Duration:01:13:19
Can Iowa football meet the moment at home vs. No. 6 Oregon?
11/4/2025
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.
Duration:00:30:23
Hawk Central: Jeremy Hecklinski's stock rising, ranking Iowa's top defensive players
10/29/2025
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.
Duration:00:48:32
Iowa football dismantles Minnesota from every angle in 41-3 drubbing
10/25/2025
Live from Kinnick Stadium, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect every element of Iowa's riveting win over Minnesota.
Duration:00:25:07
Hawk Central: A tricky test as Iowa looks to improve to 6-2 vs. Minnesota
10/22/2025
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.
Duration:00:49:14