Northern Iowa Panthers

The Northern Iowa Panthers have been left behind in the hunt for trophies recently, yet the new season emerges with renewed hope. A confident preseason can work wonders, as shown by the women's soccer team's ruthless showing in its season opener while the football team visits Wisconsin for their curtain-raiser. The Panthers represent the 15 varsity teams of the University of Northern Iowa in 11 varsity sports including basketball, cross country, football, golf, track and field, wrestling, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball. They play at NCAA Division I level in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (Football Championship Subdivision), independent in wrestling, and in the Missouri Valley Conference for the remaining sports. Exciting times might be lying ahead as fans snap up all available Northern Iowa Panthers tickets.

The University of Northern Iowa can trace its origins in Cedar Falls, Iowa back to the Civil War. Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County had until then developed as a milling and industrial center blessed with water power availability, but the post-Civil War construction of the Soldiers' Orphans Home made it take an educational direction. It later became the university, known in its early days as the Iowa State Teachers College. The UNI-Dome is the home of Panthers football. The brilliant domed structure recently had renovations after storm damage, and can host 16,300 raucous Northern Iowa Panthers Ticket holders gathered en masse for the home games. It earlier used to host the volleyball, wrestling, and men's and women's basketball teams, but after the McLeod Center was constructed in 2006, they have found a new home. It can seat 7,018, and has the distinction of hosting the Dalai Lama. The off-campus Black Hawk Tennis Center offers its six indoor and six outdoor courts for Panthers teams. Since 2004, the Panthers soccer team has competed at the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex. Mark Messersmith Outdoor Complex is used for track and field meets, Glen F. Henry Swimming and Diving Pool provides swimming facilities, while Robinson-Dresser Complex has replaced Panther Field since 2008 for softball.

Troy Dannen has overseen success in his three seasons as Athletics Director of the Northern Iowa Panthers. Selection of individual teams is done by coaches. Ben Jacobson is in his third year as coach of the men's basketball team, while football has Mark Farley continuing his proud 9-year record of 82-32. Tanya Warren is negotiating her fourth year in charge of women's basketball with Panthers soccer flourishing under James Price's tutelage. Notable players donning the Panthers' football jersey include Kurt Warner, Mike Furrey and Bryce Paup, with Jim Berry and John Martin being famous basketball players.

Northern Iowa Panthers have 32 football Conference titles, leading the 4 Iowa Division I institutes for bragging rights. They also ended up as runners up in the FCS Championship Game in 2005. Men's basketball has 9 NCAA tournament appearances with a semifinal berth in 1962. Elsewhere, Panthers pocketed the NCAA national wrestling title in 1949.

There is no shortage of inspiration when cheered on by award-winning mascot TC Panther, and the vocal fan clubs. Northern Iowa Panthers Tickets are certainly enthusiasts' imagination for the upcoming season.