Northern Iowa Panthers
Encyclopedia
The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa
. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference
and competes in NCAA
Division I, (Division I FCS in football) fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:
, North Central Conference
, and the Mid-Continent Conference
.
Showing our strength and unity.
As we rise, we firmly stand behind you,
Urge you on to victory.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
As you lead us on to fame and honor,
Fight! Fight! Fight! will be our cry.
So, give us a yell, Ho! the purple and the gold,
Victory for UNI!
Words by Godfrey Stych, Men's Gymnastics Coach
"Who wants to be called Tutors, Pedagogues, and Teachers all the time? Every leading school in the country has some name by which they are known in the realm of sport. Iowa is known as the Hawkeyes, Minnesota as Gophers, Chicago as Maroons, and so forth. Why not give Iowa State Teachers College a name which signifies something characteristic about the school besides the fact that it is a teachers college?"
The article goes on to note that entries would be judged by a member of the Department of Physical Education, other faculty, and students.
When the contest was announced, the Iowa State Teachers College had already been participating in intercollegiate athletics on a regular and organized basis for over thirty-five years. Teachers College teams had participated in contests with other Iowa colleges, and occasionally with teams from outside the state, in baseball, football, basketball, and track and field. Until the end of World War I, students certainly did get excited about these contests, but they probably took just as much pleasure in the success of the school's debate and oratorical teams. The school's sole mission, the preparation of teachers, tended to attract many more women than men to the Teachers College. And, consequently, the school did not have an abundance of material from which to draw its athletes in the days when only men participated in intercollegiate athletics. Following the war, however, the college made a distinct effort to attract men to the teaching profession. An important part of this effort was the addition of physical education courses to the curriculum that would help to prepare men for teaching positions that included athletics coaching responsibilities. Improved athletics facilities, including the construction of the West Gymnasium, showed that the school was taking a more serious attitude toward intercollegiate athletics.
On September 18, 1931, the College Eye announced that Paul Bender, acting head of the Department of Physical Education for Men; George Holmes, professor of journalism; Robert Burley, president of the Student Council; and the sports editor of the College Eye would judge entries. The winner would receive a leather briefcase from the Berg Drug Company. Second place would be a dresser alarm clock from Chase Jewelry Store. Third place would be a season football pass.
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
and competes in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I, (Division I FCS in football) fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:
|
|
History
The school's mascot is the Panther. They participate in the NCAA's Division I (I-FCS for football) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (formerly the Gateway Football Conference), as an independent in wrestling and in the Missouri Valley Conference for all other sports. Northern Iowa previously competed in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceIowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is an College Athletic Conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Iowa.-History:...
, North Central Conference
North Central Conference
The North Central Conference , also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
, and the Mid-Continent Conference
Mid-Continent Conference
The Summit League is an NCAA Division I college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. On June 1, 2007, the conference changed its name from the Mid-Continent Conference.- Current membership :...
.
UNI Fight
Hail our Panthers, we are ever loyal,Showing our strength and unity.
As we rise, we firmly stand behind you,
Urge you on to victory.
Rah! Rah! Rah!
As you lead us on to fame and honor,
Fight! Fight! Fight! will be our cry.
So, give us a yell, Ho! the purple and the gold,
Victory for UNI!
Words by Godfrey Stych, Men's Gymnastics Coach
Wrestling
- Won the NCAA wrestling championships as Iowa State Teachers College in 1949
- Notable wrestler Gerald LeemanGerald LeemanGerald "Germ" Leeman was an American wrestler and Olympic silver medalist.-Wrestling career:Leeman was the first three-time high school wrestling champion from Osage, Iowa in 1939, 1940 and 1941....
wrestled for Iowa State Teachers College
NCAA Tournament history
Season | Seed | Eliminated Round | Teams Defeated | Lost to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 (College Division) | N/A | 2nd Round | Hamline | Nebraska Wesleyan |
| 1964 (College Division) | N/A | 4th Place | Washington University Mankato State Southeast Missouri | Evansville North Carolina A&T |
| 1979 (College Division) | N/A | 2nd Round | Nebraska-Omaha | Wisconsin-Green Bay |
1990 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado... | (14) | 2nd Round | (3) Missouri | (6) Minnesota |
2004 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,... | (14) | 1st Round | — | (3) Georgia Tech |
2005 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St... | (11) | 1st Round | — | (6) Wisconsin |
2006 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season... | (10) | 1st Round | — | (7) Georgetown |
2009 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT.... | (12) | 1st Round | — | (5) Purdue |
2010 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's... | (9) | 3rd Round(Sweet 16) | (8) UNLV (1) Kansas | (5) Michigan State |
Other tournaments
- NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
National TournamentNAIA national men's basketball championshipThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 . The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities...
appearances: 19461946 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1946 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 9th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format...
, 19481948 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1948 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 11th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . The championship game featured Louisville beating Indiana State 82-70.The...
, 19491949 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1949 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 12th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . The championship game featured Hamline University defeating Regis College...
, and 19531953 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1953 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 16th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . The championship game would feature Southwest Missouri State University,...
(2-4 combined tournament record) - Competed in the 2007 World University GamesBasketball at the 2007 Summer UniversiadeThe Basketball competition in the 2007 Summer Universiade were held on different venues in Bangkok, Thailand between 7 - 10 August 2007 and 12–18 August 2007.-Draw:Twenty-four teams participated in the men's competition, drawn to eight groups of three...
as Team USA (finished ninth)
Women's basketball
| Coach | Record | When Coached | No. of Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanya Warren | 41-52 | 2007–Present | Current |
| Tony DiCecco | 183-161 | 1995–2007 | 12 years |
| Wanda Green | 78-59 | 1968–1978 | 10 years |
| J.D. Anderson | 59-55 | 1980–1984 | 4 years |
| Kim Mayden | 36-96 | 1984–1989 | 5 years |
| Terri Lasswel | 35-125 | 1989–1995 | 6 years |
| Sandra Williamson | 7-40 | 1978–1980 | 2 years |
NCAA Tournament history
Season | Seed | Eliminated Round | Teams Defeated | Lost to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | (16) | 1st Round | — | (1) Nebraska |
History of UNI nickname
On September 8, 1931, the following appeal appeared in the student newspaper, the College Eye, under the headline "Contest Started for School Name":"Who wants to be called Tutors, Pedagogues, and Teachers all the time? Every leading school in the country has some name by which they are known in the realm of sport. Iowa is known as the Hawkeyes, Minnesota as Gophers, Chicago as Maroons, and so forth. Why not give Iowa State Teachers College a name which signifies something characteristic about the school besides the fact that it is a teachers college?"
The article goes on to note that entries would be judged by a member of the Department of Physical Education, other faculty, and students.
When the contest was announced, the Iowa State Teachers College had already been participating in intercollegiate athletics on a regular and organized basis for over thirty-five years. Teachers College teams had participated in contests with other Iowa colleges, and occasionally with teams from outside the state, in baseball, football, basketball, and track and field. Until the end of World War I, students certainly did get excited about these contests, but they probably took just as much pleasure in the success of the school's debate and oratorical teams. The school's sole mission, the preparation of teachers, tended to attract many more women than men to the Teachers College. And, consequently, the school did not have an abundance of material from which to draw its athletes in the days when only men participated in intercollegiate athletics. Following the war, however, the college made a distinct effort to attract men to the teaching profession. An important part of this effort was the addition of physical education courses to the curriculum that would help to prepare men for teaching positions that included athletics coaching responsibilities. Improved athletics facilities, including the construction of the West Gymnasium, showed that the school was taking a more serious attitude toward intercollegiate athletics.
On September 18, 1931, the College Eye announced that Paul Bender, acting head of the Department of Physical Education for Men; George Holmes, professor of journalism; Robert Burley, president of the Student Council; and the sports editor of the College Eye would judge entries. The winner would receive a leather briefcase from the Berg Drug Company. Second place would be a dresser alarm clock from Chase Jewelry Store. Third place would be a season football pass.