Northern Iowa Panthers

The 1989 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Football Conference the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Terry Allen, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for second in the Gateway. Northern Iowa played home games at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.