Ever loyal.
The words aren’t just a lyric pulled from Northern Iowa’s fight song – they’re a program mentality. As the basketball world adopted an “every man for himself” approach, coach Ben Jacobson cultivated the opposite. He encourages his players to stay loyal, lean in, and build a legacy together. Senior guard Trey Campbell is the perfect example.
The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native has started in 131 games for the Panthers, 99 of them consecutive. He’s a threat on both sides of the court with uncanny
basketball IQ. Campbell could make waves in any program, but rather than head for greener pastures, he committed to Jacobson’s vision.
That mentality was mirrored in the rest of the roster: 11 of 14 eligible players from last season returned to UNI for 2025-26. The Panthers also retained 72.1% of minutes played – the best of any program in DI. Their team chemistry seemed like a recipe for success.
UNI started the season with a bang, rattling off seven straight wins in non-conference play. Even their three losses looked good: only three points back from a strong Tulsa team, an overtime loss to ex-MVC member Wichita State, and a five-point loss to WCC powerhouse St. Mary’s. They seemed poised to take the Valley by storm.
Then came January.
Northern Iowa dropped five straight in conference play to Belmont, Bradley, UIC, Valparaiso and Illinois State. Injuries and offensive woes plagued the team. It felt like UNI was in for another heartbreak year in a string of heartbreak years. They’d secured a top-four seed four times since 2020, two of those being the one seed, but none resulted in a championship. It had been a decade since their last March Madness.
February success came in fits and starts. “Consistency” was one of the last words that would be used to describe the team’s record.
Fans began to chatter. Should the Panthers focus more on recruiting in the portal and less on developing high school talent? Does the program need a top-to-bottom overhaul? Jacobson’s methods worked in the past, sure, but are they outdated now?
The answer? Loyalty.
UNI entered the Arch Madness as a six seed, capping off the first day of competition with a matchup against the 11-seed Evansville Purple Aces. UNI was down one at halftime but rallied to win 68-59. Friday saw the Panthers steamroll three-seed Illinois State 74-52, leading wire to wire despite the Redbirds’ first-round bye. Two-seed Bradley put up a fight until the very end, eventually falling 73-69 to UNI.
And then there was one: five-seed UIC.
The Panthers and Flames split their regular-season matches. UIC was 12-8 to UNI’s 11-9. UNI was peaking at the right time, but UIC had an extra day of rest thanks to their first-round bye. It seemed like a recipe for a nail-biter.
The championship was anything but.
UNI led wire-to-wire, stretching their lead out to double digits on several occasions. The Flames fought hard but couldn’t overcome UNI’s 63.3% field goal shooting combined with 52.2% from beyond the arc. Fans rejoiced as the decade-long tournament championship drought was finally over.
The Panthers were ecstatic, but they weren’t surprised. They knew what they were capable of when the chips were down and set out to prove it. History was made in the process: Jacobson became the winningest coach in Arch Madness history with 22 wins over 20 seasons. UNI is now the only team to grind out four wins in four days in the conference tournament’s history. They made it look easy, too: UNI only trailed for 37 seconds total across four games.
“You have no idea how lucky I am to be around these guys every day.” Jacobson said in a postgame interview with CBS Sports. “Legacy means something to them.”
UNI’s players stayed loyal, and they will forever have a legacy as Missouri Valley champions. First, though? They’ve got a big dance to attend.
