Gary Rima has been the voice of the Panthers for nearly 30 years and following the 2021-2022 UNI basketball season, his tenure will come to a close.

"And a huge THANK YOU to all the Panther fans who sometime during my 29-year career caught a game or two on the radio to follow how the Panthers were doing. I loved doing my job because of you Panther Nation!"

 

Rima said in a statement to UNI Athletics.

"For me, the game and the broadcast were always about the players and the team and describing their accomplishments and feats to all the fans who wish they could have been there to see it in person but couldn't."

Rima's experience, gravitas, genuine love for UNI Athletics and famous catchphrases, "Oh baby!" "I love this team!" and "Kaboom, Kabullseye!" will be greatly missed by Panther fans all over the Cedar Valley and the state of Iowa.

Rima not only held his position with the UNI athletic department, but was the main personality on his Iowa sports centric show, On Press Row. Rima, along with college students or recent graduates as his producers, were on air for 14 years. Prior to being on the airwaves at KXEL in Waterloo, Rima was the general manager of the Waterloo Bucks.

Two former producers shared their sentiments on Twitter:

The Strawberry Point native has been on the call for a multitude of the greatest moments in Northern Iowa sports history. The long list includes the upset of the No. 1 team in the nation at the McLeod Center in 2015:

Wes Washpun's game-winner that sent the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament in 2016:

Paul Jesperson's half-court heave to defeat Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2016:

UNI's claim to fame from then-point guard Ali Farokhmanesh, as the purple and gold pulled the upset over number one overall seed Kansas in 2010:

The toppling of the FBS, Big 12 level football program, Iowa State in 2016:

The Panthers' upset of No. 1 North Dakota State University, ending their 33-game winning streak in 2014:

The National Runner-Up Panther football squad in 2005:

Notable former athletes Rima has been on the call for:

  • Kurt Warner, Super Bowl Champion
  • David Johnson, Houston Texans running back
  • Daurice Fountain, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
  • L.J. Fort, Baltimore Ravens linebacker
  • Benny Sapp, former NFL defensive back
  • Brad Meester, 13-year NFL offensive lineman
  • Jason Daisy, 1996-1997 Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Player of the Year
  • Adam Koch, 2009-2010 Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Player of the Year
  • Seth Tuttle, 2014-2015 Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Player of the Year
  • AJ Green, 2019-2020 Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Basketball Player of the Year

Iowa Born Sports Stars

What do each of these stellar athletes have in common? They all hail from the Hawkeye State.

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