Florida Tech Panthers football

Last updated
Florida Tech Panthers football
Florida Tech Panthers wordmark.svg
First season2013
Last season2019
Stadium Florida Tech Panther Stadium
(capacity: 4,989)
Location Melbourne, Florida
NCAA division Division II
Conference Gulf South Conference
All-time record44–35 (.557)
Bowl record1–0 (1.000)
Rivalries West Florida
ColorsRed and silver [1]
   
MascotPete The Panther

The Florida Tech Panthers football program was the intercollegiate American football team for the Florida Institute of Technology located in the U.S. state of Florida. The team competed in the NCAA Division II and was a member of the Gulf South Conference. Florida Tech's first football team was fielded in 2013, and the final team was fielded in 2019. Steve Englehart was the first and only head coach. [2] In May 2020, Florida Tech shut down its football program due to budget cuts that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. [3]

Contents

Program achievements

Gulf South Conference Champions
NCAA Division II Team Playoff Participants2016, 2018
NCAA Division II Regional Championships
NCAA Division II National Championships

Venues

The team played its home games in Florida Tech Panther Stadium at Palm Bay High School in Melbourne, Florida. In July 2015, Florida Tech bought naming rights to the stadium; prior to this, the facility was known as Pirate Stadium. [4]

All-time record vs. current Gulf South Conference opponents

Official record (including any NCAA-imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current GSC opponents:

OpponentWonLostPercentageStreakFirst
Delta State 34.429Lost 12013
Mississippi College 51.833Lost 12014
North Greenville 31.750Won 32016
Shorter 701.000Won 72013
Valdosta State 16.143Lost 32013
West Alabama 34.429Lost 22013
West Florida 13.250Lost 12016
West Georgia 34.429Won 12013
Totals2623.531

All-time record vs. non-conference opponents

SchoolRecordFirstLast
Alderson-Broaddus 1–020132013
Ave Maria 1–120132014
Benedict 1–020182018
Bethune-Cookman 0–120142014
Fort Valley State 2–120152019
Lenoir-Rhyne 0–120182018
McNeese State 0–120172017
Newberry 3–220132019
North Alabama$0–420132017
Presbyterian 1–020162016
Savannah State 1–020192019
Southeastern Louisiana 0–120152015
Stetson 2–020132014
Tarleton State 1–020142014
Virginia–Lynchburg 1–020172017
Warner 2–020132015
Webber International 1–020132013
Wingate 1–020182018

$ North Alabama was a member of the Gulf South Conference for the matchups between 2013 and 2017

All-time record vs. ranked opponents

Florida Tech was 6–16 all-time against ranked opponents with two of those wins coming against Top 5 teams in the 2015 season, at #5 Delta State and at home against #1 West Georgia. Two of the losses were to ranked FCS teams, in 2014 at Bethune-Cookman and 2015 at Southeast Louisiana. The Panthers won at least one game against a ranked opponent in every season between 2014 and 2018.

SeasonDateOpponentRankingResult
2013 September 19, 2013 West Alabama #16L 3–45
2013 October 5, 2013at Valdosta State #1L 14–52
2013 November 9, 2013 North Alabama #24L 28–55
2014 September 20, 2014^ Tarleton State #12W 37–31
2014 September 27, 2014at Bethune-Cookman #15 (FCS)L 33–34
2014 October 2, 2014 Delta State #11L 20–58
2014 October 18, 2014 North Alabama #4L 31–34
2014 November 15, 2014 Valdosta State #25L 29–31
2015 September 12, 2015at Southeastern Louisiana #18 (FCS)L 17–28
2015 September 26, 2015at North Alabama #8L 48–55
2015 October 3, 2015at Delta State #5W 41–37
2015 November 7, 2015 West Georgia #1W 28–26
2015 November 14, 2015at Valdosta State #18L 21–39
2016 October 29, 2016 Valdosta State #14W 38–20
2017 October 21, 2017 West Alabama #18W 41–39
2017 November 4, 2017 West Georgia #25L 13–20
2018 September 22, 2018at West Georgia #8L 21–30
2018 October 13, 2018 Valdosta State #8L 21–51
2018 October 20, 2018at West Florida #17W 30–28
2018 November 17, 2018&at Lenoir-Rhyne #17L 21–43
2019 October 19, 2019at Valdosta State #1L 28–55
2019 October 26, 2019 West Florida #20L 14–38

^ game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX [5]

& playoff game

Rivalries

West Florida

Florida Tech played West Florida each year in the Coastal Classic, a matchup of the only Division II football programs in the state of Florida. The winner was awarded the Coastal Classic Trophy. The trophy stands 24 inches tall on a six-inch wooden base. It features a large bronze anchor and a 6-pointed ship's wheel with nautical sailing rope as the focal point of the trophy. A small bell is attached to the anchor with a white segment of sailing rope attached to its clapper. [6]

West Florida won the series' first installment during their inaugural season of 2016, upsetting the 16th ranked Panthers, 42–39 in Pensacola. [7] The following year in Melbourne, a controversial intentional grounding penalty against Florida Tech on fourth down on what would have been the game's final play gave West Florida the ball for one play to attempt and convert a 44-yard field goal for a 23–21 victory. [8] Florida Tech got its revenge along with its first ever win against West Florida in memorable fashion in 2018, rallying from a 21–3 first-half deficit to score 27 straight points and hold on to beat the 17th ranked Argonauts, 30–28. [9]

All-time records versus rivals

TeamNameTrophyActiveGames playedFirst meetingLast meetingFIT winsFIT lossesWin Pct.
West Florida Green check.svgYGreen check.svgYGreen check.svgY42016 2019 Lost 14–3813.250

Individual awards and honors

All-Americans

Florida Tech has had 18 players honored as All-Americans. To date, Adonis Davis is the only AP First Team All-American and J.T. Hassell is the only AFCA First Team All-American.

Conference honors

2015: Steve Englehart [10]
2014: Steve Englehart [11]
2014: WR Xavier Milton [12]
2018: LB J.T. Hassell [13]
2015: LB J.J. Sanders [14]
2015: RB Antwuan Haynes [15]
2014: QB Mark Cato [16]
2013: LB Chris Stapleton [17]

Notable former players

Year-by-year results

Statistics correct as of the 2018–19 college football season
NCAA Division I champions NCAA Division I FCS champions NCAA Division II champions Conference ChampionsDivision ChampionsBowl EligibleUndefeated Season
YearNCAA DivisionConferenceOverallConferenceCoach
GamesWinLossTiePct.GamesWinLossTiePct.Standing
2013 NCAA Division II Gulf South 12570.4176150.1676th Steve Englehart
2014 11650.5457340.4295th
2015 11740.6367520.714T-2nd
2016 11830.7277520.7144th
2017 11560.4558350.3757th
2018 12840.6678530.625T-3rd
2019 11560.4558350.375T-6th
Totals7944350.5575125260.490

[2]

Playoffs

The Panthers appeared in the Division II playoffs twice. Their playoff record is 0–2.

FIT earned their first playoff berth in 2016, the fourth season in program history. Their 8–2 record earned them the #3 seed in Super Region Two and a first-round home game only to be upset by North Greenville, 27–13. [18]

They returned to the playoffs two seasons later, earning the #6 seed in Super Region Two on the strength of an 8–3 record. They were again knocked out in the first round, this time at third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne, 43–21. [19]

SeasonCoachPlayoffOpponentResult
2016 Steve Englehart First Round North Greenville L 13–27
2018 First Roundat Lenoir-Rhyne L 21–43

Bowl games

The Panthers played in one bowl game, the 2013 ECAC Futures Bowl, which happened at the conclusion of their inaugural season against fellow first-year program Alderson-Broaddus in Philippi, West Virginia. The Panthers won that game, 32–20, on a snowy afternoon thanks to 295 passing yards and four touchdowns from Bobby Vega along with Xavier Milton's 14 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns. [20]

SeasonCoachBowlOpponentResult
2013 Steve Englehart ECAC Futures Bowl at Alderson Broaddus W 32–20

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The 2016 Florida Tech Panthers football team represented the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) during the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by head coach Steve Englehart, who was in his fourth season at Florida Tech. The Panthers play their home games at Florida Tech Panther Stadium, approximately one mile from the Florida Tech campus and are members of the Gulf South Conference.

The 2017 Florida Tech Panthers football team represented Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) during the 2017 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Steve Englehart. The Panthers played their home games at Florida Tech Panther Stadium, approximately one mile (1.6 km) from the Florida Tech campus, and were members of the Gulf South Conference.

The 2018 Florida Tech Panthers football team represented Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) during the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Steve Englehart. The Panthers played their home games at Florida Tech Panther Stadium, approximately one mile from the Florida Tech campus, and were members of the Gulf South Conference.

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References

  1. ↑ "Florida Tech Athletics Athletics Logo & Style Guide" (PDF). June 19, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Florida Tech Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2013-09-17.
  3. ↑ Rogers, Eric; Neale, Rick (May 11, 2020). "Florida Tech cuts football program, announces layoffs due to COVID-19 impacts". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Pirate Stadium in Palm Bay to Become Florida Tech Panther Stadium". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "FLORIDA TECH TOPS #12 TARLETON STATE, 37-31". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  6. ↑ "Panthers, Argonauts set to Square off in Coastal Classic". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Florida Tech Defeated 42-39 in First Coastal Classic". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  8. ↑ "FIT Dealt Heartbreaking 23-21 Loss to West Florida". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  9. ↑ "Florida Tech Comes Back to Win Coastal Classic". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "GSC Announces All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  11. ↑ "GSC Announces 2014 All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  12. ↑ "GSC Announces 2014 All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  13. ↑ "GSC Announces 2018 Football All-Conference Awards". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  14. ↑ "GSC Announces All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "GSC Announces All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  16. ↑ "GSC Announces 2014 All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  17. ↑ "GSC Announces All-Conference Football Honors". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  18. ↑ "Florida Tech's Season Ends in 27-13 Loss in NCAA Playoffs". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  19. ↑ "Panthers' Season Ends with NCAA Playoff Loss to Lenoir-Rhyne". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  20. ↑ "PANTHERS WIN FIRST-EVER ECAC FUTURES BOWL, 32–20". Florida Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
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