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Eastern Illinois Panthers football
2024 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team
First season	1899; 125 years ago (1899)
Athletic director	Tom Michael
Head coach	Chris Wilkerson 3rd season, 13–21 (.382)
Stadium	O'Brien Field (capacity: 10,000)
Year built	1970
Field surface	Artificial Turf
Location	Charleston, Illinois
NCAA division	Division I FCS
Conference	Big South–OVC
Past conferences	IIAC (1912–1969) AMCU (1978–1984) GCAC/GFC (1985–1995)
All-time record	559–552–42 (.503)
Bowl record	0–1 (.000)
Playoff appearances	2 (Div. II) 1978, 1980 16 (Div. I FCS) 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015
Playoff record	5–1 (Div. II) 4–16 (Div. I FCS)
Claimed national titles	1 – (Div. II): 1978
Conference titles	19 1912, 1913, 1914, 1928, 1948, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013
Rivalries	Illinois State (rivalry)
Colors	Blue and gray
Fight song	Eastern State March
Mascot	Billy the Panther
Marching band	Panther Marching Band
Outfitter	Adidas
Website	eiupanthers.com

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 is a member 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 former head coach Maynard O'Brien.

History

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018)

The inaugural football team took the field only three weeks after the first students arrived on campus in 1899.

Affiliations

Classifications

• 1960–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
• 1973–1980: NCAA Division II
• 1981–present: NCAA Division I FCS (Formerly Division I-AA)

Conference memberships

• 1899–1911: Independent
• 1912–1949: Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1950–1969: Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1970–1972: NCAA College Division Independent
• 1973–1977: NCAA Division II Independent
• 1978–1984: Association of Mid-Continent Universities
• 1985–1995: Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference/ Gateway Football Conference
• 1996–present: Ohio Valley Conference

Championships

National championships

Eastern Illinois has won one national championship, doing so in 1978. They also made an appearance in the Division II National Championship Game in 1980, losing 13–21 to Cal Poly.

Conference championships

† Co-champion

Playoff appearances

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

• NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff appearances: 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015
• All time playoff results

NCAA Division II playoffs

The Panthers made two appearances in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 5-1.

Bowl games

Eastern Illinois has participated in one bowl game, going 0–1.

All-time record vs. current OVC teams

Official record (including any NCAA imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current OVC opponents as of the completion of the 2021 season.

Rivalries

Illinois State

The Mid-America Classic is the rivalry game between Illinois State and Eastern Illinois. The rivalry began in 1901 and is the second oldest in the state of Illinois. For the 100th game in the series, representatives from both schools met and developed the Mid-America Classic renaming for the rivalry. The two schools also collaborated on a traveling trophy, which holds plaques with the results of the previous 100 games in the series and has room for results of future games in the series. The two teams have played 110 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 59–42–9 advantage in the all-time series as of the end of the 2022 game.

Head coaches

# Interim head coach

Individual accomplishments

1st Team All Americans

Selectors: AP-Associated Press, AFCA-American Football Coaches Association, FBG-FB Gazette, SN-Sports Network, WC-Walter Camp Football Foundation

Award winners

• Walter Payton Award

  Tony Romo - 2002

  Jimmy Garoppolo - 2013

• Walter Payton Award finalists

  Tim Lance - 1990...3rd

  Willie High - 1994...15th

  Tony Romo - 2000...11th

  Tony Romo - 2001...10th

  Jimmy Garoppolo - 2012...10th

  Erik Lora - 2012...4th

  Erik Lora - 2013...7th

  Alexander Hollins - 2018...21st

College Football Hall of Fame members

Eastern Illinois has two inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame as of 2021.

Retired numbers

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of November 23, 2023.

Notable former players

Notable alumni include the following.

• Evan Arapostathis
• Greg Brown
• Anthony Buich
• Tristan Burge
• Pete Catan
• Brad Childress
• Jake Christensen
• Jeff Christensen
• Frank Cutolo
• Rob DeVita
• Ron Ellett
• Ray Fisher
• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Jeff Gossett
• Kamu Grugier-Hill
• Mike Heimerdinger
• Lenny High
• Alexander Hollins
• Otis Hudson
• Burl Ives
• John Jurkovic
• Tim Kelly
• Andrew Manley
• Pascal Matla
• Ray McElroy
• Greg McMahon
• Randy Melvin
• John Moyer
• Ryan Pace
• Steve Parker
• Sean Payton
• Ted Petersen
• Tony Romo
• Micah Rucker
• Terrance Sanders
• Mike Shanahan
• Chris Szarka
• Jeff Thorne
• Chevon Walker
• Pierre Walters
• Chris Watson
• Chris Wilkerson

References

1. "EIU BRANDING, MARKETING & LOGOS". Retrieved January 1, 2024.
2. "History". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
3. "2017 NCAA FCS Records" (PDF).
4. "2021 EIU Record book page 44" (PDF).
5. "Illinois State, Eastern Illinois unveil Mid America Classic trophy - WJBC - the Voice of Central Illinois". Archived from the original on October 13, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
6. "Division I EIU All Anericans" (PDF). p. 71.
7. "Five OVC Players Named to College Sporting News FCS Fabulous Fifty All-American Team". ovcsports.com.
8. "Seibert, Drake named AP All-Americans | Eastern | jg-tc.com". jg-tc.com.
9. "JSU's Dunn, EIU's Fanti Named to AFCA FCS All-American Team". ovcsports.com.
10. "Darrell Mudra (2000) - Hall of Fame". National Football Foundation.
11. "Tony Romo Selected for College Football Hall of Fame's 2021 Class ✭". January 11, 2021.
12. "EIU Retired Numbers - Eastern Illinois University Athletics".
13. Kilhoffer, Kevin. "Sean Payton Jersey Retirement". JG-TC.com.
14. "Eastern Illinois Panthers Football Schedules and Future Schedules". Retrieved September 7, 2022.

External links

• Official website

• Eastern Illinois Panthers football
• American football teams established in 1895
• 1895 establishments in Illinois