FIU Golden Panthers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Golden Panthers is the name for all athletic teams at Florida International University and the mascot is Roary the Panther. FIU's athletic department competes in 11 different sports with programs for both men and women.
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Men's sports |
Women's sports |
FIU colors are dark blue and gold, and their nickname is the Golden Panthers. The school's original nickname, the "Sunblazers", was changed in 1987. FIU is a member of the NCAA, participating in Division I and the Sun Belt Conference in all sports except for men's soccer (which competes in Conference USA as an affiliate member). FIU joined the Sun Belt Conference in 1998 and previously competed in the Trans America Athletic Conference, from 1991 to 1998.
FIU's athletics department has produced several professional and Olympic athletes, including current players in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and the National Basketball Association. Traditional rivals include the University of Miami Hurricanes and the FAU Owls.
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[edit] Baseball
[edit] University Park Stadium
See also: University Park Stadium
University Park Stadium is a baseball stadium located on the University Park campus of Florida International University in Miami, Florida. It is used as the home venue of the university's baseball team. The facility opened on January 26, 1996 with an FIU victory against Bethune-Cookman, 1-0. The team spent the 2000 season at the Homestead Sports Complex in Homestead, Florida while the facility underwent an expansion.
The largest crowd in the stadium's history was 2,473 on February 26, 2002, when FIU defeated their cross-town rival Miami Hurricanes with the score of 7-1. In 2005, the facility also hosted the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.
[edit] Basketball
[edit] Pharmed Arena
See also: Pharmed Arena
Pharmed Arena is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena which opened on February 1, 1986 and is home to the Florida International University Golden Panthers basketball and volleyball teams. It was originally named Sunblazer Arena but was renamed Golden Panther Arena when FIU's athletic teams changed their nickname from Sunblazers to Golden Panthers in 1987. It was eventually renamed on September 1, 2004 in honor of Pharmed Group after a $1 million USD donation was made to the FIU athletic department by Pharmed owners Jorge and Carlos de Cespedes. Other events such as MTV's Campus Invasion, music concerts, ceremonies and fairs are also held year-round at the arena.
[edit] Football
See also: Florida International Golden Panthers football
The school's football team competes in the annual Shula Bowl against in-state rival Florida Atlantic University (FAU). They play home games at FIU Stadium nicknamed "The Cage" and are currently coached by Mario Cristobal.
In 2005, the Golden Panthers moved to the Sun Belt Conference for football, making their transition from D-1AA to D-1A complete. In their first season in the Sunbelt FIU winning (5-6). Later on October 14, 2006, FIU and the University of Miami, began a cross-town rivalry after a football game in which both teams caused one of the largest brawls in collegiate history. However, games between the two schools are expected to continue as normal despite the violence that erupted in their first meeting. See Miami-FIU brawl.
[edit] FIU Stadium
See also: FIU Stadium
The FIU Stadium (known to students and fans as "The Cage") serves as the home venue by the Golden Panthers football and track and field teams. The facility opened in 1995 and has a seating capacity of 12,673 people. The stadium is currently under expansion expected to be finished for the 2008 football season with a seating capacity of about 25,000. The stadium will continue to undergoe expansion to eventually reach a seating capacity of 45,000 by 2011.
[edit] Soccer
FIU has won two NCAA Division II national championships in men's soccer, in 1982 and 1984. To date these are the only national titles the university has achieved in athletic competition. The men's soccer team reached the Division I championship game in 1996, losing to St. John's University 4-1.
The men's soccer team competes as an affiliate member of Conference USA, and is the only FIU sport to do so. This relationship began in 2005 and was formed since the Sun Belt Conference does not sponsor men's soccer. The team previously played in the Atlantic Soccer Conference from 2000 to 2004.
Currently, there is construction of a new, third soccer field which is expected to be finished by the Summer of 2007 for use by both the men and women's soccer teams.
[edit] Traditions
The FIU Fight Song is sung at sports games and official ceremonies.
The lyrics are:
From the green fields of Tamiami
To the north shore of Biscayne Bay
Here's the place where we can gather,
Where Golden Panthers hunt their prey
Anyone who tries to defeat us
Better think twice and stand aside,
Bring them here with their fear to Miami
And when they come we'll show our Panther Pride
Golden Panthers, see the paw,
We will fight, you'll feel the claw!
Let's go Panthers, Gold and Blue,
Fight For FIU!
