CEDAR FALLS — Since the mid-1970s, the voice of Bob Justis has rang throughout the corridors of the West Gym, UNI-Dome and McLeod Center at hundreds of Panther sporting events. After five decades, he is now passing the microphone on to the next generation.

On Wednesday, Justis announced that he will be retiring as the public address (PA) announcer for UNI football and men’s basketball, bringing to a close a remarkable career of service to Panther Athletics.

Justis will step down as PA announcer for football at the conclusion of the 2024 season, which will be his 48th in the booth. He recently completed his 49th and final season announcing men’s basketball this past year.

The UNI Athletic Department will recognize Justis for his decades of service during the Panthers’ final regular season football game this fall against Indiana State on Nov. 23. Justis will also be recognized for his contributions to UNI men’s basketball at a game to be announced.

Since first taking a seat at the PA announcers’ chair in 1975, Justis has called over 900 Panther football and men’s basketball games in numerous on-campus venues. From the small and intimate setup of the West Gym, to the vast size of the UNI-Dome to the raucous crowds inside the McLeod Center, he has seen no shortage of memorable Panther moments unfold before him.

“It is bittersweet to honor Bob Justis as he announces his retirement from the PA booth upon the conclusion of the 2024 football season,” said UNI Director of Athletics Megan Franklin. “It was a fortunate day when Bob’s passion for connecting donors to UNI programs then evolved into becoming the Voice of the Panthers. His legacy career is a testament to the love for the purple and gold over a lifetime. I invite Panther Nation to join us in the Dome this season to enjoy Bob’s iconic voice as the team takes the gridiron.”

Justis, known for his vigor on the microphone, has coined many phrases that have become familiar to longtime Panther fans, including his “heeeeere come the Panthers” as the home team enters the arena. Some of his other famous sayings from football have included a cautious warning to opposing fans and teams that “a ferocious predator has been seen stalking the nation,” as well as a weather report highlighting the UNI-Dome’s features of “no wind and no snow.”

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Justis was raised in Cedar Falls and graduated from UNI in 1974 with a degree in speech along with a business minor. After initially getting his start at UNI helping fundraise for the new UNI-Dome project, he became the PA announcer for Panther men’s basketball in 1975 and later football in 1977 on a volunteer basis.

An active member of his community and the entire Cedar Valley area, Justis served in many different roles outside of his position as the Voice of the Panthers. He worked as an Assistant Director of Development with the UNI Foundation, and later Director of Corporate Relations and Development at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Later in his career, he served as chairman of the Cedar Valley United Way and President of the Cedar Falls Chamber of Commerce. In 1988, he was recognized as a recipient of the UNI Alumni Association’s Service Award.