Men's Basketball

UNI Athletics announces implementation of jersey retirement program

Panthers announce slate of recognitions for wrestling, men’s basketball and women’s basketball this month, with additional ceremonies to follow.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI Athletic Department on Tuesday announced the implementation of a new program and set of criteria to formally retire jerseys of iconic Panther athletes.

As part of the university's sesquicentennial celebration, jersey retirements will be held for one individual from all current Panther athletic programs in 2026. Three jerseys will be retired during the month of February recognizing Panther legends Bill Smith (wrestling), AJ Green (men's basketball) and Jacqui Kalin (women's basketball). 

Additionally, UNI will retire jerseys of iconic Panthers for sports no longer sponsored by the university during the 2026 homecoming celebration at its All-Sports Reunion, including baseball, men's and women's gymnastics, women's field hockey, men's swimming and diving and men's tennis.

The late Bill Smith, a two-time NCAA champion and 1952 Olympic gold medalist will be celebrated at UNI wrestling's Feb. 14 home dual against West Virginia. Green, who is currently in his fourth season playing for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and won two MVC Player of the Year awards, will be honored the following day on Feb. 15 when the Panther men's basketball team hosts Drake. Kalin, the all-time leading scorer in UNI women's basketball history and a two-time conference player of the year, will have her jersey retired on Feb. 28 when the Panthers take on UIC.

Both Green and Kalin will be in attendance for their respective ceremonies, while representatives of Smith's family will attend in his honor. UNI Athletics will highlight each honoree in the leadup to their retirement ceremony.

"In this sesquicentennial year, the UNI Athletics administration considered how to celebrate those student-athlete alumni who have left their legacy," said UNI Director of Athletics Dr. Megan Franklin. "We recognized that a jersey retirement is the highest honor to bestow on student-athlete alumni. Therefore, we worked with the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame Committee and UNI head coaches to establish this program."

"To launch the program, we will honor one individual from all sports sponsored in the history of UNI Athletics," Franklin added. "The honorees are legends in their respective sports history and we are excited to offer an opportunity for the Panther Athletics family and fans to celebrate their storied careers!"

The jersey retirement program includes plans for future recognition as deemed appropriate by the selection committee and head coaches. It does not retire any numbers from current circulation. This class joins volleyball's Mary Bernhardt, who received a similar honor in 1988. UNI Athletics will continue to recognize teams and individuals as part of its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
 

To honor exceptional athletes, the UNI Athletic Department has established the following criteria for retiring athletic jerseys:

  • They should have achieved notable individual accolades, such as school, regional or national records, All-American or all-conference status.
  • Most valuable player/athlete or post-conference competition.
  • The athlete's influence should extend beyond their school playing career resulting in inspiration for future generations.
  • The athlete must have demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship, character and leadership.
  • Their performance must have positively impacted their team's success.
  • The athlete's active involvement in community service or outreach is preferable, including earning popularity and connection with fans and the citizenry.
  • Post-athletic contributions to the school, community or sport following their playing career.
  • Selections are determined by the Intercollegiate Hall of Fame Committee with support from current/former head coaches of each sport.
 

Members of the evaluating committee that determines jersey retirements includes chairwoman and UNI Director of Athletics Dr. Megan Franklin, Vice Chair Noreen Hermansen, UNI Faculty Athletics Representative Elaine Eshbaugh, Ron Steele, Jim Kelly, Chris Kleinhans-Schulz, Stan Lorenz, Jim Miller, Dave Peters, Steve Gearhart, Nancy Justis, Scott Peace and Joel Wauters with input from UNI head coaches.



 

UNI Athletics action can be followed all year long on social media on Facebook (UNI Athletics), X (@UNIAthletics) and on Instagram (@uniathletics). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.