Eastern Washington Eagles
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Washington Eagles are the intercollegiate varsity athletic teams of Eastern Washington University
, located in Cheney
, Washington. The athletic program comprises five men's sports: basketball
, cross country
, football
, tennis
, and track and field
, and seven women's sports: basketball
, cross country
, golf
, soccer, tennis
, track and field
, volleyball
.
(National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) before upgrading its programs and becoming affiliated with the NCAA. Eastern Washington has been a member of the Big Sky
athletic conference since 1987. The school's mascot is Swoop
and the school's colors are red and white.
In the past, EWU had varsity programs in baseball
, wrestling
, and gymnastics
. In 2010, EWU won the NCAA Division I FCS National Championship, EWU's first national championship at the Division I level for any sport.
and competes at the Football Championship Subdivision level of NCAA Division I football, which is the highest level of collegiate football to determine a champion through a playoff format. Eastern claimed its first football national championship in 2010, defeating the University of Delaware
by a score of 20-19 in the 2011 FCS National Championship Game
.
for the first time in school history in 2004, losing to Oklahoma State in the opening round.
women's volleyball and men's and women's basketball teams. It replaced the Eastern Washington Fieldhouse
when it opened in 1981. Reese Court was named for former Eagles football coach William B. "Red" Reese.
game between the Montana Grizzlies
and the Eastern Eagles. Traditionally, it is in the middle of the regular season, played on the Saturday alternating between Roos Field and Washington-Grizzly Stadium
each year. The Eagles currently trail in the series with 11 wins and 25 losses.
in all sports, starting in 2010 called The Dam Cup
. Eastern football won the first rivalry match between the two schools in 2010 with a score of 55-17. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
, located in Cheney
Cheney, Washington
Cheney is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States. The full time resident population was 10,590 as of 2010 census. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney, and its population grows to approximately 17,600 people on a temporary basis when classes at Eastern Washington...
, Washington. The athletic program comprises five men's sports: basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and seven women's sports: basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, soccer, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
Varsity athletics
Eastern has been a member of NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I since the 1983-84 school year. For most of its history, Eastern was a member of the NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) before upgrading its programs and becoming affiliated with the NCAA. Eastern Washington has been a member of the Big Sky
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
athletic conference since 1987. The school's mascot is Swoop
Swoop (mascot)
The mascot Swoop is used to represent various sports organizations in the United States. One of the most notable mascots named Swoop is used by the NFL Football team the Philadelphia Eagles. Various American universities use the name Swoop as their athletic program mascots...
and the school's colors are red and white.
In the past, EWU had varsity programs in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, and gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. In 2010, EWU won the NCAA Division I FCS National Championship, EWU's first national championship at the Division I level for any sport.
Football
Eastern football is currently coached by Beau BaldwinBeau Baldwin
-External links:*...
and competes at the Football Championship Subdivision level of NCAA Division I football, which is the highest level of collegiate football to determine a champion through a playoff format. Eastern claimed its first football national championship in 2010, defeating the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
by a score of 20-19 in the 2011 FCS National Championship Game
2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of the college football season, began in September 2010 and concluded with the national championship game on January 7, 2011 won by Eastern Washington...
.
Men's Basketball
Eastern men's basketball is currently coached by Jim Hayford. Eastern has claimed two Big Sky regular season championships and advanced to the NCAA tournament2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
for the first time in school history in 2004, losing to Oklahoma State in the opening round.
Roos Field
The EWU football team plays at Roos Field, opened in 1967 and recently expanded and renovated in 2004 and 2010 to seat 11,702. The stadium was originally named 'Woodward Field' in honor of former Eagles head football and basketball coach Arthur C. Woodward. It replaced the original Woodward Field, which was located near the present JFK Library.Reese Court
Reese Court is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena that is home to the Eastern Washington UniversityEastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
women's volleyball and men's and women's basketball teams. It replaced the Eastern Washington Fieldhouse
Eastern Washington Fieldhouse
Eastern Washington Fieldhouse was a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Cheney, Washington. It was home to the Eastern Washington University Eagles basketball team until the Reese Court opened in 1975. The facility was destroyed by fire on April 25, 1977....
when it opened in 1981. Reese Court was named for former Eagles football coach William B. "Red" Reese.
Montana Grizzlies
The EWU-UM Governors Cup is the annual college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
game between the Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies football
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
and the Eastern Eagles. Traditionally, it is in the middle of the regular season, played on the Saturday alternating between Roos Field and Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Washington-Grizzly Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Missoula, Montana, located on the campus of the University of Montana. It is home to the Montana Grizzlies college football team, a dominant program of the Big Sky Conference and consistently a top team in Division I FCS, formerly known...
each year. The Eagles currently trail in the series with 11 wins and 25 losses.
Portland State Vikings
The Eagles also have a new rivalry with the Portland State VikingsPortland State Vikings
Portland State Vikings is the nickname of the NCAA-affiliated, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University of Portland, Oregon...
in all sports, starting in 2010 called The Dam Cup
The Dam Cup
The Dam Cup Is a five sport rivalry between the Portland State Vikings and Eastern Washington Eagles. The five sports competing for the cup are football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball...
. Eastern football won the first rivalry match between the two schools in 2010 with a score of 55-17. The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas. Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions' student body.
Fight song
Go, Eagles, Go
Put all you have in every play
We'll let you know
That we are with you all the way
So then it's fight, Eagles, fight,
Show us the fight we'd like to see
Red and white just fight, fight, fight
And Eagles will win the victory!!
E-A-S-T-E-R-N
EASTERN EAGLES GO! FIGHT! WIN!