| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 1987 |
| Team: | Northern Iowa Panthers |
| Conference: | Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference |
| Short Conf: | GCAC |
| Record: | 10–4 |
| Conf Record: | 6–0 |
| Head Coach: | Darrell Mudra |
| Hc Year: | 5th |
| Stadium: | UNI-Dome |
| Champion: | GCAC champion |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal |
| Bowl Result: | L 41–44 vs. Northeast Louisiana |
The 1987 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season.