The athletic program of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, consists of 15 teams known as the Northern Iowa Panthers.
Founded in 1895, the Northern Iowa Panthers emerged as the athletic face of the University of Northern Iowa, embarking on a journey that intertwines with the history of collegiate sports in the United States. The Panthers have thrived in a diverse array of athletic pursuits, particularly shining in basketball and wrestling. Their basketball exploits are highlighted by a stunning performance in the 2010 NCAA tournament, where they achieved a historic upset over Kansas, a top-seeded team, catapulting them into the national spotlight. This extraordinary achievement remains a defining moment in their sports chronicle. In the realm of wrestling, the Panthers have consistently demonstrated prowess, nurturing numerous athletes who have attained All-American status and NCAA championships. Today, the Northern Iowa Panthers stand as a symbol of athletic resilience and competitive spirit, continually striving for excellence in the NCAA landscape and fostering a culture of sportsmanship and achievement.
What is the Northern Iowa Panthers?
The Northern Iowa Panthers represent the University of Northern Iowa in collegiate sports, competing with distinction in NCAA Division I. Known for their impressive performances in basketball and wrestling, they have a legacy of remarkable tournament appearances and a history of nurturing elite athletes. Their athletic program is a testament to commitment, skill, and the enduring spirit of competition.
The 1964 emblem depicted a human-like cat mascot, colored blue with some purple. They painted it as running somewhere and clad in athletic gear with ‘SCI’ (‘State College of Iowa’), written across the chest.
The 1973 logo uses the same logic, but the mascot is now running towards the onlooker with a more grotesque, aggressive expression. The coloring switched to black and white, and the acronym changed to ‘UNI’ (‘University of Northern Iowa’).
The following emblem slightly rearranged the use of colors, got rid of the mascot’s shoes and changed its pose to something like a dance instead.
This centerpiece of this design is instead a purple acronym ‘UNI’ with comparably big, serif characters. Furthermore, they drew a smaller, yellow panther crawling through the letter ‘U’. They made it realistic but spared nuance.
This emblem is a vertically-aligned rectangle, geometrically speaking. They made it purple, but the top is occupied by several white shapes that form a panther’s face. Also, stuff like whiskers and ears go beyond the geometric borders. The words ‘Northern Iowa’ are written in the bottom of this rectangle, colored orange.
In the 1980s-2000s, the Northern Iowa Panthers logo featured interlocking letters. In case of the 1981 logo, these letters were the “I” and “N,”.
In 2002, the team adopted an utterly different design. Its highlight was the head of the panther in gold with a purple trim. The letters “UNI” could be seen above it.
By 2013, the team got rid of the university’s full name that was atop the acronym in the previous version.
In 2014, the emblem was slightly updated. The modifications, which were very subtle, resulted in a clearer design.
In 2021, the orange was bleached, making many elements in the emblem look more like yellow.
PURPLE
PANTONE: PMS 2617 C
HEX COLOR: #4B116F;
RGB: (75, 17, 111)
CMYK: (79, 100, 0, 15)
GOLD
PANTONE: PMS 124 C
HEX COLOR: #FFCC00;
RGB: (255, 204, 0)
CMYK: (0, 27, 97, 0)