Northern Iowa Panthers

1. They Sell More Books Than That OTHER Iowa Writing School. Who's the most famous and influential alumnus of Northern Iowa? Kurt Warner, you say? Guess again. Without question, the UNI grad that has received the most press and undobutedly wasted the most trees is Robert James Waller, best known for penning "The Bridges of Madison County" a mere 14 years ago. Waller graduated from UNI with a degree in Business Education and later received a Masters in Education ... none of which indicates that he would prolifically right sappy love stories in bucolic Iowa. On the plus side, he did play for their men's basketball team when it was known as Iowa State Teachers College. However, lest you think that he has the UNI monopoly over bad Hollywood stories, Nancy Price, author of "Sleeping with the Enemy," is also a UNI alum. Take THAT, University of Iowa Writing Program!

2. They Helped Produce Many Corporate Bastards. In 1958, the first chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda opened its doors at the University of Northern Iowa, with the purpose of fostering and teaching business principles and accumen in college-age Americans. After taking root in Northern Iowa, the Phi Beta Lambda portion of FBLA grew to well over 50,000 members and does exemplary charity when not focused on preaching corporate domination to impressionable 20-year-olds. Notable graduates of this organization (though not Northern Iowa) include Troy Aikman, Patricia Nixon, Johnny Mathis, and that extremely annoying near-sighted guy you nicknamed Egon freshman year. On second thought, it's probably for UNI that none of these luminaries can call their school home.

3. It's A Wrestling School First. Despite the fame that Warner has brought to the university and the recent success of the mens' hoops team, the most accomplished program at UNI is without question the wrestling team, further carrying on the state's tradition in the role of dominance on the mat. Three-time NCAA champions, the school also boasts two Olympic medalists in wrestling, a heady achievment for an institution that was primarily a teaching college until the latter half of the twentieth century. — Angelo Grasso