UNI-Dome ready for a workout in the next few weeks

The next month will be a busy one at the UNI-Dome. The entire semifinal and championship rounds of the high school football playoffs will be held in the Dome and school officials will bid to host the one-double-a playoff games. UNI is 8-1 and sixth-ranked nationally. With two games remaining the Panthers have a good shot at qualifying for the playoffs. UNI athletic director Rick Hartzell says they’ve bid for the first three rounds. He says they have to guarantee a certain amount of money for the playoffs. He says they also plan on bidding for an N-C-A-A volleyball regional and that combined with three basketball games and a concert the first week of December may force the football team to look at alternative sites for practice. He says they’ve talked to Wartburg and Iowa and have gotten great cooperation in discussing the use of their practice facitlities. He says the first week of December is the only real problem as basketball gets underway. The Panthers are on the road at Western Kentucky this weekend.