In the midwest, the Eastern Illinois Panthers are one of the most overlooked college football programs. As an FCS program, it’s usually easy to find cheap Eastern Illinois football tickets. But that doesn’t mean the Panthers aren’t worth checking out. EIU has a long history of producing notable players and competing for championships. The Panthers are one of the top teams in the Ohio Valley Conference most years and a regular participant in the FCS playoffs, making last-minute Eastern Illinois football tickets desirable for any college football fan.

Quarterback U

At the FCS level, few programs have produced as many NFL quarterbacks as Eastern Illinois. Tony Romo is probably the most famous, winning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in three straight seasons while also leading the Panthers to back-to-back conference titles. However, most people don’t know that longtime New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton played his college football at Eastern Illinois, leading a prolific offense that earned the nickname “Eastern Airlines” and taking the Panthers to the FCS Playoff Quarterfinals in 1986. More recently, Jimmy Garoppolo added his name to the long list of great EIU quarterbacks, helping the Panthers win two more Ohio Valley championships in 2012 and 2013.

A History of Success

Given its history of great quarterbacks, it’s not surprising that Eastern Illinois is no stranger to success. The Panthers spent many years at the Division II level, taking home the Division II national championship in 1978. In the 21st century, EIU has become one of the most consistent programs in the Ohio Valley Conference at the FCS level. Under coaches Bob Spoo and Dino Babers, the Panthers have won more than half a dozen conference titles since the turn of the century. Even when they don’t win the OVC crown, the Panthers have become regular participants in the FCS Playoffs and a program that is always a threat to make some noise in the fall.