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Eastern Illinois Panthers football
Intercollegiate American football team
Intercollegiate American football team
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| CurrentSeason | 2025 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team |
| TeamName | Eastern Illinois Panthers football |
| Image | Eastern Illinois Panthers wordmark.svg |
| ImageSize | 200 |
| FirstYear | |
| AthleticDirector | Tom Michael |
| HeadCoach | Chris Wilkerson |
| HeadCoachYear | 4th |
| HCWins | 16 |
| HCLosses | 30 |
| Stadium | O'Brien Field |
| StadiumBuilt | 1970 |
| StadCapacity | 10,000 |
| Location | Charleston, Illinois |
| NCAAdivision | I FCS |
| Conference | OVC–Big South |
| ATWins | 537 |
| ATLosses | 586 |
| ATTies | 44 |
| BowlWins | 0 |
| BowlLosses | 1 |
| D2NatlTitles | 1978 |
| ConfTitles | IIAC: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1928, 1948AMCU: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984GCAC: 1986GFC: 1995OVC: 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013 |
| collapseconf | yes |
| FightSong | Eastern State March |
| MascotDisplay | Billy the Panther |
| MarchingBand | Panther Marching Band |
| PagFreeLabel2 | Outfitter |
| PagFreeValue2 | Nike |
| Rivalries | Illinois State (rivalry) |
| WebsiteName | eiupanthers.com |
| WebsiteURL | https://eiupanthers.com/sports/football |
the Eastern Illinois football program
The Eastern Illinois Panthers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the OVC–Big South Football Association. The school's first football team was fielded in 1899. The team plays its home games at the 10,000 seat O'Brien Field, which is named after former head coach Maynard O'Brien. The school's most well-known player is former quarterback Tony Romo, who is the only Eastern Illinois player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (2021).
History
The inaugural football team took the field only three weeks after the first students arrived on campus in 1899.
Affiliations
Classifications
- 1960–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
- 1973–1980: NCAA Division II
- 1981–present: NCAA Division I FCS (Formerly Division I-AA)
Conference memberships
- 1899–1911: Independent
- 1912–1949: Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1950–1969: Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- 1970–1972: NCAA College Division Independent
- 1973–1977: NCAA Division II Independent
- 1978–1984: Association of Mid-Continent Universities
- 1985–1995: Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference/ Gateway Football Conference
- 1996–2022: Ohio Valley Conference
- 2023–present: OVC–Big South Football Association
Championships
National championships
Eastern Illinois has won one national championship, doing so in 1978. They also made an appearance in the Division II National Championship Game in 1980, losing 13–21 to Cal Poly.
Conference championships
† Co-champion
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs
- NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff appearances: 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015
- All time playoff results http://www.eiupanthers.com/custompages/football/2009/EIU%202009%20Football%20Notes%20(Southern%20Illinois%20FCS_1).pdf
| Year | First Round Home Team | First Round Away Team | Second Round Home | Second Round Away | Quarterfinal Home | Quarterfinal Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 OT | Eastern Illinois | 16 | Jackson State | 13 | ||
| 1983 2OT | Indiana State | 16 | Eastern Illinois | 13 | ||
| 1986 | Eastern Illinois | 28 | Murray State | 21 | ||
| 1989 | Idaho | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 38 | ||
| 1995 | Stephen F. Austin | 34 | Eastern Illinois | 29 | ||
| 1996 | Northern Iowa | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 14 | ||
| 2000 | Montana | 45 | Eastern Illinois | 13 | ||
| 2001 | Eastern Illinois | 43 | Northern Iowa | 49 | ||
| 2002 | Western Illinois | 48 | Eastern Illinois | 9 | ||
| 2005 | Eastern Illinois | 6 | Southern Illinois | 21 | ||
| 2006 | Eastern Illinois | 13 | Illinois State | 24 | ||
| 2007 | Southern Illinois | 30 | Eastern Illinois | 11 | ||
| 2009 | Southern Illinois | 48 | Eastern Illinois | 7 | ||
| 2012 | South Dakota State | 58 | Eastern Illinois | 10 | ||
| 2013 | Bye | Bye | **Eastern Illinois** | 51 | ||
| 2015 | Northern Iowa | 53 | Eastern Illinois | 17 |
NCAA Division II playoffs
The Panthers made two appearances in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 5-1.
Bowl games
Eastern Illinois has participated in one bowl game, going 0–1.
| 1948 | Maynard O'Brien | Corn Bowl | Illinois Wesleyan | L 0–6 |
|---|
Wins over FBS teams
All-time record vs. current OVC-Big South teams
Official record (including any NCAA imposed vacates and forfeits) against all current OVC opponents as of the completion of the 2024 season.
Rivalries
Illinois State
Main article: Mid-America Classic
The Mid-America Classic is the rivalry game between Illinois State and Eastern Illinois. The rivalry began in 1901 and is the second oldest in the state of Illinois. For the 100th game in the series, representatives from both schools met and developed the Mid-America Classic renaming for the rivalry. The two schools also collaborated on a traveling trophy, which holds plaques with the results of the previous 100 games in the series and has room for results of future games in the series. The two teams have played 113 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 61–43–9 advantage in the all-time series as of the end of the 2025 game.
Head coaches
Interim head coach
Individual accomplishments
1st Team All Americans
Selectors: AP-Associated Press, AFCA-American Football Coaches Association, FBG-FB Gazette, SN-Sports Network, WC-Walter Camp Football Foundation
Award winners
- Walter Payton Award
- :Tony Romo - 2002
- :Jimmy Garoppolo - 2013
- Walter Payton Award finalists
- :Tim Lance - 1990...3rd
- :Willie High - 1994...15th
- :Tony Romo - 2000...11th
- :Tony Romo - 2001...10th
- :Jimmy Garoppolo - 2012...10th
- :Erik Lora - 2012...4th
- :Erik Lora - 2013...7th
- :Alexander Hollins - 2018...21st
College Football Hall of Fame members
Eastern Illinois has two inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame as of 2021.
| Tony Romo | QB | 1999–2002 | 2021 |
|---|
Retired numbers
| Eastern Illinois Panthers | color=white}}; width=50px | No. | Eastern Illinois Panthers | color=white}}; width=150px | Player | Eastern Illinois Panthers | color=white}}; width=50px | Pos. | Eastern Illinois Panthers | color=white}}; width=100px | Tenure | Eastern Illinois Panthers | color=white}}; width=100px | Date retired | Eastern Illinois Panthers | color=white}}; width=50px | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Tony Romo | QB | 1999–2002 | October 17, 2009 | |||||||||||||
| 18 | Sean Payton | QB | 1983–1986 | September 11, 2010 |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 13, 2026.
| at South Dakota State |
|---|
Notable former players
Notable alumni include the following.
- Evan Arapostathis
- Greg Brown
- Anthony Buich
- Tristan Burge
- Pete Catan
- Brad Childress
- Jake Christensen
- Jeff Christensen
- Frank Cutolo
- Rob DeVita
- Ron Ellett
- Ray Fisher
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Jeff Gossett
- Kamu Grugier-Hill
- Mike Heimerdinger
- Lenny High
- Alexander Hollins
- Otis Hudson
- Burl Ives
- John Jurkovic
- Tim Kelly
- Andrew Manley
- Pascal Matla
- Ray McElroy
- Greg McMahon
- Randy Melvin
- John Moyer
- Ryan Pace
- Steve Parker
- Sean Payton
- Ted Petersen
- Tony Romo
- Micah Rucker
- Terrance Sanders
- Mike Shanahan
- Chris Szarka
- Jeff Thorne
- Chevon Walker
- Pierre Walters
- Chris Watson
- Chris Wilkerson
References
References
- "Football - Eastern Illinois Athletics". Eastern Illinois University Athletics.
- "2017 NCAA FCS Records".
- "2024 EIU Record book page 44".
- "Illinois State, Eastern Illinois unveil Mid America Classic trophy - WJBC - the Voice of Central Illinois".
- "Division I EIU All Anericans".
- "Five OVC Players Named to College Sporting News FCS Fabulous Fifty All-American Team".
- "Seibert, Drake named AP All-Americans | Eastern | jg-tc.com".
- "JSU's Dunn, EIU's Fanti Named to AFCA FCS All-American Team".
- "Darrell Mudra (2000) - Hall of Fame".
- (11 January 2021). "Tony Romo Selected for College Football Hall of Fame's 2021 Class ✭".
- "EIU Retired Numbers - Eastern Illinois University Athletics".
- Kilhoffer, Kevin. "Sean Payton Jersey Retirement".
- "Eastern Illinois Panthers Football Schedules and Future Schedules".
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