Representing Florida International University, the FIU Golden Panthers football team plays college football as a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the NCAA. The university began playing NCAA Football in 2002 and hired the current head coach of the Golden Panthers, Mario Cristobal, in 2007. The Golden Panthers host home games at FIUal University Community Stadium in Miami, Florida.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/index.php

In the 2010 college football season, the Golden Panthers completed their statistically best season in school history when they went an even 6-6 and won the Sun Belt Conference.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/yearly_totals.php The record made the team eligible to play in a college bowl game for the first time ever, and the Golden Panthers received an invitation to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

FIU meets the Toledo Rockets football team in the game on December 26, 2010, starting at 8:30 p.m. EST at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.http://espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=303602649

Playing their first season in 2002, the FIU Golden Panthers were initially an independent team in the NCAA Division I-AA. They continued in that classification through the 2005 season, recording 15 wins and 29 losses under head coach Don Strock.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/yearly_totals.php http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/index.php In 2006, the Golden Panthers moved up to the NCAA Division I-A and became a member of the Sun Belt Division.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/index.php The 2006 season was the last for Coach Strock when FIU lost all 12 of their games.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/yearly_totals.php FIU was also involved in an in-game brawl that season when they played the Miami Hurricanes football team on October 14, 2006. As a result of the large fight, 18 players from FIU and 13 players from Miami were suspended.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,220962,00.html

The Golden Panthers hired Mario Cristobal for the 2007 season, which was finished with a 1-11 record.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/yearly_totals.php That record improved in 2008 to 5-7, then dropped down to 3-9 in 2009.http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sunbelt/florida_international/yearly_totals.php

In the history of the FIU Golden Panthers through the 2010 NFL Draft, two of their players have gone on to appear in the National Football League. Linebacker Antwan Barnes was selected 134th overall in the 2007 draft by the Baltimore Ravens and went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=10577 Wide receiver Chandler Williams was also selected in the 2007 NFL Draft, picked 233rd overall by the Minnesota Vikings, but has not made his professional debut through the 2010 season.http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=10676