NCAA Women's Tournament Games Played in Sweltering Carver-Hawkeye Arena

Unseasonably warm weather in Iowa City leads to over 80-degree temperatures inside the 43-year-old arena without air conditioning.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 8:22pm

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The first-round games of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City were played in sweltering conditions, with the temperature inside the 43-year-old arena reaching over 80 degrees due to an unseasonably warm day in the area. The lack of air conditioning in the arena, combined with a sell-out crowd of over 15,000 people, created an uncomfortable environment for players from Georgia, Virginia, Iowa, and Fairleigh Dickinson.

Why it matters

The extreme heat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the NCAA Women's Tournament highlights the challenges that some older sports venues face in providing adequate climate control, which can impact player performance and fan experience. This issue raises questions about the need for arenas to invest in modernizing their infrastructure to ensure comfortable conditions for high-profile events.

The details

On a day when the temperature in Iowa City reached a record high of 84 degrees, breaking the previous March 21 record of 78 degrees, the lack of air conditioning at Carver-Hawkeye Arena led to the interior of the building reaching over 80 degrees with 26% humidity. The sell-out crowd of over 15,000 people only added to the heat and humidity inside the arena during the first-round games.

  • The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament first-round games were played on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
  • The previous record high temperature for March 21 in Iowa City was 78 degrees, set earlier.
  • The temperature reached 84 degrees in Iowa City on the day of the tournament games.

The players

Jan Jensen

The head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team, who acknowledged the heat issues in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and advised players to stay hydrated.

Caitlin Clark

A former Iowa Hawkeyes star who warned her Indiana Fever teammates about the lack of air conditioning in Carver-Hawkeye Arena when the team played a WNBA preseason game there last spring.

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What they’re saying

“What I try to focus on, sometimes to a fault, you just control the controllables. I'm glad you brought it up because maybe I better try to talk about it. I'm older, I'm in my fifties right, so I can be like we can't control that, suck it up. But when you're younger and it is really hot and it's been cold in Carver most of the year because it's winter in the Midwest, might need to chat about it. But I do think the focus will be great. Hydrate up. Both sides will have to have a lot of water if the crowd does heat it up in there. But I think that we'll be pretty smart about we gotta do what we gotta do whether it's 80 or 20.”

— Jan Jensen, Iowa Hawkeyes Head Coach

“I warned everybody, like, there's no air conditioning in Carver-Hawkeye, and usually they don't play basketball games there in May. So hopefully, hopefully it stays a little cool in there. I don't know what the humidity is looking like, but we'll see how it goes. Might be a little toasty.”

— Caitlin Clark, Former Iowa Hawkeyes Star

What’s next

The NCAA and University of Iowa officials will likely review the temperature and humidity issues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to determine if upgrades to the arena's climate control system are needed to ensure player and fan comfort for future tournament games.

The takeaway

The sweltering conditions inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the NCAA Women's Tournament first-round games underscore the need for sports venues, especially older facilities, to invest in modernizing their infrastructure to provide adequate climate control. This issue impacts player performance and the overall fan experience, which is crucial for high-profile events like the NCAA Tournament.