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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 and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). 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. Panther teams have won five NCAA national championships in three sports. The Panthers also won the 1969 NAIA men's soccer title.

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.

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. 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

Baseball

  • 1973 NCAA Division II World Series Third Place.
  • 1978 NCAA Division II World Series Fifth Place.
  • 1981 NCAA Division II World Series Runner-Up.

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

Basketball

Men's basketball

Women’s basketball

Men's cross country

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

Men’s golf

National Finishes:

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

Individual National Champions:

  • 1972 - Gaylord Burrows - NAIA

Soccer

Men's soccer

  • 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

The Panther women’s soccer team has appeared in four NCAA Division I Women's Soccer tournaments in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Softball

The Panther softball team appeared in two AIAW Women's College World Series, in 1971 and 1974. They reached their first NCAA Division I softball tournament in 2023.

Men’s swimming and diving

National Finishes:

  • 1975 - NCAA Division II 3rd Place

Individual National Champions:

  • 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

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

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.

Athletic facilities

Current facilities

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

  • 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.

Former facilities

  • 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)

Club and intramural facilities

  • Student Rec Center — Intramural sports

Notable former athletes

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Handball

MMA

Rugby

Soccer

Track

References

External links