University of Northern Iowa Athletics

Northern Iowa competes in NCAA Division I, which means big-time college athletics with athletic scholarships and regional TV coverage. The Panthers give out $4,376,004 in athletic scholarships across 13 varsity sports, though only 420 students out of 7,599 total enrollment play varsity athletics (about 5.5%). UNI competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, a solid mid-major league that regularly sends basketball teams to March Madness. The Panthers have made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a famous upset of top-seeded Kansas in 2010 led by Ali Farokhmanesh. Basketball games at the McLeod Center draw passionate crowds from across Cedar Falls. Football also has a strong following, competing in the FCS level where UNI has won multiple conference titles and made deep playoff runs.