The 2016 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season.

The team was coached by Mark Farley in his sixteenth season and played their home games in the UNI-Dome.

They were a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

They finished the season 5–6, 4–4 in MVFC play to finish in a tie for fourth place.