Florida International Panthers

The FIU Panthers play Conference USA football out of FIU Stadium in Miami, representing one of the youngest programs in the sport with a distinctly South Florida flavor. Built from scratch in the early 2000s, FIU has embraced its underdog status in a crowded Florida recruiting landscape dominated by bigger in-state programs. The Panthers' modern, sun-soaked campus stadium and diverse fan base give Miami a genuine college football presence outside the Hurricanes and Canes-adjacent programs.

FIU played its first football game in 2002 and joined the Sun Belt Conference before eventually moving to Conference USA in 2013. The Panthers won their first and only conference title in 2010, a Sun Belt championship punctuated by a win over Arkansas State, which also delivered the program's first bowl berth. FIU remains a Group of Five program working to establish sustained on-field success in a competitive Florida sports market.