Eastern Illinois Panthers
| Eastern Illinois Panthers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Eastern Illinois University |
| Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Tom Michael |
| Location | Charleston, IL |
| Varsity teams | 10 men's and 11 women's |
| Football stadium | O'Brien Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Lantz Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Coaches Stadium at Monier Field |
| Mascot | Billy the Panther (Replaced by Prowler the Panther in 2003, returned on September 13, 2008) |
| Nickname | Panthers |
| Colors |
Blue Gray |
| Website |
www |
The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the men's and women's athletic teams representing Eastern Illinois University of Charleston, IL in the NCAA's Division I. Most Eastern Illinois teams, including the FCS football team, participate in the Ohio Valley Conference.[1] The men's soccer and men's swimming and diving teams are associate members of The Summit League,[2] and the women's rugby team (one of only three Division I and six total teams in this NCAA "emerging sport for women") is an independent. Eastern Illinois University's colors are blue and gray. The team mascot, a panther, was informally known as "Billy" until its name was officially changed to "Prowler the Panther," in 2003 and then changed back to "Billy the Panther" in 2008.
Teams
Eastern Illinois University sponsors ten men's and eleven women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports:[3]
|
Men's Teams
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Women's Teams
|
- * = Rugby is an NCAA "emerging sport" which is fully sanctioned, but does not yet have a national championship.[4]
Wrestling was a thriving sport at EIU until 2007, the last year that Eastern Illinois University sponsored a sanctioned NCAA Division I wrestling program.
Sports Highlights
Baseball
- 1981 NCAA Division II World Series Runner-Up.[5]
Men's basketball
- NAIA Tournament appearances (6) 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957. With a combined record of 7–7. Highest finish, 4th: 1957.
- NCAA Division II Tournament appearances each year from 1975 to 1980
- NCAA Division I Tournament appearances (1992 and 2001).
- All time tournament results[6]
| Year | Seed | First Round Winner | First Round Loser | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 15 | Indiana | 94 | Eastern Illinois | 55 |
| 2001 | 15 | Arizona | 101 | Eastern Illinois | 76 |
Football
- 1978 Division II National Champion, 1980 National Runner-Up.
- NCAA Division I Football Championship tournament appearances: 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, & 2009, 2012, 2013.
| Year | First Round Home Team | First Round Away Team | Quarterfinal Home | Quarterfinal Away | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 OT | Eastern Illinois | 16 | Jackson State | 13 | Tennessee State | 20 | Eastern Illinois | 19 |
| 1983 2OT | Indiana State | 16 | Eastern Illinois | 13 | ||||
| 1986 | Eastern Illinois | 28 | Murray State | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 22 | Eastern Kentucky | 24 |
| 1989 | Idaho | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 38 | Montana | 25 | Eastern Illinois | 19 |
| 1995 | Stephen F. Austin | 34 | Eastern Illinois | 29 | ||||
| 1996 | Northern Iowa | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 14 | ||||
| 2000 | Montana | 45 | Eastern Illinois | 13 | ||||
| 2001 | Eastern Illinois | 43 | Northern Iowa | 49 | ||||
| 2002 | Western Illinois | 48 | Eastern Illinois | 9 | ||||
| 2005 | Eastern Illinois | 6 | Southern Illinois | 21 | ||||
| 2006[8] | Eastern Illinois | 13 | Illinois State | 24 | ||||
| 2007 | Southern Illinois | 30 | Eastern Illinois | 11 | ||||
| 2009 | Southern Illinois | 48 | Eastern Illinois | 7 | ||||
Men's soccer
- NCAA Division II runners-up in 1978, 3rd in 1977, and 4th in 1974.
- Stripped of 1981 Division I 3rd place finish.
Men's cross country
Team Championships:
- 1968 – NCAA College Division National Champions
- 1969 – NCAA College Division National Champions
- 1977 – NCAA National Champions
Men's track and field
See also: Track and field
Team Championships (men's):
- 1974 – NCAA College Division National Champions
Individual Champions:
- 1955 – Ray White, NAIA Long Jump
- 1967 – John Craft, NAIA Triple Jump
- 1969 – John Craft, NCAA College Division Triple Jump
- 1972 – Rodney Jackson, NCAA College Division 400 hurdles
- 1973 – Rodney Jackson, NCAA College Division 400 hurdles
- 1974 – Darrell Brown, NCAA Division II Long Jump
- 1975 – Toni Ababio, NCAA Division II Long Jump
- 1975 – Toni Ababio, NCAA Division II Triple Jump
- 1976 – Ed Hatch, NCAA Division II 400 Meter Dash
- 1979 – Robert Johnson, NCAA Division II 110 hurdles
- 1981 – Augustine Oruwari, NCAA Division II 110 hurdles
- 1988 – Jim Maton, NCAA Division I 800 meter run (Indoor)
- 1992 – Dan Steele, NCAA Division I 400 hurdles
Fight Song
Eastern Loyalty or EIU Fight Song is the fight song for the university. The lyrics are:
We are loyal EIU, we're loyal and true –
'though the odds be great or small
we'll still be cheering you (rah! rah!)
so fight you Panthers for the glory of our dear name
fight on for Eastern, come on you Panthers win this game!
Notable former athletes
- Tim Bogar, retired Major League Baseball infielder
- Brad Childress, former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
- Henry Domercant, professional basketball player in Europe
- Kevin Duckworth, former NBA All-Star forward
- Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback for the New England Patriots
- Kyle Hill, professional basketball player in Europe
- Matt Hughes, 2x NCAA All-American wrestler, former UFC Welterweight Champion
- Marty Pattin, former MLB baseball pitcher for the California Angels, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and Kansas City Royals
- Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints
- Kenny Robertson, 4x NCAA Division I qualifier for wrestling; current mixed martial artist for the UFC
- Tony Romo, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
- Micah Rucker, former wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Giants; also played in the Arena Football League
- Mike Russow, current mixed martial artist
- Mike Shanahan, head coach of the Washington Redskins
- Chris Szarka, retired Canadian Football League fullback
- Pierre Walters, NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs
- Jeff Gossett, former NFL punter for the LA/Oakland Raiders and 3 other NFL teams
- Ted Petersen, retired NFL Offensive/Defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts
- Matt Veach, current mixed martial artist
References
- ↑ "OVCSports.com - OVC Member Institutions". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "The Summit League". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "FB_familyweekend_2014". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "NCAA Sports Sponsorship". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑ "Eastern Illinois Panthers - Turn Back the Clock Tuesday - May 16, 1981". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ↑
- ↑ "Eastern Illinois Panther Football : Panthers - Salukis Meet For Third Time In Five Years EIU Opens FCS Plays At Southern Illinois" (PDF). Eiupanthers.com. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
- ↑
External links
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