The FIU Panthers men's soccer team is an intercollegiate

varsity sports In most English-speaking countries, varsity is an abbreviation of the word ''university''. In the United States and Canada, the term is mostly used in relation to sports teams. Varsity in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, varsity team ...

team of

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest uni ...

. As of the upcoming 2022 season, the team is a member of the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I

American Athletic Conference The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...

(The American).

History

FIU started their soccer program in 1972. They were unaffiliated from any collegiate organization until they joined the

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

from 1975 to 1986. During this time, FIU went to 11 NCAA Division II Tournaments where they won the national championships in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

and

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

and runners up in

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

and

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

. Due to the success of their program in Division II, they became an

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

team in 1987. The team has represented FIU at 8 NCAA Division I Tournaments finishing runners up in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

. FIU's most recent conference change was announced during the 2021–22 offseason, when it left

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...

(C-USA) for The American. The decision of the

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...

to reinstate its men's soccer league effective with the 2022 season dropped the C-USA men's soccer membership to four (

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, FIU,

Florida Atlantic Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-cam ...

, UAB). Of these four schools, all but FIU (which remains a full C-USA member) were scheduled to move fully to The American in the near future, with a July 2023 entry date later confirmed. Accordingly, The American brought all four remaining C-USA men's soccer teams into its own soccer league. FIU will remain an affiliate of The American after the other three schools fully join that league.

Conferences

Throughout their history, the team has been part of several collegiate

athletic conferences An athletic conference is a collection of sports teams, playing competitively against each other in a sports league. In many cases conferences are subdivided into smaller divisions, with the best teams competing at successively higher levels. Conf ...

. They were members of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now known as the

ASUN Conference The ASUN Conference, formerly the Atlantic Sun Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Divisio ...

) from 1991 to 1997 where they won the Conference Tournament in 1991. They joined the

Atlantic Soccer Conference Atlantic Soccer Conference (ASC) was a college athletic conference which only sponsored men's soccer. The conference participated in the NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates st ...

from 2000 to 2004 where they were Conference Regular Season Champions in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004. From 2005 to 2021, the team was a member of

, and it joined the

in 2022. *Independent (1972–1990) * TAAC (1991–1997) *Independent (1998–1999) *

ASC ASC may refer to: Educational institutions * Anglican Schools Commission, Australia * Andres Soriano Colleges of Bislig, located in Surigao del Sur, Philippines * Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia Organizations Australia * Australian Singing ...

(2000–2004) *

C-USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...

(2005–2021) * The American (2022–present)

Roster

Coaching staff

Head coaches

* Dr. Greg Myers (1972–1974) *

Bill Nuttall Bill Nuttall (born March 10, 1948, in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is the owner of Golden Viking Sports, licensee for the soccer brand Diadora. He was a first team Junior College and first team NSCAA All-American soccer goalkeeper who spent at lea ...

(1975–1979) *

Karl Kremser Karl Friedrich Kremser (born August 3, 1945) is a German American former football placekicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and retired college soccer coach from Florida International University. He played ...

(1980–2007) *

Munga Eketebi Munga Eketebi is a Congolese American former soccer forward who is currently the head men's soccer coach at Broward College. Playing career Eketebi attended Florida International University from 1983 to 1986 and was a standout player for the P ...

(2007–2011) *

Kenny Arena Kenneth Scott "Kenny" Arena (born February 6, 1981) is an American former soccer defender who is currently an assistant coach for FC Cincinnati. Arena is the son of current New England Revolution and former United States coach Bruce Arena. Pl ...

(2012–2013) *

Scott Calabrese Louis Scott Calabrese (born June 2, 1972) is an American former soccer goalkeeper who is currently the head men's soccer coach at University of Central Florida. Playing career Calabrese attended Bryant University from 1990 to 1995. During this ...

(2014–2016) *

Kevin Nylen Kevin Nylen (born August 14, 1981) is an American former soccer defender and current head coach of the Boston University Terriers men's soccer team. Playing career Nylen attended Saint Anselm College from 1999 to 2003. During this time he earn ...

(2017–2020) * Kyle Russell (2020–Present)

Notable alumni

Robin Fraser Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...

Steve Ralston Steve Ralston (born June 14, 1974) is an American retired soccer player and manager who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his playing career in Major League Soccer with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution, retiring in 2010 ...

Jeff Cassar Jeff Cassar (born February 2, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former goalkeeper who last coached Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Playing career Cassar played college soccer at Florida International University, where he was roommat ...

Greg Vanney Greg Vanney (born June 11, 1974) is an American former professional soccer player and head coach of the LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer. A defender and one of MLS's original players, Vanney spent 10 seasons in the league and another three-and ...

Bobby Boswell Robert Allen "Bobby" Boswell (born March 15, 1983) is an American retired soccer player. He played his entire professional career in Major League Soccer, mostly with the Houston Dynamo and D.C. United. He retired in 2017 with over 360 appearances ...

Tyrone Marshall Tyrone Everton Marshall (born 12 November 1974) is a retired Jamaican footballer and current head coach of FC Cincinnati 2, the reserve team of Major League Soccer's FC Cincinnati. Career Youth and College Marshall moved to the Fort Lauderdal ...

* José Carlos Fernandez * Sebastien Vorbe *

Juan Francisco Guerra Juan Francisco Guerra Piñero (born 16 February 1987) is a Venezuelan football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Phoenix Rising FC in the USL Championship. Guerra was the first signing made by the Rowdies' new general m ...

References

External links

* {{American Athletic Conference men's soccer navbox