2021 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

2021 Northern Iowa Panthers football
ConferenceMissouri Valley Football Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 23
FCS CoachesNo. 25
Record6–6 (4–4 MVFC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorShawn Watson (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJeremiah Johnson (9th season)
Home stadiumUNI-Dome
2021 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 North Dakota State $^   7 1     14 1  
No. 14 Missouri State ^   6 2     8 4  
No. 16 Southern Illinois ^   5 3     8 5  
No. 18 South Dakota ^   5 3     7 5  
No. 4 South Dakota State ^   5 3     11 4  
No. 23 Northern Iowa ^   4 4     6 6  
Indiana State   3 5     5 6  
North Dakota   3 5     5 6  
Western Illinois   2 6     2 9  
Illinois State   2 6     4 7  
Youngstown State   2 6     3 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2021 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 21st-year head coach Mark Farley, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 6–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing sixth in the MVFC. Northern Iowa received an at-large bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Panthers lost to Eastern Washington in the first round. The team played home games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.