Eastern Illinois Panthers football
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
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).