Western Illinois Leathernecks football | |||
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First season | 1902 | ||
Athletic director | Paul Bubb | ||
Head coach | Joe Davis 1st season, 0–1 (.000) | ||
Stadium | Hanson Field (capacity: 16,368) | ||
Year built | 1950 | ||
Field surface | Matrix Turf | ||
Location | Macomb, Illinois | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | Big South–OVC | ||
All-time record | 509–439–38 (.535) | ||
Bowl record | 2–1 (.667) | ||
Playoff appearances | 1 (NCAA Division II) 1973 11 (NCAA Division I) 1988, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2015, 2017 | ||
Playoff record | 0–1 (NCAA Division II) 7–11 (NCAA Division I) | ||
Conference titles | 13 1939, 1942, 1949, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1981, 1988, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002 | ||
Colors | Purple and gold[1] | ||
Fight song | We're Marching On | ||
Mascot | Colonel Rock (Live Bulldog), Rocky (Costumed Bulldog) | ||
Marching band | Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks | ||
Outfitter | Adidas | ||
Website | goleathernecks.com |
The Western Illinois Leathernecks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Western Illinois University located in Macomb, Illinois.[2][3] The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).[4] The school's first football team was fielded in 1902. The team plays its home games at the 16,368 seat Hanson Field. The Leathernecks are playing one final MVFC campaign in the fall of 2023 before joining the football alliance between the Big South Conference and Western's primary home of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2024.