History and Introduction
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FIU’s colors are navy blue and gold, and their mascot is the Golden Panther (taken from the Florida panther, an endangered species endemic to the nearby Everglades), which is embodied by an panther named Roary the Panther. The school's original nickname was the "Sunblazers", but it was changed in 1987 to the "Golden Panthers", with the word "Golden" officially dropped beginning with the 2010–11 school year.
FIU is a member of the NCAA, participating in Division I, and the Sun Belt Conference in all sports except for men's soccer (which competes in Conference USA as an affiliate member). FIU joined the Sun Belt Conference in 1998 having previously competed in the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC; now the Atlantic Sun Conference), from 1991 to 1998.
FIU's Athletic Department has produced several professional and Olympic athletes, including current players in Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and in the Women's National Basketball Association.
FIU's main rivals are the University of Miami Hurricanes and the Florida Atlantic University Owls.
Read more about this topic: FIU Golden Panthers
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