| Year: | 2000 |
| Team: | Western Illinois Leathernecks |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Gateway Football Conference |
| Short Conf: | Gateway |
| Tsnrank: | 12 |
| Record: | 9–3 |
| Conf Record: | 5–1 |
| Head Coach: | Don Patterson |
| Hc Year: | 2nd |
| Stadium: | Hanson Field |
| Champion: | Gateway champion |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA First Round |
| Bowl Result: | L 7–37 vs. Lehigh |
The 2000 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They were led by second-year head coach Don Patterson and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with a 9–3 record overall and a 5–1 record in conference play, making them conference champions. The team received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost to Lehigh in the first round.[1] The team was ranked No. 12 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of Division I-AA.[2]