Hawk Central vs Mat Bracket Challenge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Hawk Central
Get comprehensive coverage of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, including news, scores, opinions, and exclusive analysis. Access award-winning photos and videos from top local sources, all in one convenient app.
- Latest news and headlines
- Exclusive commentary and analysis
- Award-winning photos and videos
- Real-time scores
- Opinion pieces
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Coverage of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes has never been better. Catch all the latest news, headlines, opinions, photos and scores for the Hawkeyes — all in one place, brought to you by the authoritative sources of the best local coverage, The Des Moines Register and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. With exclusive commentary, insider analysis and award-winning photos and videos from The Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen team, the Hawk Central app is your one-stop shop for all coverage of the Hawkeyes. • This app is free to download and all users can access a sampling of free articles every month. • Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information. MORE INFORMATION • Terms of service - https://cm.desmoinesregister.com/terms/ • Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights - https://cn.desmoinesregister.com/privacy/ • Help Center: https://help.hawkcentral.com
Mat Bracket Challenge
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Mat Bracket Challenge is the home for college wrestling brackets, pools, and season-long fantasy. Build your bracket for the national and conference tournaments, compete against your friends and the whole community, and track every pick as the matches unfold! FEATURES • Free tournament brackets — pick the national and conference championships • More ways to play: 2nd Chance brackets, Confidence picks, DFS and Seed Pick'em • Create private pools and invite your friends with a link • Season-Long Fantasy — draft a roster, set weekly lineups, make trades, and battle through the playoffs • Live leaderboards, stats, and achievements • Real-time league chat and push notifications so you never miss a deadline Whether you're a die-hard fan or just love a good bracket, Mat Bracket Challenge keeps you in the action all season long. Mat Bracket Challenge All-Access is an auto-renewing subscription: $3.99 for the first year, then $7.99/year. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at purchase and renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Account Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.matbracketchallenge.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.matbracketchallenge.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Mat Bracket Challenge at none against Hawk Central's shown. Mat Bracket Challenge also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Hawk Central sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Mat Bracket Challenge sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Hawk Central ships an update every 3 weeks, Mat Bracket Challenge fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Hawk Central | Mat Bracket Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.1K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | USA TODAY Co., Inc. | Jacob Anderson |
Bugs and requests
Hawk Central
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and loading errors
- Subscription access issues
- Compatibility problems on older devices
Requested features
3 requests- Improve sign-in process
- Provide better customer support
- Increase free content access
Mat Bracket Challenge
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Hawk Central
- 1 Month of App Access1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- 1 Year of App Access1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
Mat Bracket Challenge
- Draft League Seats ×5$4.95
- Draft League Seats ×11$10.90
- Draft League Seats ×20$19.90
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Draft League Seats ×22$21.90
- Draft League Seats ×24$23.90
- Draft League Seats ×25$24.90
- Draft League Seats ×26$25.90
- Draft League Seats ×27$26.90
- Draft League Seats ×28$27.90
- Draft League Seats ×30$29.90
Questions
Is Hawk Central free?
Is Mat Bracket Challenge free?
Do Hawk Central or Mat Bracket Challenge have ads?
Which is updated more often, Hawk Central or Mat Bracket Challenge?
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