The Eastern Illinois Panthers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Eastern Illinois University located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1899. The team plays its home games at the 10,000 seat O'Brien Field, which is named after head coach Maynard O'Brien.
The 2012 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Dino Babers and played their home games at O'Brien Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Illinois finished the season 7–5 overall and 6–1 in OVC play to be crowned conference champions. They earned the conference's automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs, where they lost in the first round to South Dakota State.
The 2013 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Dino Babers and played their home games at O'Brien Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Illinois finished the season 12–2 overall and 8–0 in OVC play to win the conference championship. They received an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs where they defeated Tennessee State in the second round before losing to Towson in the quarterfinals.
The 2014 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Kim Dameron and played their home games at O'Brien Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Illinois finished the season 5–7, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in a tie for third place.
The 2015 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Kim Dameron and played their home games at O'Brien Stadium. They were a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Eastern Illinois finished the season 7–5, 7–1 in OVC play to finish in second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Northern Iowa.
The 2016 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Kim Dameron and played their home games at O'Brien Stadium. They were members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 6–5, 4–4 in OVC play to finish in a tie for fifth place.
The 2010 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Panthers were led by 23rd-year head coach Bob Spoo and played their home games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois. Eastern Illinois compiled an overall record of 2–9 with a mark of 2–6 in OVC play to place seventh in the OVC.
The 2017 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Kim Dameron and played their home games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). The Panthers finished the season 6–5, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in third place.
The 2017–18 Eastern Illinois Panthers men's basketball team represented Eastern Illinois University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by sixth-year head coach Jay Spoonhour, played their home games at Lantz Arena as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 12–19, 7–11 in OVC play to finish in eighth place. They defeated Tennessee State in the first round of the OVC Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Austin Peay.
The 2018 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Kim Dameron and played their home games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 3–8, 3–5 in OVC play to finish in a tie for sixth place.
The 2019 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Adam Cushing and played their home games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They finished the season 1–11, 1–7 in OVC play to finish in last place.
The 2019–20 Eastern Illinois Panthers men's basketball team represented Eastern Illinois University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Panthers, led by eighth-year head coach Jay Spoonhour, played their home games at Lantz Arena as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 17–15, 9–9 in OVC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They defeated Jacksonville State in the first round of the OVC Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Austin Peay.
The 2020 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represents Eastern Illinois University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by second-year head coach Adam Cushing and play their home games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois as members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
The 1996 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by tenth-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled and overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the OVC. Eastern Illinois was invited to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost to Northern Iowa in the first round.
The 2000 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 14th-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 8–4, finishing second in OVC with a conference mark of 6–1. Eastern Illinois was invited to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Montana. The Bobcats were ranked 17th in the final Sports Network poll. Their starting quarterback, Tony Romo, went on to play 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
The 2001 Eastern Illinois Panthers represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 9–2, winning the OVC title with a conference mark of 6–1. Eastern Illinois was invited to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Northern Iowa. The Bobcats were ranked ninth in the final Sports Network poll.
The 2021 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represents Eastern Illinois University during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They are led by third-year head coach Adam Cushing and play their games at O'Brien Field in Charleston, Illinois.
The 2003 Eastern Illinois Panthers represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 17th-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 4–8 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in the OVC.
The 2004 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 18th-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing fourth in the OVC. Eastern Illinois played their home games at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, Illinois.
The 2005 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 19th-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the OVC title. Eastern Illinois was invited to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost Southern Illinois in the first round.
