With the season underway for the University of Northern Iowa football team, they have proven this season will be interesting. If UNI does not win the Valley this year and advance deep into the playoffs, it is a failure. The Panthers have been building up the team for the last couple years. The expectations are high this year with seniors at many skill positions such as running back David Johnson, wide receivers Kevin Vereen and Chad Owens and defensive tackle Xavier Williams.

    The Panthers need to win this year to reestablish themselves as the dominant power in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. North Dakota State has asserted themselves as the top dog the last couple of years, but UNI could usurp them if they won the conference this year. The Panthers have won sixteen football conference titles since being in the Valley so they need to make it number seventeen. If they do not win, it’s another lost year with the Panthers missing out on top dog status..

    The Panthers need to do well this year because they won’t have another chance like this for at least a couple years. When David Johnson, Xavier Williams, and the other seniors leave, the talent level will not be as strong. Next year, the Panthers will be in a rebuilding process because of their loss of talent. There’s a good chance they will not be able to win the conference title next year so they need to go for it this year.

    The last reason the Panthers need to win conference and go deep into the playoffs is for the fans. In the last couple years, there has been a lot of hype around the football team. Sadly, they have let Panther fans down with their absence from the playoffs. Fans have also been let down by individual games the last couple of years whether it has been the heartbreaking loss to North Dakota State or losing to South Dakota. If the Panthers let down their fans this year, it will irk fans to not see their Panthers in the playoffs. The attendance at UNI games will suffer with another letdown from the football team.

    This year is a turning point for the Panther football team. They need to do well to show they are relevant in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. To let down the fans would be a big disappointment. They need to play their best and prove to everyone how good they are. The failure of not advancing in the playoffs or winning the conference title will be devastating for the football program. The hype has surrounded the football team the last couple years, and they need to own up to it.