Division I · Missouri Valley Football Conference
University of Northern Iowa Football
Cedar Falls, IA · the Panthers · University of Northern Iowa overview
105
Roster
at the D-I cap of 105
$4.7M
Team budget
21st percentile in Division I
$44,540
Per roster spot
median $79,762
13
Coaches
1 head · 12 assistant
969
APR
96% of players retained
94%
Admitted
bottom quarter for selectivity
University of Northern Iowa fields a football team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 105 players, below the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 12 assistants. Team expenses were $4,676,780, well below the median of $9.1M — $44,540 per roster spot, lower half of Division I football programs. That is exactly the Division I roster cap of 105 in force from 2025-26. The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 969, about the median of 964, with 96% of players retained year to year. The school gave $2,771,132 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $10,301 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#207Team budgetof 261 · Division I#192Spend per playerof 261 · Division I#231Roster sizeof 261 · Division I#98APRof 261 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I football program
Roster sizes (cap 105)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster105 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap105 at the cap
- Coaching staff1 head, 12 assistant
- Team expenses$4,676,780 for the year
- Operating expenses$1,027,760 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$44,540 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate969 multi-year; 971 latest
- Players retained96% year to year
- Eligible97% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$2,771,132 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$10,301 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$156,097 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Stepsis head coach | Head Coach | not on file |
Put University of Northern Iowa on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school football players1,029,588 2024-25
- Division I roster spots31,184 261 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 33 3.0% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the football recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →7,734undergraduates · 9,013 students in all
Women 64% Men 36%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Master's university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →94%admitted · of 4,913 applicants
SAT middle 50%860 – 1210
ACT middle 50%20 – 26
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 69%
Football
Full picture →105on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 105105
exactly at the cap
Academic Progress Rate969
96% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $4,676,780 $44,541 per roster spot · bottom quarter of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 12 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $2,771,132
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $156,097
Cost
Full picture →$15,931net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $9,728 in-state · $21,272 out
Campus safety
Full picture →1.51violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 8 burglaries · 33 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 6 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →28%of bachelor's degrees in education · 24 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research University of Northern Iowa
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Football program105 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions94% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$15,931 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsEducation · 28%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 7,734Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety1.51 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Football programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wartburg College Division III · American Rivers Conference | 15 | 184 | $558k | — | 99% | |
| Upper Iowa University Division II · Great Lakes Valley Conference | 40 | 106 | $1.4M | — | 93% | |
| Grinnell College Division III · Midwest Conference | 55 | 60 | $457k | — | 13% | |
| Coe College Division III · American Rivers Conference | 55 | 121 | $444k | — | 71% | |
| Luther College Division III · Midwest Conference | 64 | 76 | $533k | — | 73% | |
| Cornell College Division III · Midwest Conference | 67 | 99 | $514k | — | 81% | |
| Iowa State University Division I · Big 12 Conference | 70 | 135 | $32M | 979 | 89% | |
| University of Iowa Division I · Big Ten Conference | 76 | 131 | $51M | 971 | 85% | |
| Central College (Iowa) Division III · American Rivers Conference | 81 | 152 | $1M | — | 79% | |
| Drake University Division I · Pioneer Football League | 88 | 110 | $1.5M | 969 | 64% | |
| University of Dubuque Division III · American Rivers Conference | 90 | 123 | $709k | — | 87% | |
| Loras College Division III · American Rivers Conference | 91 | 97 | $561k | — | 92% |
Other football programs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Dakota 2 over cap | 107 | $6.9M | $64,656 | 962 | vs | |
| University of South Dakota 17 over cap | 122 | $6M | $49,098 | 968 | vs | |
| South Dakota State University 9 over cap | 114 | $5.9M | $51,936 | 978 | vs | |
| Illinois State University 23 over cap | 128 | $5.1M | $39,994 | 962 | vs | |
| Southern Illinois University at Carbondale at cap | 105 | $5M | $48,092 | 971 | vs | |
| Youngstown State University 18 over cap | 123 | $5M | $40,850 | 956 | vs | |
| Indiana State University 8 over cap | 113 | $4.8M | $42,391 | 958 | vs | |
| University of Northern Iowa at cap | 105 | $4.7M | $44,540 | 969 | vs | |
| Murray State University 5 over cap | 110 | $4M | $36,384 | 962 | vs |
Every Missouri Valley Football Conference football program · Football budgets ranked