The 2011 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Mark Farley, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 10âÂÂ3 with a mark of 7âÂÂ1 in conference play, sharing the MVFC title with North Dakota State. Northern Iowa received an at-large bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Panthers defeated Wofford in the second round before losing to Montana in the quarterfinals. The team played home games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
L. J. Fort was named MVFC defensive player of the year.