Western Illinois Leathernecks
| Western Illinois Leathernecks | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | Western Illinois University |
| Conference |
Summit League Missouri Valley Football Conference |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Matt Tanney |
| Location | Macomb, Illinois |
| Varsity teams | 16 |
| Football stadium | Hanson Field |
| Basketball arena | Western Hall |
| Baseball stadium | Alfred D. Boyer Stadium |
| Softball stadium | Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium |
| Soccer stadium | MacKenzie Alumni Field |
| Other arenas | Brophy Hall Pool Harry Mussatto Golf Course WIU Tennis Facility |
| Mascot | Colonel Rock (Live Bulldog), Rocky the Bulldog (Costumed Bulldog) |
| Nickname | Leathernecks |
| Fight song | We're Marching On |
| Colors | Purple and Gold |
| Website | www |
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.
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.
A member of The Summit League, Western Illinois University sponsors teams in nine men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports:
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.
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