2026-27 Outlook
LangIndex projects Northern Iowa at #89 nationally for the 2026-27 college basketball season with a projected efficiency margin of +3.7 points per 100 possessions. That's roughly in line with last season's #87 finish. The projection makes this team a factor in its conference race.
With 83% of last season's minutes returning, this is one of the more continuous rosters in the country, and that tends to be a real edge in November and December.
Last Season (2025-26)
Northern Iowa finished 2025-26 at 22-12, ranked #87 in the final LangIndex ratings with adjusted offense of 110.7 and adjusted defense of 96.3 points per 100 possessions.
How LangIndex Rates Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa's power rating of +3.7 is an adjusted efficiency margin: the points per 100 possessions the model expects them to outscore an average Division I team by, once you strip out schedule strength. It combines adjusted offensive efficiency, adjusted defensive efficiency, and pace into one number, so a rating of +3.7 means Northern Iowa projects to beat a neutral-court average team by about 3 points on a typical night. The full live version updates every morning during the season.
Northern Iowa Rating History
Season-by-season LangIndex power rating and national rank. Northern Iowa has trended upward over the last few seasons. Their best finish in this window was #68 in 2024-25.
| Season | Power Rating | Nat. Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | +5.9 | #80 |
| 2024-25 | +7.6 | #68 |
| 2023-24 | +1.5 | #150 |
| 2022-23 | -3.9 | #220 |
| 2021-22 | +2.3 | #142 |
| 2020-21 | -5.6 | #241 |