IOWA CITY, Iowa (KWQC) – Banana Ball is coming to Iowa in 2026, and two new teams have been revealed.
The Savannah Bananas will face The Firefighters at Kinnick Stadium home of the Iowa Hawkeyes on July 3 and 4 at 7 p.m.
Hugh Harvey, an 8-year-old from Donahue, Iowa announced the Iowa stop on ESPN2 during the 2026 City Selection Show Thursday. Hugh has been a patient at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital who has battled a rare form of cancer.
After the announcement the crowd cheered in applause and did the Iowa Wave.
Kinnick Stadium + @TheSavBananas
July 3rd & 4th 7 p.m. 🏟️🍌⚾️ pic.twitter.com/Bc91zaDIi6
Banana Ball now has a total of six teams including: The Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters, Texas Tailgaters, Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns.
The Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns are the newest teams, just announced Thursday.
The Indianapolis Clowns will honor the “Negro leagues” which were professional baseball leagues for African American players, formed in the early 20th century after a “color line” prevented Black players from joining major league teams.
The 2026 Banana Ball Ticket Lottery List opens at 7:30 p.m., Thursday night.
The Ticket Lottery List will remain open through Oct. 31, according to the Banana Ball website. Being on the list is the only way to get tickets, but it does not guarantee the chance to buy tickets, it’s picked at random, according to officials.
The announcement aired on ESPN+, Disney +, and the Banana Ball YouTube.
In 2026, the Banana Ball Championship league will head to 75 stadiums, 45 states, 14 MLB stadiums, 10 football stadiums, and over 3.2 million fans live.
In December of 2023, Hugh was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma. He has had multiple surgeries, countless rounds of chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, 20 plus rounds of radiation, and immunotherapy, Hugh’s family said.
Hugh has beaten a number of challenges with the help from his healthcare team from the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
“Their level of care to children and their families is unmatched,” said Maria Harvey, Hugh’s mom. “We will be forever grateful to them for the care they provided to Hugh and our family, as well as countless other families.”
In May of this year, Hugh showed no evidence of disease and was able to ring the bell. Hugh is now cancer-free.
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