FIU Panthers
The FIU Panthers are the athletic teams representing Florida International University, an American public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers currently compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletics as members of Conference USA. The men's soccer and swimming & diving teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Until 2011, they were known as the FIU Golden Panthers.
History and introduction
FIU's colors are navy blue and gold, and their mascot is the Panther, which is embodied by a panther named Roary the Panther. The school's original nickname was the "Sunblazers", but it was changed in 1987 to the "Golden Panthers", with the word "Golden" officially dropped beginning with the 2010–11 school year.FIU is a member of the NCAA, participating in Division I, and is a member of Conference USA. FIU joined the Sun Belt Conference in 1998 having previously competed in the Trans America Athletic Conference, from 1991 to 1998. They joined Conference USA in 2013.
The FIU Athletic Department has produced scores of professional and Olympic athletes, including current players in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and in the Women's National Basketball Association.
FIU's current athletic director is Scott Carr, who was hired on November 30, 2021. He most recently worked as deputy AD with the UCF Knights, and also previously worked in executive athletic roles with the Auburn Tigers and Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
Conference affiliations
Sports sponsored
Baseball
FIU's baseball team began play in 1973 as a Division II member and is one of the most successful programs in the school's history. The team has reached the post-season 14 times in school history, including nine times as a Division I program. The other five appearances came as a Division II program and included a Division II College World Series appearance.Many players from past years have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams and have played in the majors. FIU's most notable baseball alumni is Mike Lowell, former third baseman of the New York Yankees, Florida Marlins, and Boston Red Sox. Lowell was the 2007 World Series MVP. Garrett Wittels finished the 2010 season with a 56-game hitting streak, two hits shy of the Division I record, set the FIU season record for hits, was nominated for the Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award for his 2010 performance, won Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors, and was named a NCBWA and Louisville Slugger/TPX Preseason All-American.
;Team honors:
- NCAA Division I Super Regional Appearances : 2001
- NCAA Division I Regional Appearances : 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2015
- NCAA Division II College World Series : 1980
- NCAA Division II Regional Appearances : 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982
- Conference USA tournament Champions : 2015
- Sun Belt Conference tournament champions : 1999, 2010
- Trans America Athletic Conference tournament champions : 1991, 1998
Men's basketball
FIU men's basketball team had its lone NCAA tournament appearance in the 1995 tournament under then Head Coach Bob Weltlich. FIU won the TAAC Basketball Tournament and in doing so earned an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. FIU was seeded #16 and played the #1 seeded UCLA Bruins in the first round of the West Regional, which was played at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. The Panthers lost the game to the Bruins by the score of 92–56, being the first tournament win in UCLA's successful run to the National Championship that year.
FIU alumni who have played in the National Basketball Association include Carlos Arroyo and Raja Bell.
;Team honors:
- NCAA tournament Appearances : 1995
- Trans America Athletic Conference tournament champions : 1995
- Trans America Athletic Conference regular season champions : 1992–93
Women's basketball
;Team honors:
- NCAA Division I tournament Appearances : 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002
- WNIT Appearances : 1992, 1993, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013
- NCAA Division II tournament Appearances : 1983, 1986, 1987
- Sun Belt Conference tournament champions : 2002
- Sun Belt Conference regular season champions : 2001–02
- Trans America Athletic Conference tournament champions : 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998
- Trans America Athletic Conference regular season champions : 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98
- New South Women's Athletic Conference regular season champions : 1988–89, 1989–90
Cross country
- Trans America Athletic Conference Champions : 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994
- Trans America Athletic Conference Champions : 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997
- New South Women's Athletic Conference Champions : 1988, 1990
- NCAA Division I South All-Region : Gabriel Rodriguez, 1998, 1999
- NCAA Division I South All-Region : Ingrid Odermatt, 1997
Football
On August 29, 2002, the program played its first game at home against Saint Peter's College in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,314. FIU defeated St. Peter's by the score of 27–3.
The FIU football team's main rivals are the Florida Atlantic Owls and the University of Miami Hurricanes. Both FIU and Florida Atlantic play annually in a game known as the Shula Bowl. The game is named after former Miami Dolphins head coach and Football Hall of Fame inductee Don Shula. The Panthers and Hurricanes last played on November 23, 2019, at LoanDepot Park, with FIU defeating UM 30–24.
;Team honors:
- Sun Belt Conference Champions : 2010
- Bowl appearances : 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019
Men's soccer
The men's soccer team competes in The American. The team previously played in the Atlantic Soccer Conference from 2000 to 2004 and the Trans America Athletic Conference from 1991 to 1999.
FIU has regularly qualified for the NCAA tournament in men's soccer, both as Division I and Division II program. In addition to the national championships achieved by the team as a Division II program, the team reached the Division I championship game in 1996, losing to St. John's University 4–1.
Recently, two new soccer fields were finished in the summer of 2007 on the northwest side of campus. These fields will complement the other two, making four soccer fields for use by both the men and women's soccer teams, as well as practice fields for the football team.
;Team honors:
- Division I national runner-up : 1996
- NCAA Division I tournament Appearances : 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2015
- Division II National Champions : 1982, 1984
- Division II national runner-up : 1980, 1985
- NCAA Division II tournament Appearances : 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
- Conference – USA Champions : 2015
- Atlantic Soccer Conference Champions : 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Trans America Athletic Conference Champions : 1991
Women's soccer
;Team honors:
- NCAA tournament Appearances : 1993, 2011, 2024
- Conference – USA Champions : 2024
- Sun Belt Conference tournament champions : 2000, 2011
Softball
FIU's softball team competes in Conference USA after previously being a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference in 1998, Independent from 1999 to 2000, and of the Sun Belt Conference from 2001 through 2012. The team plays its home games at Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium.;Team honors
- NCAA tournament Appearances : 2003, 2010, 2017
Swimming and diving
;Team honors:
- Conference – USA Conference Champions : 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
Track & Field
; Individual honors:
- NCAA D1 Individual National Champion - Sheri-Ann Brooks
- FIU has had four Olympians, including three-time Olympic hurdler Ronald Forbes, Aubrey Smith, 2004 Gold Medalist Tayna Lawrence and Ena Guevara-Mora.