Southern Illinois Salukis

The Southern Illinois Salukis are a Missouri Valley Football Conference stalwart out of Carbondale, best known for their 1983 NCAA Division I-AA national championship. Saluki football has weathered several conference realignments - from the old Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference through a Division II independent stretch to today's MVFC - while staying a perennial FCS playoff contender. The program's identity reflects its blue-collar southern Illinois roots.

Southern Illinois played its first official season in 1913 and spent decades in the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before going independent in the 1960s and 70s. The Salukis joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 1977, moved up to Division I-AA in 1982, and won the national championship the following year in 1983. SIU has since claimed nine conference championships, including MVFC titles in 2004, 2008 and 2009.