Athletics Stories & News

UNI alum Kurt Warner

Cast set as remarkable journey of UNI alum Kurt Warner moves closer to silver screen

The remarkable underdog story of Kurt Warner’s journey from a backup quarterback on the University of Northern Iowa football team to an NFL Hall of Famer is set to hit the silver screen.

UNI athlete Jessica Heims.

Local donor supports UNI athlete on her Paralympic journey

Every four years, thousands of athletes from across the globe gather for the Olympics and Paralympics. This year, the games are slated to be held in Tokyo and UNI Track and Field athlete Jessica Heims is on pace to compete as a member of the US Paralympic Team. With the help of local donor Dan Deery, her family won't miss the opportunity to watch her compete. 

UNI campus

UNI’s outdoor football practice facility receives $2 million gift

UNI NEWS SERVICES – A $2 million gift from Doug and Ann Goschke, residents of Port St. Lucie, Florida, has set the stage to make outdoor artificial turf a reality for the University of Northern Iowa football program.

UNI alumnus Ryan Hannam

A new beginning

Ryan Hannam was living the dream of any Iowa high school football star - playing in the NFL after a successful college football career at the University of Northern Iowa.

UNI campus

Donor gifts complete UNI football team meeting room

UNI NEWS SERVICES – Two spaces within the University of Northern Iowa’s Van G. Miller Family Charitable Foundation Meeting Room will be named in recognition of donors who have greatly impacted UNI Athletics. The TrueNorth Companies Offensive Meeting Room and the Donna and Eldred Harman Defensive Meeting Room will complete the football team meeting room suite.

Construction of the suite is set to begin this winter and be completed in the fall of 2021. 

UNI campus

UNI Center for Violence Prevention and Iowa High School Athletic Association release racial equality and gender violence prevention programming

UNI NEWS SERVICES– The University of Northern Iowa Center for Violence Prevention (CVP) and the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) have partnered together to provide and support racial justice and gender-based violence prevention programming to Iowa school districts and athletic departments. 

UNI campus

UNI, IHSAA, Black Hawk County Health collaborate to ensure safe high school football playoffs

UNI NEWS SERVICES - Following discussions with the University of Northern Iowa, Black Hawk County Health Department, State of Iowa officials, and the Iowa High School Athletic Association, spectator capacity will be limited for this week’s football semifinals and next week’s finals at the UNI-DOME in Cedar Falls.

Wednesday’s adjustment will see ticket sales capped at 2,400 spectators per game or around 15 percent of the UNI-DOME capacity.

UNI economics professor David Surdham.

Sports labor strikes in times of unrest: A conversation with David Surdam

When the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the court for Game 5 of the NBA playoffs in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, it sparked a wave of similar wildcat strikes across the NBA and MLB as athletes called for an end to police brutality. We asked University of Northern Iowa professor David Surdam, who has written eight books and published 18 articles on various economic issues of the NBA, NFL and MLB, to bring his decades of research to  discussion about the historical precedents for the strike and the effectiveness of athlete protests to drive social change.

UNI men's rugby team members help clear debris caused by a derecho storm in Cedar Rapids.

Students help after Cedar Rapids devastated by storm

With just under a week to go until the fall semester was set to begin, UNI senior and Marion native Blake Allington was focused on settling into his new home in Cedar Falls. When a late morning thunderstorm hit Cedar Falls with torrential rain, he didn’t think much of it other than hoping he’d stay dry. Everything changed when storm reports started coming out of the greater Cedar Rapids area. 

UNI backup quarterback Christian Ellsworth.

UNI quarterback joins NCAA huddle to represent students nationwide

UNI backup quarterback Christian Ellsworth will help influence the decisions that affect about 15,000 student-athletes nationwide as part of the NCAA's Division I Football Oversight Committee.