Northern Iowa opens the Kyle Green era Tuesday against Division III Cornell College at the McLeod Center. The Panthers are coming off an exhibition win and return six players from last season’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship team, alongside a roster bolstered by transfers and newcomers.

By the Numbers
  • Tipoff: 7 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the 6,650-seat McLeod Center.
  • UNI leads the all-time series 14-22; the Panthers have won the teams’ last 3 regular-season meetings.
  • UNI beat Upper Iowa 85-78 in its exhibition game. Carson Vis scored 20 points, while Greyson Uelmen had 19 and made all 14 free throws.
  • Cornell went 6-19 last season, including 5-11 in Midwest Conference play. Kylen Bonner led the Rams with 10.9 points per game.
Yes, But

UNI enters with championship momentum, but Tuesday also marks a coaching transition and a substantially refreshed roster. Cornell is a Division III opponent, so the opener will offer only an early glimpse of how the Panthers’ new lineup is coming together.

State of Play
  • Green begins his first season as head coach after previous stints at UNI and five years on Iowa State’s staff.
  • UNI added six transfers, two freshmen and one international signee. Four Panthers — Uelmen, Tate McCubbin, Isaiah Johnson-Arigu and Ian Smikle — made the MVC preseason watchlist.
  • The game will air on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
What’s Next

Tuesday’s opener starts UNI’s 2026-27 regular season and gives Green his first chance to evaluate the new group in game action.

Bottom Line

UNI begins the season with high expectations after last year’s conference tournament title, but the central storyline is how quickly Green can shape a retooled roster into a contender.