Florida International University - Athletics

Athletics

Florida International University has seventeen varsity sports teams, named the Golden Panthers. The Golden Panthers' athletic colors are blue and gold, and compete in the NCAA Division I as part of the Sun Belt Conference in all sports except for men's soccer (which competes in Conference USA as an affiliate member). Three main sports facilities serve as home venues for Golden Panther athletics. The Golden Panthers football team plays at FIU Stadium ("The Cage"), the men and women's basketball and volleyball teams play at the U.S. Century Bank Arena, and the men's baseball team plays at FIU Baseball Stadium. Other athletics venues include the Aquatic Center, Tennis Complex, softball fields, and various other recreational fields. U.S Century Bank Arena will undergo an expansion that will include more seating and a more modern entrance. The expansion was completed in late 2011. On July 1, 2013, FIU will move up to Conference USA.

Traditional rivals of the FIU Golden Panthers include Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami. The Golden Panthers football team competes in the annual Shula Bowl, a yearly football game played for the Don Shula Award against in-state rival Florida Atlantic University. Due to this competition in the Shula Bowl, the rivalry between the two schools has grown, with the rivalry extending into the men's baseball and basketball teams as well.

The Golden Panthers football team plays home games at FIU Stadium nicknamed "The Cage" and are currently coached by Mario Cristobal. In 2005, the Golden Panthers moved to the Sun Belt Conference, making their transition from Division I-FCS to Division I-FBS complete. In their first season in the conference, the Golden Panthers began by going 5-6. FIU's athletics department has produced many professional and Olympic athletes, including current players in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, National Football League and the Women's National Basketball Association. Notable alumni include Mike Lowell (Boston Red Sox), Raja Bell (Utah Jazz), and Carlos Arroyo (Boston Celtics).

In 2009, FIU hired NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas as head coach of the men's basketball team. In 2010, the Panthers football team finished the season #1 as Sun Belt Conference champions, and went on to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against Toledo on December 26, 2010. The game was won 34-32 in a fourth quarter play that became known as the "Motor City Miracle."