# Northern Iowa Panthers football

The Northern Iowa Panthers football program represents the University of Northern Iowa in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The program began in 1895 and has fielded a team every year since with the exceptions of 1906–1907 and 1943–1944. The Panthers play their home games at the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

## History
### Classifications

* NCAA College Division (1956–1972)
* NCAA Division II (1973–1980)
* NCAA Division I-AA/FCS (1981–present)

### Conference memberships

* Independent (1895–1922)
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1923–1934)
* North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1935–1977)
* Mid-Continent Conference (1978–1984)
* Gateway Football Conference/Missouri Valley Football Conference (1985–present)

## Championship and postseason history
### Conference championships

Northern Iowa has won thirty-three conference titles, the most out of the four Iowa Division I institutions. The Panthers have won two Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, twelve North Central Conference championships, three Association of Mid-Continent Universities football championships and sixteen Missouri Valley Football Conference championships.
| Year | Conference | Overall record | Conference record |
| 1927 | IIAC | 7–0–1 | 6–0 |
| 1928 | IIAC | 5–1–3 | 4–0–2 |
| 1940 | NCC | 8–1 | 5–0 |
| 1941 | NCC | 5–3 | 5–0 |
| 1942 | NCC | 6–1 | 5–0 |
| 1946 | NCC | 4–1–2 | 2–0–1 |
| 1947 | NCC | 5–3–1 | 4–0 |
| 1948 | NCC | 7–3 | 5–0 |
| 1949 | NCC | 5–2 | 5–1 |
| 1952 | NCC | 6–2 | 5–1 |
| 1960 | NCC | 9–1 | 6–0 |
| 1961 | NCC | 7–2 | 5–1 |
| 1962 | NCC | 7–1–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 1964 | NCC | 9–2 | 5–1 |
| 1981 | AMCU | 5–6 | 2–1 |
| 1982 | AMCU | 4–6–1 | 2–0–1 |
| 1984 | AMCU | 9–2 | 2–1 |
| 1985 | MVFC | 11–2 | 5–0 |
| 1987 | MVFC | 10–4 | 6–0 |
| 1990 | MVFC | 8–4 | 5–1 |
| 1991 | MVFC | 11–2 | 5–1 |
| 1992 | MVFC | 12–2 | 5–1 |
| 1993 | MVFC | 8–4 | 5–1 |
| 1994 | MVFC | 8–4 | 6–0 |
| 1995 | MVFC | 8–5 | 5–1 |
| 1996 | MVFC | 12–2 | 5–0 |
| 2001 | MVFC | 11–3 | 6–1 |
| 2003 | MVFC | 10–3 | 6–1 |
| 2005 | MVFC | 11–4 | 5–2 |
| 2007 | MVFC | 12–1 | 6–0 |
| 2008 | MVFC | 12–3 | 7–1 |
| 2010 | MVFC | 7–5 | 6–2 |
| 2011 | MVFC | 10–3 | 7–1 |

### College Division bowl games

Northern Iowa played in the NCAA's College Division from 1937–1972. Twice in those years they qualified for a College Division bowl game.
| Year | Bowl | Record | Opponent | Result |
| 1960 | Mineral Water Bowl | 9–1–0 | Hillsdale College | L 6–17 |
| 1964 | Pecan Bowl | 9–2–0 | Lamar (TX) | W 19–17 |

### FCS playoff games

The Panthers have reached the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs 22 times, with a record of 24–22.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1985 | Quarterfinal Semifinal | Middle Tennessee Georgia Southern | W 28–21 L 33–40 |
| 1987 | First round Quarterfinal Semifinal | Youngstown State Arkansas State Northeast Louisiana | W 31–28 W 49–28 L 41–44 |
| 1990 | First round | Boise State | L 3–20 |
| 1991 | First round Quarterfinal | Weber State Marshall | W 38–21 L 13–41 |
| 1992 | First round Quarterfinal Semifinal | Eastern Washington McNeese State Youngstown State | W 17–14 W 29–7 L 7–19 |
| 1993 | First round | Boston University | L 21–27 |
| 1993 | First round | Montana | L 23–29 |
| 1995 | First round Quarterfinal | Murray State Marshall | W 35–34 L 24–41 |
| 1996 | Quarterfinal Semifinal | William & Mary Marshall | W 38–35 L 14–31 |
| 2001 | First round Quarterfinal Semifinal | Eastern Illinois Maine Montana | W 49–43 W 56–28 L 10–38 |
| 2003 | First round Quarterfinal | Montana State Delaware | W 35–14 L 7–37 |
| 2005 | Quarterfinal Semifinal National Championship | New Hampshire Texas State Appalachian State | W 24–21 W 40–37 L 16–21 |
| 2007 | First round Quarterfinal | New Hampshire Delaware | W 38–35 L 27–39 |
| 2008 | First round Quarterfinal | Maine New Hampshire Richmond | W 40–15 W 36–34 L 20–21 |
| 2010 | First round | Lehigh | L 7–14 |
| 2011 | Second round Quarterfinal | Wofford Montana | W 28–21 L 10–48 |
| 2014 | First round Second round | Stephen F. Austin Illinois State | W 44–10 L 21–41 |
| 2015 | First round Second round Quarterfinal | Eastern Illinois Portland State North Dakota State | W 53–17 W 29–17 L 13–23 |
| 2017 | First round Second round | Monmouth South Dakota State | W 46–7 L 22–37 |
| 2018 | First round Second round | Lamar UC Davis | W 16–3 L 16–23 |
| 2019 | First round Second round Quarterfinal | San Diego South Dakota State James Madison | W 17–3 W 13–10 L 0–17 |
| 2021 | First round | Eastern Washington | L 9–19 |

### FCS National Championship games

| Season | Game | Record | Opponent | Result |
| 2005 | National Championship | 11–4 | Appalachian State | L 16–21 |

## UNI-Dome

The UNI-Dome opened in 1976, as the home of the UNI Panthers football team. The facility's capacity for football is 16,324. At football games, where cold temperatures are frequently an issue for fans, the UNI-Dome announcers will announce "conditions at game time" prior to each game. The announcers will announce the weather in the town where the visiting team is from, the current weather conditions outside the Dome, and then say "Inside - 72 degrees, no wind, welcome to the Dome!" to emphasize the fact that a domed stadium is not affected by the weather. Heading into the 2021 Fall season, the Panthers have a home record of 221-59-1 in the UNI-Dome, having won nearly 80 percent of their games in the UNI-Dome.

## All-Americans

First Team Selections
* Paul Jones, E, 1937 (WR)
* Paul DeVan, HB, 1949 (AP)
* Lou Bohnsack, C, 1952 (AP)
* LeRoy Dunn, T, 1955 (WR)
* Dick Formanek, T, 1956 (WR)
* George Asleson, G, 1960 (AP)
* Jerry Morgan, QB, 1960 (WR)
* Wendell Williams, G, 1961 (AP)
* Dan Boals, FB, 1962 (WR)
* Randy Schultz, FB, 1964 and 1965 (AP)
* Ray Pedersen, G, 1967 (AP)
* Mike Timmermans, T, 1975 (AP)
* Brian Mitchell, PK, 1990 and 1991 (AP)
* Kenny Shedd, AP, 1992 (AP)
* William Freeney, LB, 1992 (AP)
* Andre Allen, LB, 1994 (AP)
* Dedric Ward, WR, 1995 and 1996 (AP)
* Eric Harris, LB, 1999 (AP)
* Brad Meester, C, 1999 (AP)
* Adam Vogt, LB, 2001 (AP)
* Mackenzie Hoambrecker, PK, 2002 (AP)
* Dre Dokes, DB, 2006 (AP)
* Brannon Carter, LB, 2007 (AP)
* Chad Rinehart, OL, 2007 (AP)
* James Ruffin, DL, 2009 (AP)
* Ben Boothby, DL, 2011 (AP)
* Michael Schmadeke, PK, 2014 (AP)
* Jack Rummells, OL, 2014 (AP)
* Deiondre' Hall, DB, 2015 (AP)
* Karter Schult, DL, 2016 (AP)
* Jared Brinkman, DL, 2020-21c and 2021 (AP)
* Trevor Penning, OL, 2021 (AP)
* Matthew Cook, 2023, K (AP)
WR=Williamson Ratings; AP=Associated Press;
c - 2020-21 selections include players who played Fall 2020 and teams (such as Northern Iowa) which moved their schedule to Spring 2021 due to COVID

## Notable players

* Willie Beamon
* Eddie Berlin
* Khristian Boyd
* Spencer Brown
* Mark Farley
* L. J. Fort
* Daurice Fountain
* Derrick Frost
* Joe Fuller
* Mike Furrey
* Deiondre' Hall
* Ryan Hannam
* Austin Howard
* David Johnson
* James Jones
* Brandon Keith
* Chris Klieman
* Joshua Mahoney
* Brad Meester
* Larry Miller
* Brian Mitchell
* Bryce Paup
* Trevor Penning
* Chad Rinehart
* Eric Sanders
* Benny Sapp
* Randy Schultz
* Terrell Sinkfield
* Varmah Sonie
* Justin Surrency
* Tanner Varner
* Dedric Ward
* Kurt Warner–Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017
* Xavier Williams
* Mike Woodley
* Steve Wright

## Future non–conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 16, 2025.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2028 | 2031 |
| Butler | at Eastern Washington | at Iowa State | at Iowa State |
| at Wyoming | Drake | | |
| Eastern Washington | at Iowa | | |
| at Utah Tech | | | |