Rima is Going Into the Hall of Fame

Former Panther Broadcaster Honored

(Cedar Falls, Iowa) – Kaboom! Long time Northern Iowa broadcaster Gary Rima is going into the Hall of Fame. Rima is one of 8 inductees in the 2026 UNI Athletics Hall of Fame class. It is a class led by former Panther quarterback and Super Bowl Champion Kurt Warner.

Rima is a twenty-nine year announcer of UNI sports.  He tells Valley Hoops Insider that he never expected the ‘call to the hall’. His time as ‘voice of the Panthers’ happened when the radio station he was working for obtained the exclusive radio rights to Panther athletics.

Rima endeared himself to the Panther fans listening with his signature catchphrases: “Kaboom,” and “Oh Baby, “I love this team.” He says the creation and evolution of those phrases came very naturally. Who can forget, ‘Down Goes Kansas!’

Another of this year’s UNI Athletics Hall of Fame inductees is long-time UNI Football and Men’s Basketball Public Address Announcer Bob Justis. Rima shared a story with Valley Hoops Insider of how Justis gave him a “pep talk” of sorts on what he wanted out of his broadcast from a fan perspective.

Hall of Fame Memories

Rima says some of the most significant memories of his career included the 2005 FCS Football National Championship Game and the 2010 NCAA Tournament. That 2010 achievement was the Panthers’ first ever Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Gary was fortunate to have incredible stability in terms of his analysts on his Football and Men’s Basketball broadcasts, with former Panther Football player Scott Peterson as Rima’s analyst for all 28 seasons he called Panther Football. Long-time spotter Dana Cooke was also a fixture on Rima’s football broadcasts. In Men’s Basketball, Rima was joined on the broadcasts by Former Iowa Hawkeye player and coach, and long-time Panther Men’s Basketball Assistant Kevin Boyle for 26 of his 29 seasons broadcasting Panther Men’s Basketball. Rima shared with Valley Hoops Insider how he feels that he shares this award with his long-time broadcast partners.

The unique set of circumstances surrounding his UNI career is a story that Rima loves to tell. His predecessor and fellow UNI Athletics Hall of Famer Clare Rampton, retired and then briefly ‘unretired’ for one football season.

Rima is enjoying retirement in Florida and delivered an outstanding acceptance speech during the September 11th celebration.

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