Florida Tech Panthers Explained

Florida Tech Panthers
University:Florida Institute of Technology
Association:NCAA
Conference:Sunshine State (primary)
Division:Division II
Director:Jamie Joss
Location:Melbourne, Florida
Teams:15
Mens Teams:8
Womens Teams:6
Coed Teams:1
Basketballarena:Charles and Ruth Clemente Center
Baseballfield:Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field
Softballstadium:Nancy Bottge Field
Soccerfield:Rick Stottler Field
Natatorium:Panther Aquatic Center
Lacrossefield:Panther Field (men's)
Rick Stottler Field (women's)
Nickname:Panthers
Color1:Crimson
Color2:Gray[1]
Hex1:770000
Hex2:9da0a0
Pageurl:https://floridatechsports.com/
Ncaa Titles:3

The Florida Tech Panthers are the athletic teams that represent the Florida Institute of Technology, located in Melbourne, Florida, in intercollegiate athletics at the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Sunshine State Conference since the 1981–82 academic year.

Sports currently offered by the program include baseball, softball, men's cross country, men's track and field (both indoor and outdoor), women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's lacrosse, men's rowing, men's and women's soccer, and men's and women's swimming.

Due to financial difficulties, the women's golf and the men's and women's tennis programs were canceled in the spring of 2019.[2] The men's football program was also canceled in the spring of 2020.[3] Other sports formerly offered by the program include men's golf, men's and women's cross country, women's rowing, and women's track field (both indoor and outdoor).

Varsity sports

BaseballBasketball
BasketballLacrosse
Cross countrySoccer
LacrosseSoftball
RowingSwimming
SoccerVolleyball
Ice HockeySwimming
Track and field

Baseball

Florida Tech has had nine Major League Baseball Draft selections since the draft began in 1965.[4]

YearPlayerRoundTeam
1988Tim Wakefield8Pirates
20067Blue Jays
200712Blue Jays
2011Jonathan Cornelius24Cardinals
20129Braves
201228Braves
201314Marlins
2015Austin Allen4Padres
2018Ty Cohen31Cardinals

Basketball

See main article: Clemente Center.

Florida Tech's basketball teams competes in the Sunshine State Conference. They compete in a very competitive NCAA DII Conference with schools like Florida Southern that have won National Championships. Due to this Florida Tech occasionally plays higher caliber Florida D1 Schools such as Florida State, Florida Gulf Coast, and Florida Atlantic University. In 2011–12 the Men's team would win the SSC Regular Season Championship with a record of 21–5 (12–4 SSC) and reach the NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament, where they would advance to the second round of the South Regional . That year they would play two DI schools University of Alabama at Birmingham and University of Central Florida, losing to both.

The Panther women's team has been playing since the 1986–87 season and have been coached by John Reynolds since 1987–88. The Panther women have reached the NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament nine times, won six regular season Sunshine State Conference Championships, four SSC Tournament Championships, one NCAA Division II South Region title and appeared in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2002. Entering the 2018–19 season, Reynolds' 559 wins ranks him at No. 8 among active D-II women's coaches and 20th all- time.

Football

See main article: Florida Tech Panthers football.

The Florida Tech Football program was the intercollegiate American football team for Florida Institute of Technology located in the U.S. state of Florida. The team competed in the NCAA Division II and were members of the Gulf South Conference. Florida Tech's first football team was fielded in 2013. They played at the Florida Tech Panther Stadium. The football program closed after the 2019 season.

National championships

Team

NCAADivision IIMen's soccer1988Cal State Northridge3–2
1991Sonoma State5–1
NCAADivision IIWomen's golf2019Cal State San Marcos4–1

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Florida Tech Athletics Logo (PDF). January 16, 2023.
  2. Web site: Florida Tech discontinuing three varsity sports. Florida Today. en. 2020-05-14.
  3. Web site: Florida Tech eliminates its football program amid coronavirus pandemic. staff. Scott Gleeson and Florida Today. USA TODAY. en-US. 2020-05-14.
  4. Web site: MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Florida Institute of Technology (Melbourne, FL)". Baseball-Reference.com. 2013-09-05.