| Millikin Big Blue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Millikin University |
| Conference | College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Lori Kerans |
| Location | Decatur, Illinois |
| Varsity teams | 23 (12 men's and 11 women's) |
| Football stadium | Frank M. Lindsay Field |
| Basketball arena | Griswold Center |
| Baseball stadium | Workman Family Baseball Field |
| Softball stadium | Workman Family Softball Field |
| Soccer stadium | Frank M. Lindsay Field |
| Other venues | Decatur Indoor Sports Center Fairview Park Tennis Complex |
| Nickname | Big Blue |
| Colors | Blue and White |
| Website | athletics |
 | |
TheMillikin Big Blue are the intercollegiate athletic programs ofMillikin University (MU) located inDecatur, Illinois, United States. The Big Blue athletic program is a member of theCollege Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and competes at theNCAA Division III level.
Millikin University was a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Its athletics programs were established together with the university in 1903, with football, men's basketball and baseball all competing in the university's first full academic year (1903–04). Since its start, Big Blue athletics has achieved considerable success both as a member of theCollege Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and at the national level as a member of the NCAA Division III. The nickname "Big Blue" is generally attributed to Carl Head, a professor of mechanical engineering who used the name on posters during the 1916 football season. Millikin joined the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) on April 26, 1946 as one of its nine charter members (Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst, Illinois College, Illinois Wesleyan, Lake Forest, Millikin, North Central and Wheaton). The league was renamed the CCIW in 1967 to recognize Carthage, which had moved its campus from Illinois to Wisconsin as well as Carroll's entrance in 1955. Regarded as "The Best Small College Conference In The Nation", Millikin is one of four charter members with uninterrupted membership.[1] One of the school's most famous alumni is former NFL wide receiverJeff Query who played for theGreen Bay Packers,Cincinnati Bengals andWashington Redskins.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Flag football (2026–27) |
| Football | Golf |
| Golf | Socccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Swimming & diving | Swimming & diving |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Track and field† | Track and field† |
| Volleyball | Triathlon |
| Wrestling | Volleyball |
| Wrestling (2026–27) | |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
A member of theCollege Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Millikin University sponsors teams in twelve men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports.
Millikin will add two women's sports in 2026–27—flag football and wrestling. Flag football is not currently sanctioned by the NCAA, but is expected to become part of theNCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in 2026–27. Wrestling was promoted from the Emerging Sports program to full championship status in January 2025, with the first NCAA championship taking place in 2025–26.[2]
