Athletics
The school's nickname is the Panther. They participate in the NCAA's Division I (I-FCS for football) in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the Missouri Valley Conference for most other sports, and the Mid-American Conference for wrestling. The major arena on campus is the UNI-Dome currently the home of the football team. The Dome also serves as a venue for many local concerts, high school football playoffs, trade shows, and other events. In 2006, the University opened a new arena, the McLeod Center, to serve as the home for several athletic programs, including volleyball and men's and women's basketball.
UNI Athletics has enjoyed great success lately with the Men's basketball team competing in the NCAA tournament three consecutive times in 2004, 2005, 2006, and again in 2009 and 2010. On March 20, 2010, the men's basketball team defeated the heavily favored, top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. It was the school's first ever appearance in the Sweet Sixteen. The Jayhawks were favored to win the NCAA championship. Their Cinderella potential ended with a loss to Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen 59-52. The win over Kansas earned them the 2010 Espy Award from ESPN for Best Upset.
The football team has been ranked in the I-AA (FCS) top 25 almost every year for the last two decades. The team appeared in the I-AA championship game in 2005, only to lose a close game to the Appalachian State Mountaineers. During 2007, the team was ranked #1 in the country by the TSN FCS poll for several weeks. The football team went undefeated in 2007 with an 11-0 record, a first for any school in the 23 year history of the Gateway conference. In 2001 and 2002 the volleyball team reached the NCAA Sweet 16 round, and in 2006 made it to the second round, and has competed in the tournament numerous times. The track team is also very successful (usually ranked in the top 25), as are the wrestling and volleyball teams.
The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team won the NCAA Division I national championship as ISTC in 1949 and NCAA Division II national championships in 1975 and 1978. They competed in the Western Wrestling Conference until 2012, when UNI became an associate member of the Mid-American Conference since the MVC is a non-wrestling conference. In 1977 the women's softball team won the AIAW national championship.
The University of Northern Iowa should not be considered one of two schools to have a NFL Offensive and Defensive MVP. It has for many years confused the Cedar Valley and UNI alumni. Bryce Paup won the Defensive Player of Year by the associated press, in 1995 (Not the NFL Most Valuable Player). In 1995, The National Football League "Most Valuable Player" went to one man; Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. Notre Dame is the only school to have both an offensive and defensive NFL MVP. Joe Montana (Quarterback), Joe Theisman (Quarterback), and Alan Page (Defensive Lineman). Alan Page won the 1971 National Football League "Most Valuable Player Award, and "AP Defensive Player Award" in 1971.
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