University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2026
Gary Rima is one of two co-recipients of the 2026 Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award.
Awarded as part of UNI Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony since 1989, the Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award is given to an individual or individuals who have given a significant commitment of time and/or professional services to the furtherance of excellence in athletics at the University of Northern Iowa. Previous honorees have included team physicians, faculty athletics representatives, athletic trainers, broadcasters, volunteers and financial contributors/donors.Â
Rima, a Strawberry Point, Iowa native, spent 29 years as the radio play-by-play voice of UNI football, men's basketball and baseball from 1993 to 2022. Known for his signature catchphrases like "oh baby, I love this team" and "kabooom," Rima called over 2,000 total games in his Panther broadcasting career, which also included weekly UNI coaches radio call-in shows.
Among Rima's most notable calls have included UNI baseball's 2001 MVC regular season championship run, Panther football's 2005 appearance in the national championship game and men's basketball's 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen run and upset of top-ranked Kansas.
In addition to team management, Rima, often referred to as the "Sports Guy," hosted a weekday sports talk radio show from 2006 to 2020, featuring debate on Iowa sports topics with interviews from local, state and national figures. A two-time Iowa Sports Broadcaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, as well as the first-ever recipient of the Bill Schwanke Award as the top play-by-play radio broadcaster in FCS football and the 1997 Iowa High School Athletic Association's New Media Award winner, he was also was recognized with the UNI Honorary Alumni Award in 2016.
A lifelong sportsman, Rima also served as the general manager of the Waterloo Bucks Northwoods League baseball team from 1999 to 2003, helping the summer collegiate organization to a league championship in 2002. In 2015, he returned to management as the founder and general manager of the Cedar Valley CourtKings, a semi-professional men's basketball franchise in Waterloo, leading the team to back-to-back Midwest Basketball League titles in 2016 and 2017 in the team's first two seasons.
Rima currently resides in The Villages, Florida with his wife Marla Kay.
