Athletic director Matt Tanney Varsity teams 16 | ||
 | ||
Conference Summit LeagueMissouri Valley Football Conference | ||
The Western Illinois Leathernecks are the teams and athletes that represent Western Illinois University, located in Macomb, Illinois, in NCAA Division I sports. The school's primary conference affiliation is with the Summit League; its football team is a member of the Division I FCS (formerly Division I-AA) Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Contents
- Teams
- Baseball
- Mens basketball
- Womens basketball
- Football
- Softball
- Notable alumni
- Western Loyalty
- Were Marching On
- Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks
- Colonel Rock
- Rocky
- References
WIU's nickname, the Leathernecks, and its mascot, the English bulldog, are taken from the traditions of the United States Marine Corps. The university has had permission to use the official nickname and mascot of the Corps since 1927, when Ray Hanson, then-athletic director and coach of the baseball, basketball and football teams, gained permission to use the symbols as a homage to his service in that military branch during World War I. Western Illinois University is the only non-military university to use a military nickname. Since the fall semester of 2009, the men's and women's teams have been unified under the Leathernecks name; previously, the women's teams and athletes at the school had been known as the Westerwinds.
Teams
A member of The Summit League, Western Illinois University sponsors teams in nine men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
Baseball
The Western Illinois Leathernecks baseball team represents the university in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team is a member of The Summit League. It plays its home games at the 500-seat Alfred D. Boyer Stadium and are coached by Ryan Brownlee.
Men's basketball
The Western Illinois Leathernecks men's basketball team competes in NCAA Division I men's college basketball competition. The school's team is a member of The Summit League. The team plays it home games at 5,139-seat Western Hall and are coached by Billy Wright.
Women's basketball
The Western Illinois Leathernecks women's basketball team is a member of The Summit League, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at 5,139-seat Western Hall and are coached by JD Gravina.
Football
The Western Illinois Leathernecks football program competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team has made numerous NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) playoff appearances. The Leathernecks have been ranked as high as number one and ranked number two numerous times. The team plays its home games at the 16,368 seat Hanson Field.
Softball
The Western Illinois Leathernecks softball team is a member of The Summit League, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The team plays its home games at 500-seat Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium. The team has appeared in eight Women's College World Series, in 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980 and 1982.
Notable alumni
Western Loyalty
The name of the "official" Alma Mater for Western Illinois University is "Western Loyalty".
We’re Marching On
The name of the "official" fight song for Western Illinois University is "We’re Marching On".
Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks
The Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks is the marching band which represents Western Illinois University.
Colonel Rock
"Colonel Rock" is the "official" live bulldog mascot for Western Illinois University. According to WIU's official webpage, the first Colonel Rock was bought in 1958. He was named after the famed football coach Colonel Ray (Rock) Hanson. Colonel Rock III is the current live mascot.
Rocky
"Rocky" is the "official" costumed bulldog mascot for Western Illinois University.