Wikipedia

Eastern Illinois Panthers

The Eastern Illinois Panthers are the intercollegiate athletic programs of Eastern Illinois University (EIU) located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. The Panthers athletic program competes at the NCAA Division I level[2] and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).[3] The football team is a member of the Division I FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) OVC–Big South Football Association. 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.[4] Panther teams have won five NCAA national championships in three sports.[5] The Panthers also won the 1969 NAIA men's soccer title.[6]

Eastern Illinois Panthers
Logo
UniversityEastern Illinois University
NicknamePanthers
NCAADivision I (FCS)
ConferenceOhio Valley Conference (primary)
OVC–Big South Football Association (football)
Summit League (swimming & diving)
Athletic directorTom Michael
LocationCharleston, Illinois
Varsity teams19 (9 men's, 10 women's)
Football stadiumO’Brien Field
Basketball arenaGroniger Arena
Baseball stadiumCoaches Stadium at Monier Field
Softball stadiumWilliams Field
Soccer fieldLakeside Soccer Field
NatatoriumPadovan Pool
Indoor track and field venueLantz Fieldhouse
Outdoor track and field venueO'Brien Field
Volleyball arenaMcAfee Gym
Beach volleyball venueLinder Sports Complex
ColorsBlue and gray[1]
   
MascotBilly the Panther
Marching bandPanther Marching Band
Fight songEastern State March
Websiteeiupanthers.com/index.aspx

History

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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.[7]

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 nine men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[8] 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).

Sports sponsored

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Men's sports Women's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballBeach volleyball
Cross countryCross Country
FootballGolf
GolfSoccer
SoccerSoftball
Swimming and divingSwimming and diving
Track and field†Track and field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Baseball

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Ohio Valley Conference logo in Eastern Illinois colors
  • 1973 NCAA Division II World Series Third Place.
  • 1978 NCAA Division II World Series Fifth Place.
  • 1981 NCAA Division II World Series Runner-Up.[9]

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

Basketball

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Men's basketball

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YearSeedFirst Round WinnerFirst Round Loser
199215Indiana94Eastern Illinois55
200115Arizona101Eastern Illinois76

Women’s basketball

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YearSeedFirst Round WinnerFirst Round Loser
198810Colorado78Eastern Illinois72

Men's cross country

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Team Championships:

  • 1968 – NCAA College Division National Champions
  • 1969 – NCAA College Division National Champions
  • 1977 – NCAA Division II National Champions

National Finishes:

  • 1971 – NCAA Division II Fifth Place
  • 1972 – NCAA Division II Seventh Place
  • 1973 – NCAA Division II Third Place
  • 1974 – NCAA Division II Third Place
  • 1975 – NCAA Division II Third Place
  • 1976 – NCAA Division II Third Place
  • 1978 – NCAA Division II Fifth Place
  • 1979 – NCAA Division II Third Place

Football

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YearFirst Round Home teamFirst Round Away team Second Round Home Second Round AwayQuarterfinal HomeQuarterfinal Away
1982 OTEastern Illinois16Jackson Tigers13 Tennessee State20Eastern Illinois19
1983 2OTIndiana State16Eastern Illinois13
1986Eastern Illinois28Murray State21 Eastern Illinois22Eastern Kentucky24
1989Idaho21Eastern Illinois38 Montana25Eastern Illinois19
1995Stephen F. Austin34Eastern Illinois29
1996Northern Iowa21Eastern Illinois14
2000Montana45Eastern Illinois13
2001Eastern Illinois43Northern Iowa49
2002Western Illinois48Eastern Illinois9
2005Eastern Illinois6Southern Illinois21
2006Eastern Illinois13Illinois State24
2007Southern Illinois30Eastern Illinois11
2009Southern Illinois48Eastern Illinois7
2012South Dakota State58Eastern Illinois10
2013ByeBye Eastern Illinois 51 Tennessee State 10Eastern Illinois39Towson49
2015Northern Iowa53Eastern Illinois17

Men’s golf

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National Finishes:[12]

  • 1969 - NAIA 4th Place
  • 1972 - NAIA 8th Place

Individual National Champions:[13]

  • 1972 - Gaylord Burrows - NAIA

Soccer

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Men's soccer

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  • 1969 – NAIA National Champion.
  • NCAA Division II runners-up in 1979, 3rd in 1978, and 4th in 1974.
  • Stripped of 1981 Division I 3rd-place finish.

Women’s soccer

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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

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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

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National Finishes:

  • 1975 - NCAA Division II 3rd Place

Individual National Champions:[16]

  • 1973 - Bob Thomas, NCAA Division II 200 yard backstroke
  • 1973 - Bob Thomas, NCAA Division II 400 yard IM
  • 1973 - Jon Mayfield, NCAA Division II 200 yard breaststroke
  • 1973 - NCAA Division II 400 yard medley (Bob Thomas, Jon Mayfield, Dan Cole, Dave Toler)
  • 1974 - Bob Thomas, NCAA Division II 200 yard backstroke
  • 1974 - Bob Thomas, NCAA Division II 400 yard IM
  • 1974 - Jon Mayfield, NCAA Division II 200 yard breaststroke
  • 1974 - NCAA Division II 400 yard medley (Bob Thomas, Jon Mayfield, Brian Forsberg, Dave Toler)
  • 1975 - Jon Mayfield, NCAA Division II 200 yard breaststroke

Track and field

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Team Championships (men's):

  • 1974 – NCAA Division II Outdoor National Champions
  • 1976 — NCAA Division II Outdoor National Runner-up

Individual Champions:

  • 1955 – Ray White, NAIA Long Jump
  • 1967 – John Craft, NAIA Triple Jump
  • 1969 – John Craft, NCAA College Division Triple Jump
  • 1972 – Rodney Jackson, NCAA College Division 400 hurdles
  • 1973 – Rodney Jackson, NCAA College Division 400 hurdles
  • 1974 – Darrell Brown, NCAA Division II Long Jump
  • 1975 – Toni Ababio, NCAA Division II Long Jump
  • 1975 – Toni Ababio, NCAA Division II Triple Jump
  • 1976 – Ed Hatch, NCAA Division II 400 Meter Dash
  • 1979 – Robert Johnson, NCAA Division II 110 hurdles
  • 1981 — 4x400 Relay, Women’s Track & Field AIAW II
  • 1981 – Augustine Oruwari, NCAA Division II 110 hurdles
  • 1988 – Jim Maton, NCAA Division I 800 meter run (Indoor)
  • 1992 – Dan Steele, NCAA Division I 400 hurdles

Volleyball

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The Eastern Illinois volleyball team has been the Ohio Valley Conference champions in 1998, co champions in 2004, 2023, and 2025. The volleyball team has made three NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament appearances in 2001, 2023, and 2025.[17]

Athletic facilities

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Current facilities

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Facilities are housed on the west side of the EIU campus between 4th Street and Grant Avenue.[18]

  • Coaches Stadium at Monier Field — Baseball
  • Lakeside Field — Men's and women's soccer
  • Lantz Arena — Men's and women's basketball
  • Lantz Field House — Men's and women's indoor track and field
  • Linder Sports Complex — Beach volleyball
  • McAfee Gym — Volleyball
  • O’Brien Field — Football, men's and women's outdoor track and field
  • Ray Padovan Pool — Men's and women's swimming and diving
  • Tom Woodall Panther Trail — Men's and women's cross country
  • Williams Field — Softball

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

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  • Lakeside Rugby Field — Women’s Rugby (1999-2014)
  • Pemberton Hall — Men’s Basketball
  • McAfee Gymnasium — Men’s Basketball
  • Rex Darling Tennis Courts — Men’s and Women’s Tennis (1931-2025)
  • Schahrer Field — Football (1899–1948)[20][21]

Club and intramural facilities

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  • Student Rec Center — Intramural sports

Notable former athletes

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Baseball

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Basketball

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Football

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Handball

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MMA

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Rugby

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Soccer

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Track

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References

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  1. ↑ "EIU BRANDING, MARKETING & LOGOS". Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Eastern Illinois University". NCAA. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  3. ↑ "OVC Member Institutions". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ "EIU Panther Mascot". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  5. ↑ "EIU National Championships". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Men's Soccer Championship Records" (PDF). National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  7. ↑ "History". Eastern Illinois University Athletics. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  8. ↑ "FB_familyweekend_2014". Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Eastern Illinois Panthers - Turn Back the Clock Tuesday - May 16, 1981". Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  10. ↑ Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ "Eastern Illinois Panther Football : Panthers - Salukis Meet For Third Time In Five Years EIU Opens FCS Plays At Southern Illinois" (PDF). Eiupanthers.com. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  12. ↑ "Eastern Illinois Men's Golf Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  13. ↑ "EIU Individual National Champions". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  14. ↑ "EIU Women's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). p. 4. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  15. ↑ Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9893007-0-4.
  16. ↑ "EIU National Championships". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  17. ↑ "EIU Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). p. 57. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Eastern Illinois Athletic Facilities" (PDF). Eastern Illinois Panthers. p. 3. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  19. ↑ "Eastern Illinois Facilities". Eastern Illinois Panthers. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  20. ↑ "Buildings and Grounds of EIU". Eastern Illinois University. p. 35. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  21. ↑ "Nostalgia Surrounds O'Brien" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University. Retrieved 16 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  22. ↑ "Stan Royer". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  23. ↑ "Kevin Seitzer". Baseball Reference.com. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  24. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Tim Dykstra". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Schellas Hyndman". Southern Methodist University. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Dan Steel". Journal Gazette and Times-Courier. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  27. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Darrin Steele Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
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