Eastern Washington Eagles football
2023 Eastern Washington Eagles football team
First season1901 (1901)
Head coachAaron Best
7th season, 44–25 (.638)
StadiumRoos Field
(capacity: 8,600)
FieldThe Inferno
Year built1967
Field surfaceRed SprinTurf
LocationCheney, Washington
NCAA divisionDivision I FCS
ConferenceBig Sky Conference
All-time record576–430–23 (.571)
Playoff appearances15
Playoff record20–13
Claimed national titlesDiv. I FCS: 1 (2010)
Conference titles26
RivalriesIdaho
Montana (rivalry)
Portland State (rivalry)
ColorsRed and white[1]
   
Fight songGo, Eagles, Go
MascotSwoop
Marching bandEagles Marching Band
OutfitterAdidas
WebsiteGoEags.com

The Eastern Washington Eagles football team represents Eastern Washington University in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. The Eastern Eagles are members of the Big Sky Conference and play at Roos Field, which is known for being the only stadium in college football with a red playing surface.

History

Conference Affiliations
Independent 1901–1919
Tri-Normal League 1920–1937
Independent 1938
Washington Intercollegiate Conference 1939–1947
Evergreen Conference 1948–1979
Div. II Independent 1980–1983
Div. I-AA Independent 1984–1986
Big Sky Conference 1987–present

Beginning & NAIA era

Eastern Washington University began fielding a football team in 1901, when the school was known at the time as the 'State Normal School' and the team mascot was the 'Savages'. Eastern's first national affiliation came with joining the NAIA.

Eastern competed in the NAIA until 1977, along the way advancing to the NAIA Football National Championship finals in 1967, losing to Fairmont State 28-21. This marked Eastern Washington's first appearance in a national championship game at any level of competition.

Identity changes

During this time period, the school would undergo numerous changes to its identity. The school name would change in 1937 to the 'Eastern Washington College of Education', then again in 1962 to 'Eastern Washington State College'. The final change to the school name came in 1977 when the school was renamed 'Eastern Washington University'.

In 1973, the student body voted to make Eastern's mascot the 'Eagles'.[2][3][4] Shortly before that, the Eastern Board of Trustees declared 'Savages', its mascot through its first 92 years, no longer acceptable. Eagles are native to Eastern Washington and thus a logical choice for a replacement.

Transition to NCAA and Big Sky

Eastern joined the NCAA in 1978, and participated at the Division II level as an independent until 1984, when they moved up to Division I-AA (now FCS), also as an independent.[5]

Denied membership to the Big Sky Conference in May 1985,[6][7] Eastern was extended an invitation in December 1986 to join, starting in July 1987.[8][9] Eastern continues to participate in the Big Sky to this day and is now the sixth-most tenured member of the conference.

Red Turf and National Championship

The 2010 season would mark a number of firsts for Eastern Washington's football program. The offseason would see a highly publicized move to install a red turf playing surface, the first of its kind in the country. Eastern would utilize the excitement and energy surrounding the program to complete its finest season of competition in the program's history.

The 2010 season concluded with Eastern Washington's first appearance in the FCS Championship Game. Led by the head coach Beau Baldwin the Eagles defeated the Delaware Blue Hens 20–19 in Frisco, Texas to win the school's first national championship in football.

Championships

National championships

Eastern Washington has won one national championship in the FCS.

Year Coach Selector Record Opponent Result
2010Beau BaldwinNCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision13–2DelawareW 20–19

Conference championships

Eastern Washington has won 26 conference championships since 1901, including ten in the Big Sky Conference.

Year Conference Overall record Conference record Coach
1921Tri-Normal League3–3–03–0–0A.A. Eustis
1923†Tri-Normal League5–2–04–1–0A.A. Eustis
1925Tri-Normal League6–3–05–0–0A.A. Eustis
1934Tri-Normal League6–1–02–0–0W.B. Reese
1935Tri-Normal League4–2–11–0–1W.B. Reese
1936Tri-Normal League7–1–02–0–0W.B. Reese
1937Tri-Normal League6–1–02–0–0W.B. Reese
1939†Washington Intercollegiate Conference5–3–02–0–0W.B. Reese
1947†Washington Intercollegiate Conference6–1–14–0–1A.H. Poffenroth
1948†Evergreen Conference8–1–05–1–0A.H. Poffenroth
1949†Evergreen Conference7–2–05–1–0A.H. Poffenroth
1950Evergreen Conference8–2–05–1–0A.H. Poffenroth
1965Evergreen Conference8–1–04–1–0Dave Holmes
1966Evergreen Conference7–1–14–1–1Dave Holmes
1967Evergreen Conference11–1–06–0–0Dave Holmes
1969†Evergreen Conference4–5–04–2–0Brent Wooten
1992†Big Sky Conference7–4–06–1–0Dick Zornes
1997Big Sky Conference12–2–07–1–0Mike Kramer
2004†Big Sky Conference9–46–1Paul Wulff
2005†Big Sky Conference7–55–2Paul Wulff
2010†Big Sky Conference13–27–1Beau Baldwin
2012†Big Sky Conference11–37–1Beau Baldwin
2013Big Sky Conference12–38–0Beau Baldwin
2014Big Sky Conference11–37–1Beau Baldwin
2016†Big Sky Conference12–28–0Beau Baldwin
2018†Big Sky Conference12–37–1Aaron Best

† Co–champions

Playoff appearances

NAIA playoffs

Eastern Washington made one appearance in the NAIA playoffs in 1967. They advanced to the NAIA Champions Bowl in Morgantown, West Virginia,[10][11] where they lost to Fairmont State.[12][13] The Savages finished with a 1–1 record in NAIA playoff play.

Season Round Opponent Result Head Coach
1967Semifinals
Champions Bowl		@ New Mexico Highlands
@ Fairmont State		W 28–14
L  21–28		Dave Holmes
Source:[11][13]

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

Eastern Washington has fifteen appearances in the I-AA/FCS playoffs since moving up to the division in 1984, with an overall record of 20–13 (.606). Their first appearance occurred the next year, when they advanced to the quarterfinals as an independent. The Eagles' best finish came during the 2010 season, when they won the national championship.[14]

Season Round Opponent Result Head Coach
1985First Round
Quarterfinals		@ Idaho
@ Northern Iowa		W 42–38
 L 14–17		Dick Zornes
(1–2)
1992First Round@ Northern Iowa L 14–17
1997First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Northwestern State
Western Kentucky
Youngstown State		W 40–10
W 38–21
 L 14–25		Mike Kramer
(2–1)
2004First Round
Quarterfinals		@ Southern Illinois
Sam Houston State		W 35–31
 L 34–35		Paul Wulff
(2–3)
2005First Round@ Northern Iowa L 38–41
2007First Round
Quarterfinals		@ McNeese State
@ Appalachian State		W 44–15
 L 35–38
2009First Round@ Stephen F. Austin L 33–44Beau Baldwin
(11–5)
2010First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship		SE Missouri State
North Dakota State
Villanova
vs. Delaware		W 37–17
W 38–31OT
W 41–31
W 20–19
2012Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Wagner
Illinois State
Sam Houston State		W 29–19
W 51–35
 L 42–45
2013Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		South Dakota State
Jacksonville State
Towson		W 41–17
W 35–24
 L 31–35
2014Second Round
Quarterfinals		Montana
Illinois State		W 37–20
 L 46–59
2016Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Central Arkansas
Richmond
Youngstown State		W 37–20
W 38–0
 L 38–40
2018Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship		Nicholls
UC Davis
Maine
vs. North Dakota State		W 42–21
W 34–29
W 50–19
L 24–38		Aaron Best
(4–3)
2020–21First RoundNorth Dakota StateL 20–42
2021First Round
Second Round		Northern Iowa
@ Montana		W 19–9
L 41–57

Head coaches

Coach Years Seasons Record Pct. Conf. champs Playoff Appearances National titles
Unknown1901–190223–3–2.500000
Claude Arthur190313–2–2.571000
Henry E. Smith1904–190525–9.357000
Paul Lienau1906–190728–5.615000
Nick E. Hinch1908, 191222–4.333000
Harry Goldsworthy190910–2.000000
Albert Fertsch1913–191644–9.308000
Vin Eustis1920–1926724–25–1.4903 (1921, 1923, 1925)00
Arthur C. Woodward1927–192827–8.467000
Brick Johnson192914-4.500000
Red Reese1930–1941, 19461366–26–9.6985 (1934–1937, 1939)00
Ralph Peterson194213–4.429000
Abe Poffenroth1947–1952632–19–1.6254 (1947–1950)00
Ed Chissus1953–19621029–52–4.365000
Dave Holmes1963–1967534–13–1.7193 (1965–1967)1 (1967)0
Brent Wooten1968–1970311–18.3791 (1969)00
John Massengale1971–1978835–39–1.473000
Dick Zornes1979–19931589–66–2.5731 (1992)2 (1985, 1992)0
Mike Kramer1994–1999637–32.5361 (1997)1 (1997)0
Paul Wulff2000–2007853–40.5702 (2004, 2005)3 (2004, 2005, 2007)0
Beau Baldwin2008–2016985–32.7265 (2010, 2012–2014, 2016)6 (2009, 2010, 2012–2014, 2016)1 (2010)
Aaron Best2017–present544–25.6381 (2018)2 (2018, 2020/21)0
Note: Eastern Washington did not field teams from 1910 to 1911, 1917 to 1919, and 1943 to 1945.

Home stadium

Roos Field with red turf installed in 2010

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.[15]

Red turf installation and name change

On February 26, 2010, ESPN reported that Eastern Washington planned to remove the natural grass surface at Woodward Field and replace it with red SprinTurf, the first of its kind, at any level of American football. A funding drive was initiated in late January 2010, with EWU alumnus Michael Roos donating $500,000 toward the installation costs, and fellow alumnus and ESPN personality Colin Cowherd also making a donation.[16]

On May 20, 2010 the Eastern Washington Board of Trustees approved a name change to Roos Field, scheduled for the 2010 season, upon the successful completion of the project.[17] Installation of the red synthetic turf was completed in September 2010, in time for the first home game of the 2010 season against Montana.

The Inferno

Eastern Washington's red playing surface is known as The Inferno. The nickname was chosen through a vote conducted by Eastern on its athletic website, goeags.com. Voting began on August 4, 2010 and allowed fans to choose from seven proposed names: red sea, red zone, inferno, big red, red carpet, ring of fire and lava pit. Inferno finished as the top choice and the nickname was revealed at the first home game with the new field on September 18, 2010.

Rivalries

Montana

The EWU–UM Governors Cup is the game against conference rival Montana, usually played in mid-season in October, alternating between Roos Field in Cheney and Washington–Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. The Eagles currently trail in the overall series with 18 wins, 30 losses, and a tie; it became the Governors Cup in 1998 for the 25th meeting and Montana also leads that series at 13–8 (.619), through 2017. The Cup was originally contested between EWU and the University of Idaho, from 1984 through 1997.

Portland State

The Eagles also have a new rivalry with the Portland State Vikings 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.

Team Rivalry name Trophy Games played First meeting Last meeting EWU win EWU loss Ties Win %
Montana GrizzliesEWU–UM Governors CupGovernors Cup491938†2022, Lost 7–6318301.378
Portland State VikingsThe Dam CupDam Cup441986‡2022, Lost 35-3822211.511

† The Governors Cup rivalry with Montana was officially established in 1998, but both teams have played against each other since the date listed above.
‡ The Dam Cup rivalry with Portland State was officially established in 2010, but both teams have played against each other since the date listed above.

Individual award winners

The following Eastern Washington players have been recipients of the noted conference and national award honors.[18]

National award winners – players

Big Sky Conference honors

Eagles in the pros

The following former Eastern Washington players are currently playing in one of the two professional football leagues listed below.[19][20]

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