CEDAR FALLS — Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner will return to the University of Northern Iowa this fall as the Panthers formally retire his football jersey, highlighting a group of 14 legendary UNI athletes receiving the honor during the 2026 fall sports season.
Warner’s jersey retirement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, before UNI football’s home opener against Drake at the UNI-Dome. The ceremony will come one day after Warner is formally inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame, adding another chapter to the remarkable story of one of the most famous athletes in Panther history.
NIT previously reported that Warner will headline UNI’s 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame class, which will be formally inducted Sept. 11.
Warner (pictured at top, via UNI Athletics) was the 1993 Gateway Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year at Northern Iowa before embarking on one of professional football’s most unlikely success stories.
After going undrafted, Warner worked his way through arena football and NFL Europe before becoming the quarterback of the St. Louis Rams’ explosive “Greatest Show on Turf.” He led the Rams to a Super Bowl championship following the 1999 season and another NFC championship two years later. Warner later guided the Arizona Cardinals to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance following the 2008 season.
Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
UNI’s jersey retirement program, launched during the 2025-26 school year, honors athletes whose achievements, leadership and impact helped define their programs. Retiring a jersey does not remove the uniform number from future use.
UNI Director of Athletics Megan Franklin said the honorees represent some of the best athletes in Panther history and that recognizing them carries added significance during the university’s 150th anniversary year.
The fall retirement schedule includes:
Kurt Warner, football — Sept. 12 vs. Drake
Molly Lembezeder, women’s swimming and diving — Sept. 26 during the Purple & Gold Intrasquad
Joey Woody, men’s cross country/track and field — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Paige (Knodle) Bohannon, women’s cross country/track and field — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Nancy Land, women’s tennis — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Duane Josephson, baseball — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Penny Wilson, women’s gymnastics — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Jesus Vasquez, men’s gymnastics — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Diane Braun, women’s field hockey — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Jacob Stall, men’s swimming and diving — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Randy Krejci, men’s tennis — Oct. 10 during the All-Sports Reunion
Anne Marie Witko, soccer — Oct. 11 against Valparaiso
Jordan Weber, men’s golf — Oct. 31 during UNI football’s game against Indiana State
Hannah Bermel, women’s golf — Oct. 31 during UNI football’s game against Indiana State.
UNI also plans to retire the jersey of volleyball great Molly O’Brien, although scheduling conflicts pushed her ceremony to a date to be determined in 2027.
The group includes national champions, All-Americans, conference champions, record holders and athletes from six sports UNI no longer sponsors.
Earlier in 2026, UNI retired the jerseys of wrestler Bill Smith, men’s basketball standout AJ Green, women’s basketball star Jacqui Kalin and softball standout Patty Stockman.
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