Eastern Illinois Panthers Explained

Eastern Illinois Panthers
University:Eastern Illinois University
Association:NCAA
Conference:Ohio Valley Conference (primary)
Summit League (Swimming & diving)
Horizon League (Men's tennis)
Division:Division I (FCS)
Director:Tom Michael
Location:Charleston, Illinois
Teams:21 (10 men's and 11 women's)
Stadium:O’Brien Field
Basketballarena:Lantz Arena
Baseballfield:Coaches Stadium at Monier Field
Softballstadium:Williams Field
Soccerstadium:Lakeside Soccer Field
Nickname:Panthers
Mascot:Billy the Panther
Fightsong:Eastern State March
Pageurl:http://www.eiupanthers.com

The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the intercollegiate athletic programs of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. The Panthers athletic program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)[1] and competes at the NCAA Division I[2] level in the Football Championship Subdivision. 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.[3] Panther teams have won five NCAA national championships in three sports.[4] The Panthers also won the 1969 NAIA men's soccer title.[5]

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.[6]

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 ten men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[7] 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). The OVC merged its men's tennis league into that of the Horizon League after the 2021–22 school year, with all OVC teams in that sport, including Eastern Illinois, becoming Horizon associates.[8]

Sports sponsored

Basketball
Beach volleyball
Cross country Cross Country
Golf
Golf Soccer
Softball
Swimming and diving Swimming and diving
Tennis Tennis
Track and field† Track and field†
Volleyball

Baseball

See main article: Eastern Illinois Panthers baseball.

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

Basketball

Men's basketball

See main article: Eastern Illinois Panthers men's basketball.

Year Seed First Round Winner First Round Loser
15 94 Eastern Illinois 55
15 101 Eastern Illinois 76

Women’s basketball

See main article: Eastern Illinois Panthers women's basketball.

Men's cross country

Team Championships:

National Finishes:

Football

See main article: Eastern Illinois Panthers football.

Year First Round Away TeamSecond Round HomeSecond Round AwayQuarterfinal Home Quarterfinal Away
1982 OTEastern Illinois1613 Tennessee State20Eastern Illinois 19
1983 2OT16 Eastern Illinois 13
1986 Eastern Illinois2821 Eastern Illinois 22 24
1989 21 Eastern Illinois3825Eastern Illinois 19
199534 Eastern Illinois 29
199621 Eastern Illinois 14
2000Montana 45 Eastern Illinois 13
2001Eastern Illinois 43 Northern Iowa 49
200248 Eastern Illinois 9
2005Eastern Illinois 6 21
2006Eastern Illinois 13 24
200730 Eastern Illinois 11
200948 Eastern Illinois 7
201258 10
2013Bye Bye Eastern Illinois51Tennessee State10Eastern Illinois 39 49
201553 17

Men’s golf

National Finishes:[12]

Individual National Champions:[13]

Soccer

Men's soccer

See main article: Eastern Illinois Panthers men's soccer.

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

See main article: Eastern Illinois Panthers 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

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ohio Valley Conference . OVC Member Institutions . September 3, 2015.
  2. Web site: NCAA . Eastern Illinois University . September 3, 2015.
  3. Web site: EIU Panther Mascot . Eastern Illinois University Athletics . September 3, 2015.
  4. Web site: EIU National Championships . Eastern Illinois University Athletics . September 3, 2015.
  5. Web site: Men's Soccer Championship Records . National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . September 3, 2015.
  6. Web site: History . Eastern Illinois University Athletics . September 3, 2015.
  7. Web site: FB_familyweekend_2014. September 19, 2014.
  8. Horizon League Announces Innovative Partnership with Ohio Valley Conference and Men's Tennis Programs, Adds Chicago State as an Affiliate Member for Men's and Women's Tennis . Horizon League . July 6, 2022 . July 9, 2022.
  9. Web site: Eastern Illinois Panthers - Turn Back the Clock Tuesday - May 16, 1981 . 19 September 2014.
  10. http://www.eiu.edu/~sprtinfo/sports/bsktball/07_MBB-Guide.pdf
  11. Web site: Eastern Illinois Panther Football : Panthers - Salukis Meet For Third Time In Five Years EIU Opens FCS Plays At Southern Illinois . Eiupanthers.com . 2015-04-23.
  12. Web site: Eastern Illinois Men's Golf Record Book. April 30, 2019.
  13. Web site: EIU Individual National Champions. April 30, 2019.
  14. Web site: EIU Women's Soccer Record Book. 4. April 30, 2019.
  15. Book: A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. William. Plummer. Larry C. . Floyd . 2013. Turnkey Communications Inc.. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. 978-0-9893007-0-4.
  16. Web site: EIU National Championships. April 30, 2019.
  17. Web site: EIU Volleyball Record Book. 57. April 26, 2019.
  18. Web site: Eastern Illinois Athletic Facilities. 3. Eastern Illinois Panthers. 15 March 2019.
  19. Web site: Eastern Illinois Facilities. Eastern Illinois Panthers. 15 March 2019.
  20. Web site: Buildings and Grounds of EIU. 35. Eastern Illinois University. 15 March 2019.
  21. Web site: Nostalgia Surrounds O'Brien. Eastern Illinois University. 16 March 2019.
  22. Web site: Stan Royer. Baseball Reference.com. 3 October 2013.
  23. Web site: Kevin Seitzer. Baseball Reference.com. 3 October 2013.
  24. Tim Dykstra . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418045159/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/dy/tim-dykstra-1.html . dead . April 18, 2020 . July 16, 2012.
  25. Web site: Schellas Hyndman. Southern Methodist University. October 3, 2013. October 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214221/http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/hyndman_schellas00.html. dead.
  26. Web site: Dan Steel. Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. 3 October 2013.
  27. Darrin Steele Olympic Results . https://web.archive.org/web/20200417224917/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/st/darrin-steele-1.html . dead . April 17, 2020 . April 30, 2018.

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