Millikin Big Blue


The Millikin Big Blue are the intercollegiate athletic programs of Millikin University located in Decatur, Illinois, United States. The Big Blue athletic program is a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and competes at the NCAA Division III level.
WWW athletics.millikin.edu

History

Millikin University was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Its athletics programs were established together with the university in 1903, with football, men's basketball and baseball all competing in the university's first full academic year. Since its start, Big Blue athletics has achieved considerable success both as a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and at the national level as a member of the NCAA Division III. The nickname "Big Blue" is generally attributed to Carl Head, a professor of mechanical engineering who used the name on posters during the 1916 football season. Millikin joined the College Conference of Illinois on April 26, 1946 as one of its nine charter members. The league was renamed the CCIW in 1967 to recognize Carthage, which had moved its campus from Illinois to Wisconsin as well as Carroll's entrance in 1955. Regarded as "The Best Small College Conference In The Nation", Millikin is one of four charter members with uninterrupted membership. One of the school's most famous alumni is former NFL wide receiver Jeff Query who played for the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins.

Sports sponsored

A member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Millikin University sponsors teams in twelve men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports.
Millikin will add two women's sports in 2026–27—flag football and wrestling. At the time of announcement, flag football was not sanctioned by the NCAA; it became part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in January 2026. Wrestling was promoted from the Emerging Sports program to full championship status in January 2025, with the first NCAA championship taking place in 2025–26.

National championships

Team

Individual

Men's wrestling

  • Bradan Birt - 165 wc.

Men's swimming

  • Rodney Miller – 200 yd. breast
  • Rodney Miller – 100 yd. breast
  • Rodney Miller – 200 yd. IM
  • Scott Walker – 100 fly

Men's track & field

  • Carl Alexander – Outdoor 100-meter dash
  • Kyle Hensley – Indoor Pole Vault

Notable former athletes