In 2005 the Golden Panthers at the Florida International University (FIU) officially became a Division-1 school in college football. Through the years the Panthers weren’t very well recognized and they consistently produced losing records. Until 2010, under quarterback Wesley Carroll, the Golden Panthers were one of the worst college football teams in the nation. But then they made one of the greatest turnarounds ever.

In 2010, under head coach and UM alumnus Mario Cristobal, the Golden Panthers became co-conference champions of the Sun Belt and won the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in Detroit, MI. This year there is much hype for the team, and so far they are meeting them with a 4-3 and current fifth place standing in the Sun Belt.

So far this year, the Panthers have beat North Texas, Louisville, Akron, and their newest annual rivals, the University of Central Florida. However, their first setback happened to be against their conference foe, Louisiana and then they lost their homecoming game against Duke.

Despite the odds though, some Panthers feel that the Golden Panthers will be able to repeat their success from last year and be named conference champions.

“I feel like they will be able to repeat as conference champions because they seem like a very good team and they aren’t making the same mistakes they did last year,” sophomore Thomas Santos said.

Unlike the Miami Dolphins, the Golden Panthers are winning which draws in big crowds. At the homecoming game against Duke, there were over 20,000 people in attendance, setting a new record for the FIU stadium. After hearing the news, some Panthers are considering going to a football game.

“I have never been to an FIU game,” sophomore Dhanesh Budram said, “but I would consider it because they are getting better.”