UNI football announces Fall 2021 schedule as unprecedented Spring season opens Friday

The Panthers host Youngstown State, South Dakota, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois as part of the Missouri Valley Conference Schedule. The Panthers travel to North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Illinois State and Missouri State for conference road trips.

UNI returns to Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 4, to face the Cyclones for the 34th time. The game is the first of four games on the schedule for upcoming years. The Panthers and Cyclones will face each other in 2021, 2023, 2026 and 2028.

The Panthers travel to California for the first meeting against Sacramento State in program history on Sept. 11. The game is the first of a two-year home-and-home schedule. Sacramento State returns to Cedar Falls on Sept. 17, 2022.

St. Thomas begins its transition to DI from DIII, the first program in history to make that jump. The Tommies will compete in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. The Panthers host St. Thomas on Sept. 18. UNI will return to compete in the Twin Cities during the 2024 season. The two teams met in 1926 and 1927. The Panthers topped St. Thomas 20-0 in 1926, but the two teams tied 6-6.

UNI begins the MVFC season at home against Youngstown State on Oct. 2 before traveling to Fargo to face North Dakota State on Oct. 9.  UNI hosts South Dakota on Oct. 16 and heads to South Dakota State on Oct 23.

Southern Illinois returns to the UNI-Dome for the first time since 2016 on Oct. 30 before traveling to Illinois State on Nov. 6 and Missouri State on Nov. 13.

The Panthers close the season at home against Western Illinois on Nov. 20.

Tickets for the fall season will go on sale later this spring.

The spring 2021 season kicks off Friday with a top-five matchup with South Dakota State Friday at 7 p.m. in the UNI-Dome.  For the first time in 434 days, UNI Football will take the field to play.  It is the sixth meeting of the two teams since 2017. UNI came from behind to beat South Dakota State 13-10 in the second round of the 2019 FCS playoffs. The Panthers fell in the next round of the playoffs to eventual runner-up James Madison.

• UNI is coming off of its fifth playoff appearance in six seasons. The Panthers won 10 games for the first time since 2011 and returned to the FCS quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. UNI finished second in the Valley.