Northern Iowa punches first NCAA Tournament ticket since 2016 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The madness in St. Louis delivered once again.
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The Northern Iowa Panthers are headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 after defeating the UIC Flames 84-69 in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game Sunday to capture the Arch Madness title. Trey Campbell led the Panthers with 23 points in the game, leading a four-some of players in double digits.
With the victory, Northern Iowa improved to 23-12 on the season and secured the MVC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers didn’t take the easy road either. As the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, UNI had to win four games in four days to cut down the nets in St. Louis.
For longtime head coach Ben Jacobson, it’s another memorable postseason moment for a program that has quietly built one of the strongest traditions in mid-major college basketball.
A season that built toward March
Northern Iowa’s regular season was filled with ups and downs, but the Panthers consistently showed the defensive toughness that has defined the program for nearly two decades.
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UNI finished the regular season 22-12 overall and 11-9 in Missouri Valley Conference play, landing in sixth place in a competitive league that saw several teams battling near the top of the standings.
Guard Trey Campbell led the Panthers offensively, averaging 13.4 points per game while also pacing the team in assists. Northern Iowa relied heavily on balanced scoring and strong defense, holding opponents to just 61.0 points per game, one of the best defensive marks in the conference.
Late-season wins over teams like Drake, Evansville and Bradley helped the Panthers build momentum entering Arch Madness.
That momentum would prove critical once the tournament began.
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Four wins in four days at Arch Madness
Northern Iowa’s road through the Missouri Valley Conference tournament required both resilience and depth.
The Panthers opened the tournament with a first-round victory over Evansville, setting the tone for what would become one of the most impressive runs of the week in St. Louis.
From there, UNI kept the momentum rolling. The Panthers advanced through the bracket and then delivered a major semifinal victory over No. 2 seed Bradley, knocking off one of the conference’s top teams to reach the championship game.
That win set up a title showdown with UIC, where the Panthers completed the remarkable stretch of four wins in four days to claim the Arch Madness championship.
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It was the kind of grind-it-out run that defines conference tournament basketball, and Northern Iowa handled the pressure at every step.
More: Arch Madness delivers chaos: Northern Iowa and UIC surge into wild MVC championship game
Ben Jacobson continues to build Panther success
Few coaches are more synonymous with their program than Ben Jacobson is with Northern Iowa.
Jacobson has led the Panthers since 2006 and entered this season as the program’s all-time winningest coach, compiling more than 370 victories during his tenure in Cedar Falls.
A five-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, Jacobson has guided the Panthers to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances while establishing UNI as one of the league’s most consistent programs.
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His teams have long been known for their discipline, defensive focus and ability to peak in March, a formula that once again paid off during this year’s Arch Madness run.
A program with March Madness history
Northern Iowa is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament spotlight.
The program’s most famous moment came in 2010, when the Panthers stunned No. 1 seed Kansas on their way to the Sweet Sixteen, one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
UNI also produced unforgettable moments in 2015 and 2016, including Paul Jesperson’s legendary half-court buzzer-beater to defeat Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Now, with another conference tournament championship secured, the Panthers will once again return to the national stage.
And if their run through Arch Madness proved anything, it’s that Northern Iowa could once again be a dangerous draw when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday.
