Eastern Illinois Panthers football
Intercollegiate American football team
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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).
4th season, 16–30 (.348)
| Eastern Illinois Panthers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 1899 | ||
| Athletic director | Tom Michael | ||
| Head coach | Chris Wilkerson 4th season, 16–30 (.348) | ||
| Location | Charleston, Illinois | ||
| Stadium | O'Brien Field (capacity: 10,000) | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | OVC–Big South | ||
| Colors | Blue and gray[1] | ||
| All-time record | 537–586–44 (.479) | ||
| Bowl record | 0–1 (.000) | ||
| NCAA Division II championships | |||
| 1978 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| IIAC: 1912, 1913, 1914, 1928, 1948 AMCU: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 GCAC: 1986 GFC: 1995 OVC: 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2013 | |||
| Rivalries | Illinois State (rivalry) | ||
| Fight song | Eastern State March | ||
| Mascot | Billy the Panther | ||
| Marching band | Panther Marching Band | ||
| Outfitter | Nike | ||
| Website | eiupanthers.com | ||
History
The inaugural football team took the field only three weeks after the first students arrived on campus in 1899.[2]
Affiliations
Classifications
- 1960–1972: NCAA College Division (Small College)
- 1973–1980: NCAA Division II
- 1981–present: NCAA Division I FCS (Formerly Division I-AA)[3]
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.
| Year | Selector | Coach | Record | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Division II | Darrell Mudra | 12–2 | Delaware | 10–9 |
Conference championships
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Charles Lantz | 6–1 | 4–0 |
| 1913 | Charles Lantz | 6–2 | 5–1 | |
| 1914 | Charles Lantz | 8–0–1 | 5–0–1 | |
| 1928 | Charles Lantz | 7–1 | 5–1 | |
| 1948 | Maynard O'Brien | 7–3 | 4–0 | |
| 1980 | Association of Mid-Continent Universities | Darrell Mudra | 11–3 | 4–0 |
| 1981 | Darrell Mudra | 6–5 | 2–1 | |
| 1982 | Darrell Mudra | 11–1–1 | 2–0–1 | |
| 1983 | Al Molde | 9–3 | 3–0 | |
| 1984 | Al Molde | 6–5 | 2–1 | |
| 1986 | Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference | Al Molde | 11–2 | 5–1 |
| 1995† | Gateway Football Conference | Bob Spoo | 10–2 | 5–1 |
| 2001 | Ohio Valley Conference | Bob Spoo | 9–2 | 6–0 |
| 2002† | Bob Spoo | 8–4 | 5–1 | |
| 2005 | Bob Spoo | 9–3 | 8–0 | |
| 2006 | Mark Hutson | 8–5 | 7–1 | |
| 2009 | Bob Spoo | 8–4 | 6–2 | |
| 2012 | Dino Babers | 7–5 | 6–1 | |
| 2013 | Dino Babers | 12–2 | 8–0 | |
† 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
| 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 | Tennessee State | 20 | Eastern Illinois | 19 | ||||
| 1983 2OT | Indiana State | 16 | Eastern Illinois | 13 | ||||||||
| 1986 | Eastern Illinois | 28 | Murray State | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 22 | Eastern Kentucky | 24 | ||||
| 1989 | Idaho | 21 | Eastern Illinois | 38 | Montana | 25 | Eastern Illinois | 19 | ||||
| 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 | Tennessee State | 10 | Eastern Illinois | 39 | Towson | 49 | ||
| 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.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
UC Davis Youngstown State Delaware |
W, 35–31 W, 26–22 W, 10–9 |
| 1980 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship |
Northern Colorado North Alabama Cal Poly |
W, 21–14 W, 56–31 L, 13–21 |
Bowl games
Eastern Illinois has participated in one bowl game, going 0–1.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Maynard O'Brien | Corn Bowl | Illinois Wesleyan | L 0–6 |
Wins over FBS teams
| Season | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Akron | 27–17 |
| 1996 | Western Michigan | 28–20 |
| 1998 | Northern Illinois | 24–10 |
| 2004 | Eastern Michigan | 31–28 |
| 2013 | San Diego State | 40–19 |
| 2016 | Miami Ohio | 21–17 |
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.[4]
| Opponent | Won | Lost | Pct. | First meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston Southern | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2023 |
| Gardner–Webb | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2023 |
| Lindenwood | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2022 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 18 | 14 | .563 | 1956 |
| UT Martin | 15 | 15 | .500 | 1995 |
| Tennessee State | 16 | 12 | .571 | 1982 |
| Western Illinois | 22 | 42 | .353 | 1930 |
| Totals | 73 | 86 | .459 | 7 opponents |
Rivalries
Illinois State
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.[5] 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
| No. | Years | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1899–1901 | Otis Caldwell |
| 2 | 1902 | Thornton Smallwood |
| 3 | 1903 | Thomas Briggs |
| 4 | 1904–1909 | Joseph Brown |
| 5 | 1910 | Harold Railsback |
| 6 | 1911–1934, 44 | Charles Lantz |
| 7 | 1935 | Winfield Angus |
| 8 | 1936–1937, 39–41 | Gilbert Carson |
| 9 | 1938 | Harold Ave |
| 10 | 1942 | Clayton Miller |
| 11 | 1945 | James Goff |
| 12 | 1946–1950, 52–55 | Maynard O'Brien |
| 13 | 1951 | Rex Darling |
| 14 | 1956 | Keith Smith |
| 15 | 1957–1964 | Ralph Kohl |
| 16 | 1965–1971 | Clyde Biggers |
| 17 | 1972–1974 | Jack Dean |
| 18 | 1975–1977 | John Konstantinos |
| 19 | 1978–1982 | Darrell Mudra |
| 20 | 1983–1986 | Al Molde |
| 21 | 1987–2005, 07–11 | Bob Spoo |
| 22 | 2006 | Mark Hutson |
| 23 | 2012–2013 | Dino Babers |
| 24 | 2014–2018 | Kim Dameron |
| 25 | 2019–2021 | Adam Cushing |
| 26 | 2022–present | Chris Wilkerson |
# 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[6]
| Player | Year | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Nate Anderson | 1972 | AFCA |
| Ted Petersen | 1976 | AP |
| James Warring | 1978 | AP, AFCA |
| Pete Catan | 1979, 1980 | AP, AFCA |
| Poke Cobb | 1979 | AP, AFCA |
| Kevin Gray | 1981 | AFCA |
| Robert Williams | 1982, 1983 | AP, AFCA |
| Bob Norris | 1982 | AP |
| Chris Nicholson | 1983 | AP |
| Jerry Wright | 1984 | AFCA |
| Roy Banks | 1986 | AP, AFCA |
| John Jurkovic | 1988, 1989 | AP, AFCA, SN |
| Tim Lance | 1990 | AP, SN, WC |
| Dan Dee | 1992 | WC, SN |
| Tim Carver | 1995 | FBG |
| Willie High | 1995 | FBG |
| J.R. Taylor | 2002 | AP, FBG, SN, WC |
| Nick Ricks | 2002 | AP, FBG, SN |
| Kevin Hill | 2002 | FBG, SN, WC |
| Tony Romo | 2002 | AP, AFCA, SN, WC |
| Clint Sellers | 2005 | AFCA, FBG |
| Tristan Burge | 2006 | AFCA |
| Erik Lora[7] | 2012, 2013 | AP, AFCA, SN, WC |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 2013 | AP, AFCA, SN, WC |
| Collin Seibert[8] | 2013, 2014 | AP, AFCA, SN, WC |
| Dino Fanti[9] | 2015 | AFCA |
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.
| Name | Position | Years | Inducted | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darrell Mudra | Coach | 1978–1982 | 2000 | [10] |
| Tony Romo | QB | 1999–2002 | 2021 | [11] |
Retired numbers
| Eastern Illinois Panthers retired numbers | |||||
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Date retired | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Tony Romo | QB | 1999–2002 | October 17, 2009 | [12] |
| 18 | Sean Payton | QB | 1983–1986 | September 11, 2010 | [13] |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of February 28, 2026.[14]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|
| at Murray State | Murray State | at Illinois State | at Indiana State |
| at Minnesota | at Illinois | Indiana State | at Indiana |
| Indiana State | at Tennessee Tech | at Kentucky | |
| at Illinois State | Illinois State | ||
| 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
