2024 Iowa high school football schedules released: Southeast Polk vs. Ankeny rematch looms

Season begins Aug. 30; Get ready with all the 2024 IHSAA high school football schedules on SBLive

Ankeny tight end/linebacker Connor Kayser (6) and safety Dylan Dougherty (4) take down Southeast Polk running back Landon Vander Werff (22) during the third quarter in the class 5A Iowa High School football championship game at UNI Dome on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA

The time has come to start circling dates on your calendar for this year's must-see games and can't-miss matchups as 2024 Iowa high school football schedules have been released for the upcoming IHSAA season.

Most teams will play their first games on Friday, August 30, and the football calendar year will conclude with the 2024 IHSAA state championships taking place November 16-17.

2024 Iowa high school football schedules for all teams in every IHSAA classification are available on SBLive Iowa, where you can also find live Iowa high school football scores, game recaps, top performers, photo galleries and much more.

2024 Iowa IHSAA high school football season schedule

Here is a look at the full 2024 IHSAA high school football season schedule:

• August 12: First legal day of practice (no contact)
• August 14: First day of contact above the waist
• August 17: Full person-to-person contact may begin
• August 23: First scrimmages
• August 29: First legal playing date
• August 30: First Friday night
• October 20: 8-player, A, 1A, 2A first round
• October 27: 3A, 4A, 5A first round / 8-player, A, 1A, 2A second round
• November 2-3: Quarterfinals for all classes
• November 8-11: Semifinals for all classes*
• November 16-17: 2024 IHSAA state finals for all classes*

ALL TEAM SCHEDULES | WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULES

*The 2024 IHSAA high school football state semifinals and championships will be played at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Not sure which team's schedule you want to check out first? You could always start with those who finished at the top of the list in SBLive Iowa's final 2023 rankings.

Here were the top 5 teams in Iowa from last year's final rankings to get you rolling:

1. Southeast Polk Rams
2. Lewis Central Titans
3. Van Meter Bulldogs
4. Williamsburg Raiders
5. West Des Moines Valley Tigers
   

The 2024 IHSAA football schedule features some great games throughout the year, but fans won't have to wait long to see one of the biggest matchups of the season as Southeast Polk hosts Ankeny on September 6 in a rematch of last year's Class 5A state championship.

The Rams defeated Ankeny 49-21 in the 2023 state finals to secure their third straight IHSAA Class 5A crown, and they will open the 2024 season riding a 22-game winning streak.

Their last loss came against none other than Ankeny during the 2022 season, and the Hawks were also the last team to defeat Southeast Polk in the playoffs with their 4A state championship win in 2020.

Here are some other big games to look forward to this year:

• August 30: No. 1 Southeast Polk vs. No. 5 Valley
• August 30: No. 7 Ankeny vs. No. 9 Ankeny Centennial
• September 20: No. 1 Southeast Polk at No. 9 Ankeny Centennial
• October 18: No. 5 Valley at No. 7 Ankeny

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-- Sam Brown | sam@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports