Parade
Mark your calendars for Homecoming 2026: October 5–11, and stay tuned for updated information about the Homecoming Parade!
2025 Grand Marshal
Drew Conrad
The grand marshal for the University of Northern Iowa's 2025 Homecoming parade will be Drew Conrad, UNI alum, winner of the Alumni Service Award and new executive director of Business and Community Services.
Conrad has worked at UNI for more than 30 years, serving in a variety of roles, recently taking over the helm of Business and Community Services, the economic development outreach arm of the Wilson College of Business. He also continues his previous role as director for the Institute for Decision Making. He is also active in various professional and community organizations and volunteer activities. Conrad is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, where he earned a master’s degree in public policy, and is the 2024 recipient of the UNI President’s Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
In addition to Conrad, other dignitaries for the parade will include Randy Pilkington and Cary Darrah, co-chairs of the university's Sesquicentennial celebration committee.
Parade Emcees
Brad Wells
Brad Wells has been announcing UNI events since he was a student at UNI. The 2003 graduate has been co-host of Panther Sports Talk, a weekly
TV show covering UNI Athletics, for the past 16 years. Brad is also the play-by-play TV announcer for UNI's football games on the Panther Sports Network and has announced on the radio and television for UNI and Missouri Valley Conference events for more than a decade.
Beyond broadcasting, Brad is a video producer with Around The Corner Productions creating content for TV shows, commercials, online platforms and corporate video projects. He has also helped craft many of the "Our Tomorrow" campaign videos for the UNI Foundation.
Brad and his wife, Molly, a two-time UNI graduate, live in Waterloo with their two daughters.
Nicole (Agee) Carros
Nicole (Agee) Carros built a career in journalism after graduating from UNI in 2004, spending nearly two decades in Midwest newsrooms. Most of her career was with KCRG-TV9 in Cedar Rapids, where she served as reporter and anchor, telling stories that connected communities across eastern Iowa.
Today, she draws on her newsroom experience to mentor and guide journalists across the country.
A proud Panther, Nicole enjoys returning to Cedar Falls and supporting the next generation of Panthers pursuing careers in media.
Parade Partners
