The Millikin Big Blue are the intercollegiate athletic programs of

Millikin University Millikin University is a private university in Decatur, Illinois. It was founded in 1901 by prominent Decatur businessman James Millikin and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Media Decaturian The ''Decaturian'', also known as ...

(MU) located in

Decatur, Illinois Decatur ( ) is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 70,522 as of the 2020 Census. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Ce ...

, United States. The Big Blue athletic program is a member of the

College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) is a college athletic conference which competes in the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). CCIW schools have accounted for 50 national championships i ...

(CCIW) and competes at the

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...

level.

History

Millikin University was a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA). Its athletics programs were established together with the university in 1903, with football, men’s basketball and baseball all competing in the University’s first full academic year (1903–04). Since its start, Big Blue athletics has achieved considerable success both as a member of the

(CCIW) and at the national level as a member of the NCAA Division III. The nickname “Big Blue” is generally attributed to Carl Head, a professor of mechanical engineering who used the name on posters during the 1916 football season. Millikin joined the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) on April 26, 1946 as one of its nine charter members (Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst, Illinois College, Illinois Wesleyan, Lake Forest, Millikin, North Central and Wheaton). The league was renamed the CCIW in 1967 to recognize Carthage, which had moved its campus from Illinois to Wisconsin as well as Carroll’s entrance in 1955. Regarded as “The Best Small College Conference In The Nation,” Millikin is one of four charter members with uninterrupted membership. One of the school's most famous alumni is former NFL wide receiver

Jeff Query Jeffrey Lee Query (born March 7, 1967) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Washington Redskins. Query played college football at Millikin University. The ...

who played for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

Sports sponsored

A member of the

, Millikin University sponsors teams in twelve men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

National championships

Team

*2004–05: Women's Basketball

Individual

Wrestling

* Bradan Birt - 165 wc. (2021-22)

Men’s Swimming

*Rodney Miller – 200 yd. breast (1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88) *Rodney Miller – 100 yd. breast (1986–87, 1987–88) *Rodney Miller – 200 yd. IM (1987–88) *Scott Walker – 100 fly (1990–91)