College Sports Established
1956
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
College Name
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Collegiate History
1994 - Present / NCAA Division I
Conference History
1994 - Present / Horizon League
Nickname
Panthers - The Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers have a long and storied history that dates back to the early 1900s. The team's nickname, however, has an even longer and more interesting origin story. To understand the origins of this iconic nickname, we must first look at how it came about in the first place.
In 1895, Milwaukee Normal School opened its doors as one of many normal schools across Wisconsin dedicated to training teachers for public schools in rural areas throughout the state. In 1909, Milwaukee Normal School was renamed State Teachers College - Milwaukee (STC). That same year, STC adopted a mascot: a panther! This is where our beloved Panthers’ name originated – making them one of only two NCAA Division I teams with “Panthers” as their official moniker (the other being Pittsburgh).
From there on, STC became known as "The Panthers" or simply "UWM." As time went on, UWM changed its name several times before settling on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1956; however, they never lost sight of their original Panther mascot, which is why today we still refer to them proudly by their original title: The UWM Panthers!
While some may think that having such an intimidating animal like a panther for your school's mascot might be off-putting, if you ask any die-hard fan, they will tell you just how fiercely loyal these fans are towards their team no matter what kind of game day experience awaits them at every home game! So whether it be basketball season or hockey season, make sure you wear your Panther colors proudly because, after all, when it comes down to it nothing beats cheering alongside fellow devoted fans who share your passion for sports and loyalty towards our beloved University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletic program...GO PANTHERS!!
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1989
- 1999
- 2002
- 2006
- 2011
-
Postseason Success Beyond NCAA
In 1987, the program moved to NCAA Division II where it won its regional in the 1989 NCAA Division II men’s basketball tournament, advancing to the contest’s Elite Eight. Since 1990, Milwaukee Men’s Basketball has competed in NCAA Division I. They played in the Mid-Continent Conference for one year in 1993–94 before joining the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, which became the ... -
Historic Win Over Regional Host
The Panthers are the only Division I college baseball team in the state of Wisconsin. They have also qualified for four NCAA tournaments since 1999, most notably recording an 8–4 win over regional host Rice in the first round of the 1999 NCAA tournament. They also appeared in the 2001, 2002, and 2010 tournaments. -
Four Straight Second Round Advances
The Milwaukee men’s soccer team has made six NCAA tournaments since 2002, including four straight where they advanced to the second round. In the 2004 and 2005 tournaments, the Panthers lost to the top team in the country in the second round: 2004 against UC Santa Barbara in double-overtime and 2005 against New Mexico on penalty kicks. -
Double Conference Titles
The Milwaukee women’s basketball team began as a founding member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1972 before moving with the rest of the university sports to NAIA in 1982. The Panthers made their first NCAA tournament appearance at any level with the 2001 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament, appearing again in 2006. The Panthers have ... -
12 Horizon League Titles
Milwaukee’s women’s soccer team has won the Horizon League tournament and 12 times since 1997 and has made the NCAA tournament 16 times since then, including six straight from 2008 to 2013. The Panthers have also made every NCAA tournament since 2018, winning two tournament matches in that span. Milwaukee’s highest end-of-season ranking is 23, which they achieved in 2011 ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Panthers
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers have a long and storied history in college sports. From their beginnings as an NAIA powerhouse to becoming one of the top teams in NCAA Division I, UW-Milwaukee has been a force to be reckoned with on the court and field for many years.
UW-Milwaukee began its athletic program in 1922 when it joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Panthers quickly rose through the NAIA ranks, winning three consecutive championships from 1927–1929 before moving up to NCAA Division II play beginning with the 1958–59 season. During this period, they won two more national titles (1960 & 1965) and made several appearances at men's basketball and baseball tournaments.
In 1982, UW-Milwaukee made another jump by joining NCAA Division I play, where they would remain until today. Since then, they've had some great successes, including four conference tournament championships and multiple regular season titles across various sports, such as basketball, soccer, and softball. They've also seen numerous players go on to professional careers, including former NBA All-Star Tony Smith, who played for UWM from 1983 - 1987 before being drafted into the pro ball during his senior year at UWM.
In addition to their competitive success over recent decades, the Milwaukee Panthers are well known throughout college athletics circles for having some truly passionate fans who show up game after game, regardless of whether it’s home or away games. This loyalty has helped create an atmosphere around Panther events that can't be matched by any other school out there, which is why so many people love coming out each year wearing black & gold, proudly cheering on their beloved Milwaukee Panthers!
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