| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 1985 |
| Team: | Northern Iowa Panthers |
| Conference: | Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference |
| Short Conf: | GCAC |
| Record: | 11–2 |
| Conf Record: | 5–0 |
| Head Coach: | Darrell Mudra |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Def Coach: | Dennis Remmert |
| Dc Year: | 15th |
| Stadium: | UNI-Dome |
| Champion: | GCAC champion |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal |
| Bowl Result: | L 33–40 vs. Georgia Southern |
The 1985 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Darrell Mudra, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 11–2 with a mark of 5–0 in conference play, winning the GCAC title.[1] Northern Iowa advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Panthers defeated Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals before losing to the evenutal national champion, Georgia Southern in the semifinals.