Eastern Illinois Panthers

Last updated
Eastern Illinois Panthers
Eastern Illinois Panthers logo.svg
University Eastern Illinois University
Conference Ohio Valley Conference (primary)
OVC–Big South Football Association (football)
Summit League (swimming & diving)
NCAA Division I (FCS) (FCS)
PresidentJay Gatrell
Athletic directorTom Michael
Location Charleston, Illinois
Varsity teams17 (8 men's, 9 women's)
Football stadium O’Brien Field
Basketball arena Groniger Arena
Baseball stadium Coaches Stadium at Monier Field
Softball stadiumWilliams Field
Soccer fieldLakeside Soccer Field
NatatoriumPadovan Pool
Indoor track and field venueLantz Fieldhouse
Outdoor track and field venueO'Brien Field
Volleyball arenaMcAfee Gym
Beach volleyball venueLinder Sports Complex
Mascot Billy the Panther
NicknamePanthers
Marching bandPanther Marching Band
Fight songEastern State March
ColorsBlue and gray [1]
   
Website eiupanthers.com/index.aspx
Eastern Illinois Panthers wordmark.svg

The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the intercollegiate athletic programs of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. The Panthers athletic program competes at the NCAA Division I level [2] and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). [3] The football team is a member of the Division I FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) OVC–Big South Football Association. EIU's colors are blue and gray. Selected as the team mascot in 1930, EIU's panther was informally known as "Billy" for many years and was officially named "Billy the Panther" in 2008. [4] Panther teams have won five NCAA national championships in three sports. [5] The Panthers also won the 1969 NAIA men's soccer title. [6]

Contents

History

Eastern Illinois athletics began in the school's very first year, with the inaugural football team taking the field only three weeks after the first students arrived on campus in 1899. [7]

Eastern Illinois was a member of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1912 to 1970. From 1978 to 1982 they were members of the Mid-Continent Athletic Association which was absorbed by the Association of Mid-Continent Universities later known as the Mid-Continent Conference now the Summit League till 1996. In 1996 they joined the Ohio Valley Conference which is their current conference.

A member of the Ohio Valley Conference since 1996, Eastern Illinois University sponsors teams in eight men's and nine women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [8] The Panthers' men's and women's swimming teams compete as associate members of the Summit League since those sports are not sponsored by the OVC. The men's soccer team also competed in the Summit League before the OVC launched a men's soccer league for the 2023 season (2023–24 school year).

Sports sponsored

Baseball

Ohio Valley Conference logo in Eastern Illinois colors Ohio Valley Conference logo in Eastern Illinois colors.svg
Ohio Valley Conference logo in Eastern Illinois colors

The Panther baseball team has appeared in three NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, in 1999, 2008, and 2023.

Basketball

Men's basketball

YearSeedFirst Round WinnerFirst Round Loser
1992 15 Indiana 94Eastern Illinois55
2001 15 Arizona 101Eastern Illinois76

Women’s basketball

YearSeedFirst Round WinnerFirst Round Loser
1988 10 Colorado 78Eastern Illinois72

Men's cross country

Team Championships:

National Finishes:

Football

YearFirst Round Home Team First Round Away Team Second Round HomeSecond Round Away Quarterfinal HomeQuarterfinal Away
1982 OT Eastern Illinois16 Jackson Tigers 13 Tennessee State 20Eastern Illinois19
1983 2OT Indiana State 16Eastern Illinois13
1986Eastern Illinois28 Murray State 21Eastern Illinois22 Eastern Kentucky 24
1989 Idaho 21Eastern Illinois38 Montana 25Eastern Illinois19
1995 Stephen F. Austin 34Eastern Illinois29
1996 Northern Iowa 21Eastern Illinois14
2000Montana45Eastern Illinois13
2001Eastern Illinois43Northern Iowa49
2002 Western Illinois 48Eastern Illinois9
2005Eastern Illinois6 Southern Illinois 21
2006Eastern Illinois13 Illinois State 24
2007 Southern Illinois 30Eastern Illinois11
2009 Southern Illinois 48Eastern Illinois7
2012 South Dakota State 58 Eastern Illinois 10
2013ByeBye Eastern Illinois 51 Tennessee State 10Eastern Illinois39 Towson 49
2015 Northern Iowa 53 Eastern Illinois 17

Men’s golf

National Finishes: [12]

Individual National Champions: [13]

Soccer

Men's soccer

  • 1969 – NAIA National Champion.
  • NCAA Division II runners-up in 1979, 3rd in 1978, and 4th in 1974.
  • Stripped of 1981 Division I 3rd-place finish.

Women’s soccer

The Panther women’s soccer team has appeared in four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer tournaments in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. [14]

Softball

The Panther softball team appeared in two AIAW Women's College World Series, in 1971 and 1974. [15] They reached their first NCAA Division I softball tournament in 2023.

Men’s swimming and diving

National Finishes:

Individual National Champions: [16]

Track and field

Team Championships (men's):

Individual Champions:

Volleyball

The Eastern Illinois volleyball team has been the Ohio Valley Conference champions in 1998, co champions in 2004, and 2023. The volleyball team has made two NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament appearances in 2001 and 2023. [17]

Athletic facilities

Current facilities

Facilities are housed on the west side of the EIU campus between 4th Street and Grant Avenue. [18]

Men's and women's golf practice at four local courses including Charleston Country Club, Mattoon Country Club, Meadowview Golf Course and Bent Tree Golf Course. [19]

Former facilities

Club and intramural facilities

Notable former athletes

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Handball

MMA

Rugby

Soccer

Track

References

  1. "EIU BRANDING, MARKETING & LOGOS" . Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  2. "Eastern Illinois University". NCAA. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  3. "OVC Member Institutions". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  4. "EIU Panther Mascot". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  5. "EIU National Championships". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  6. "Men's Soccer Championship Records" (PDF). National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  7. "History". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  8. "FB_familyweekend_2014" . Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  9. "Eastern Illinois Panthers - Turn Back the Clock Tuesday - May 16, 1981" . Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  10. Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. "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.
  12. "Eastern Illinois Men's Golf Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  13. "EIU Individual National Champions" . Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  14. "EIU Women's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  15. Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN   978-0-9893007-0-4.
  16. "EIU National Championships" . Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  17. "EIU Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). p. 57. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  18. "Eastern Illinois Athletic Facilities" (PDF). Eastern Illinois Panthers. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  19. "Eastern Illinois Facilities". Eastern Illinois Panthers. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  20. "Buildings and Grounds of EIU". Eastern Illinois University. p. 35. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  21. "Nostalgia Surrounds O'Brien" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University. Retrieved 16 March 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. "Stan Royer". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  23. "Kevin Seitzer". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  24. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tim Dykstra". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  25. "Schellas Hyndman". Southern Methodist University. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  26. "Dan Steel". Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  27. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Darrin Steele Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2018.