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The FIU Golden Panthers is the name of the athletic teams of Florida International University, a public university located in Miami, Florida. The Golden Panthers compete in NCAA Division I athletics, and in the Sun Belt Conference. FIU fields 16 teams in 13 sports:
[edit] Athletic Department history and information FIU’s colors are dark blue and gold, and their mascot is the Golden Panther, which is embodied by an panther named Roary the Panther. The school's original nickname was the "Sunblazers", but it was changed in 1987 to the current. FIU is a member of the NCAA, participating in Division I, and the Sun Belt Conference in all sports except for men's soccer (which competes in Conference USA as an affiliate member). FIU joined the Sun Belt Conference in 1998 having previously competed in the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC), from 1991 to 1998. FIU's Athletic Department has produced several 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 main rivals are the University of Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Atlantic University Owls.[citation needed] [edit] Sports[edit] BaseballFIU’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. This can be attributed to the team reaching the post-season 13 times in school history, including eight as a Division I program, and five as a Division II program including a Division II College World Series appearance. Many players from past years have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams and have played in Major League games. FIU’s most notable baseball alumni is Mike Lowell, the current third baseman with the Boston Red Sox and 2007 World Series MVP . Team Honors: [edit] Men's BasketballThe current head coach of the FIU men's basketball team is Isiah Thomas, who was hired on April 14, 2009. 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, ID. The Panthers lost the game to the Bruins by the score of 92-56, being the first tournament win in UCLA's successful run the National Championship that year. FIU alumni who have played in the National Basketball Association include Carlos Arroyo of the Miami Heat, and Raja Bell of the Charlotte Bobcats. The "Sunblazers" men’s basketball team was also featured in a second season episode of Miami Vice entitled "The Fix". Team Honors: [edit] FIU basketball alumni in professionals FIU Golden Panthers alumni to have gone on to the NBA and international professional basketball.
[edit] FootballMain article: FIU Golden Panthers Football   The FIU Golden Panthers football team competes in the NCAA FBS Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division 1-A), the highest level in intercolligiate football, and is a member of the Sun Belt Conference. They are led by head coach Mario Cristobal and play at FIU Stadium on FIU's University Park campus. The team began playing in 2002 as a member of NCAA Division 1-AA, now known as the NCAA FCS Football Championship Subdivision. Three years later, the FIU Athletics Department decided to move the progam up to Division 1-A. FIU became the fastest school to make such a move from a program's inception. 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. Peters's by the score of 27–3. The FIU football team's main rival are the Florida Atlantic Owls. Both teams play annually in a game known as the Shula Bowl. The game is named after former Miami Dolphins Head Coach Don Shula. [edit] Men's SoccerFIU has won two NCAA Division II national championships in men's soccer. In 1982, FIU beat Southern Connecticut State by the score of 2–1, to win the school's first national title in any sport. Two years later the Panthers won their second national title beating Seattle Pacific University 1–0. To date these are the only national titles the university has achieved in athletic competition. The men's soccer team competes as an affiliate member of Conference USA, and is the only FIU team to do so. This relationship began in 2005 and was formed since the Sun Belt Conference does not sponsor men's soccer. 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 compliment 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 Golden Panthers football team. Team Honors: [edit] Facilities   [edit] FIU StadiumMain article: FIU Stadium FIU Stadium was originally opened in 1995 as a standard track and field athletics stadium, with mobile seats for the football end zones and an artificial turf infield. In 2007, the stadium was closed and converted into a dedicated football stadium, with the track removed, the original turf replaced with FieldTurf, and permanent stands providing 20,000 seats. It was re-opened in time for the 2008 college football season. Further improvements to FIU Stadium are ongoing, with a future capacity target of 45,000 seats.[citation needed] During FIU Stadium's reconstruction, the Golden Panthers football team played at the Miami Orange Bowl in the 2007 season, and actually won the final college football game played at the stadium before it was demolished to make way for the new Marlins' ballpark.[citation needed] [edit] U.S. Century Bank ArenaMain article: U.S. Century Bank Arena U.S. Century Bank Arena, previously known as Pharmed Arena, is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena that opened on February 1, 1986. The Florida International University Golden Panthers basketball and volleyball teams play there. It was originally named Sunblazer Arena but was renamed Golden Panther Arena when FIU's athletic teams changed their nickname from Sunblazers to Golden Panthers in 1987. It was eventually renamed on September 1, 2004 in honor of Pharmed Group after a $1 million USD donation was made to the FIU athletic department by Pharmed owners Jorge and Carlos de Cespedes, but was changed to "FIU Arena" in 2008.[why?] Other events such as MTV's Campus Invasion, music concerts, ceremonies and fairs are also held year-round at the arena. In 2008, the name was changed to "U.S. Century Bank Arena".[why?] [edit] University Park StadiumMain article: University Park Stadium University Park Stadium is a baseball stadium located on the University Park campus of Florida International University in Miami, Florida. It is used as the home venue of the university's baseball team. The facility opened on January 26, 1996 with an FIU victory against Bethune-Cookman, 1-0. The baseball team played its 2000 season at the Homestead Sports Complex in Homestead, Florida while the facility underwent an expansion. In 2005, the facility also hosted the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament.[citation needed] [edit] Traditions[edit] Fight SongThe FIU Fight Song is sung at sports games and official ceremonies. It was changed in both lyrics and music in 2006. [edit] Old LyricsFrom the green fields of Tamiami  To the north shore of Biscayne Bay [edit] New Lyrics We are the panthers of FIU, Go F! [edit] External links
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