Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Encyclopedia
EKU
fields teams in 15 varsity sports (7 men's and 8 women's). The school is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference
in Division I of the NCAA (FCS in football), having been a part of the conference since its inception in 1948. The EKU Athletics Department is headed by Mark Sandy, who joined Eastern in 2005 from the University of Richmond
.
EKU's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed the Colonels and Lady Colonels (for Women's Basketball only). Since the school's inception as Eastern Kentucky State Normal School, maroon has been the official color of Eastern athletics. Prior to 1963, when then-president Robert Martin had the school's nickname changed to the "Colonels", the school's official nickname was the "Maroons".
from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium
. With their win over Southeast Missouri State University
in 2008, Eastern's football team secured their 31st consecutive winning season. The team is currently coached by Dean Hood, a former defensive coordinator for Wake Forest
.
. Before coming to EKU, Neubauer was the assistant head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball team. The Colonels have appeared in the NCAA Tournament
seven times. The Colonels play their home basketball games at Alumni Coliseum
, located on EKU's campus.
served as the primary rival to EKU, especially in Football. Their matchups; known as the "Battle of the Bluegrass" date back to 1914, with Western
leading the overall series 34-47-3. With WKU's recent move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, any future games between the two teams are uncertain.
Outside of Western, EKU has maintained rivalries with its two other in-state OVC
foes: Murray State
and Morehead State
.
Yea Eastern let's win this fight,
Rally Maroon and White;
We've got the spirit; you've got the speed,
These two with grit are all that we need;
So carry and pass that ball;
Show them our boys beat all;
Show them we're right with main and might;
The way to win is fight, fight, fight.
Hail, Hail Eastern Maroons,
You're the pride of dear old Alma Mater.
Hail, Hail, Eastern Maroons,
For thee we'll give three rousting cheers.
Rah, rah, rah! Hail, Hail, Eastern Maroons,
Loyal to thee we stand,
Ever fight for the right,
We'll make our school the best in the land.
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
fields teams in 15 varsity sports (7 men's and 8 women's). The school is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
in Division I of the NCAA (FCS in football), having been a part of the conference since its inception in 1948. The EKU Athletics Department is headed by Mark Sandy, who joined Eastern in 2005 from the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
.
EKU's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed the Colonels and Lady Colonels (for Women's Basketball only). Since the school's inception as Eastern Kentucky State Normal School, maroon has been the official color of Eastern athletics. Prior to 1963, when then-president Robert Martin had the school's nickname changed to the "Colonels", the school's official nickname was the "Maroons".
Athletic Teams
Football
Eastern has traditionally been quite successful on the football field, having won 20 OVC conference titles and two Division I-AA National Championships in 1979 and 1982. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy KiddRoy Kidd
Roy Kidd is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up...
from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium
Roy Kidd Stadium
Roy Kidd Stadium is Eastern Kentucky University's football stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. The stadium is home to the EKU Colonels football team, located on campus. Currently, Roy Kidd Stadium consists of upper and lower level seating areas with a predominant majority of the seats being metal...
. With their win over Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
in 2008, Eastern's football team secured their 31st consecutive winning season. The team is currently coached by Dean Hood, a former defensive coordinator for Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
.
Conference championships
| Year | Conference | Overall Record | Conference Record | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Ohio Valley | 8–1–1 | 5–0 | Glenn Presnell Glenn Presnell Glenn Emery "Press" Presnell was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He set the NFL single-season scoring record in 1933 and led the league in total offense. He was the last surviving member of the Detroit Lions inaugural 1934 team and helped lead the team to... |
| 1962 | Ohio Valley | 6-3 | 4–2 | Glenn Presnell |
| 1967 | Ohio Valley | 8–1–2 | 5–0–2 | Roy Kidd Roy Kidd Roy Kidd is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Eastern Kentucky University from 1964 to 2002, compiling a record of 314–124–8. Kidd's Eastern Kentucky Colonels won NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982 and were runners-up... |
| 1968 | Ohio Valley | 8–2 | 7–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1974 | Ohio Valley | 8-2 | 6–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1976 | Ohio Valley | 8–3 | 6–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1981 | Ohio Valley | 12–2 | 8–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1982 | Ohio Valley | 13–0 | 7–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1983 | Ohio Valley | 7–3-1 | 6–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1984 | Ohio Valley | 8–4 | 6–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1986 | Ohio Valley | 10–3-1 | 6–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1987 | Ohio Valley | 9–3 | 5–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1988 | Ohio Valley | 11–3 | 6–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1990 | Ohio Valley | 10–2 | 5–1 | Roy Kidd |
| 1991 | Ohio Valley | 12–2 | 7–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1993 | Ohio Valley | 8–4 | 8–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1994 | Ohio Valley | 10–3 | 8–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 1997 | Ohio Valley | 8–4 | 7–0 | Roy Kidd |
| 2007 | Ohio Valley | 9–3 | 8–0 | Danny Hope Danny Hope -External links:*... |
| 2008 | Ohio Valley | 8–4 | 7–1 | Dean Hood Dean Hood -External links:*... |
| Total | 20 | |||
Men's basketball
The current head coach of the Colonels is Jeff NeubauerJeff Neubauer
Jeff Neubauer is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Eastern Kentucky University....
. Before coming to EKU, Neubauer was the assistant head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball team. The Colonels have appeared in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
seven times. The Colonels play their home basketball games at Alumni Coliseum
Alumni Coliseum
Alumni Coliseum is a multi-use sports arena located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, USA. Built in 1963, the Paul S...
, located on EKU's campus.
Rivalries
Historically, the Western Kentucky HilltoppersWestern Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
served as the primary rival to EKU, especially in Football. Their matchups; known as the "Battle of the Bluegrass" date back to 1914, with Western
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
leading the overall series 34-47-3. With WKU's recent move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, any future games between the two teams are uncertain.
Outside of Western, EKU has maintained rivalries with its two other in-state OVC
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
foes: Murray State
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
and Morehead State
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
.
Facilities
| Facility | Sport(s) | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Kidd Stadium Roy Kidd Stadium Roy Kidd Stadium is Eastern Kentucky University's football stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. The stadium is home to the EKU Colonels football team, located on campus. Currently, Roy Kidd Stadium consists of upper and lower level seating areas with a predominant majority of the seats being metal... |
Football | 20,000 |
| Alumni Coliseum Alumni Coliseum Alumni Coliseum is a multi-use sports arena located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, USA. Built in 1963, the Paul S... |
Basketball | 6,500 |
| Gertrude Hood Field | Softball | n/a |
| Turkey Hughes Field Turkey Hughes Field Turkey Hughes Field, is a baseball stadium in Richmond, Kentucky. It is the home field of the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels college baseball team. The stadium was opened in the 1960's and was named in honor of former EKU baseball coach Turkey Hughes.... |
Baseball | n/a |
| Arlington | Golf | n/a |
| Greg Adams Indoor Tennis Center | Tennis | n/a |
| Tom Samuels Track | Outdoor Track and Field | n/a |
Fight Songs
Eastern Kentucky University is unusual as it recognizes two songs as their official fight songs. They are named Rally Maroon and White (a.k.a. Yea, Eastern) and Hail, Hail Eastern Maroons.Rally Maroon and White
LyricsYea Eastern let's win this fight,
Rally Maroon and White;
We've got the spirit; you've got the speed,
These two with grit are all that we need;
So carry and pass that ball;
Show them our boys beat all;
Show them we're right with main and might;
The way to win is fight, fight, fight.
Hail, Hail Eastern Maroons
LyricsHail, Hail Eastern Maroons,
You're the pride of dear old Alma Mater.
Hail, Hail, Eastern Maroons,
For thee we'll give three rousting cheers.
Rah, rah, rah! Hail, Hail, Eastern Maroons,
Loyal to thee we stand,
Ever fight for the right,
We'll make our school the best in the land.
External links
- EKU Sports - Official site of EKU athletics
- OVC Sports - Official site of the Ohio Valley Conference