Programs / History / Western Illinois
WIU

FCS PROGRAM EXPLORER

Western Illinois

latest conference era: OVC

Loaded Seasons52
Latest Season2026
Peak Power2026 | +11.9
Best Finish#97 in 2017
Program Explorer

Program arc

Win rate shows the results layer. End-of-season power shows the strength layer. A serious history page needs both.

Bars: win rate Line: public power vs average team
100% 50% 0% PWR +11.9 PWR −4.0 2016: 6-5, margin -27, power +0.0, resume 47 / 100, final rank #1452017: 8-4, margin +144, power +3.3, resume 75 / 100, final rank #972018: 5-6, margin -23, power +1.0, resume 30 / 100, final rank #1282019: 1-11, margin -219, power −4.0, resume 3 / 100, final rank #2112021: 2-9, margin -159, power +1.7, resume 16 / 100, final rank #2102022: 0-11, margin -276, power +6.2, resume 12 / 100, final rank #2412023: 0-11, margin -371, power +2.1, resume 14 / 100, final rank #2682024: 4-8, margin -149, power +7.1, resume 54 / 100, final rank #2422025: 4-8, margin -140, power +8.1, resume 56 / 100, final rank #2242026: 5-4, margin +82, power +11.9, resume 58 / 100, final rank #170 2016: 6-5, margin -27, power +0.0, resume 47 / 100, final rank #145+0.02017: 8-4, margin +144, power +3.3, resume 75 / 100, final rank #97+3.32018: 5-6, margin -23, power +1.0, resume 30 / 100, final rank #128+1.02019: 1-11, margin -219, power −4.0, resume 3 / 100, final rank #211−4.02021: 2-9, margin -159, power +1.7, resume 16 / 100, final rank #210+1.72022: 0-11, margin -276, power +6.2, resume 12 / 100, final rank #241+6.22023: 0-11, margin -371, power +2.1, resume 14 / 100, final rank #268+2.12024: 4-8, margin -149, power +7.1, resume 54 / 100, final rank #242+7.12025: 4-8, margin -140, power +8.1, resume 56 / 100, final rank #224+8.12026: 5-4, margin +82, power +11.9, resume 58 / 100, final rank #170+11.9 20166-520178-420185-620191-1120212-920220-1120230-1120244-820254-820265-4

Historical snapshot

A fast read on what this program usually is, what its peak looks like, and how the latest season compares.

Loaded Seasons 52

The number of fully modeled seasons currently attached to this program.

Program Baseline +5.8

A recent multi-year closing-power average. This is the kind of anchor that should matter in preseason priors.

Current Vs. Baseline +6.1

How the current season's closing power stacks up against the program's recent standard.

Gap To Peak 0.0

How far the current season finished below the strongest loaded team in program history.

Peak Loaded Season 2026 | +11.9

The strongest closing power this program has posted in the loaded archive.

Best Power Since Best loaded season

No earlier loaded season beat the current closing power.

Best Resume Since Since 2017

This is the program's best resume season since 2017.

Best Finish 2017 | #97

The highest loaded all-level board finish currently attached to this program.

Best Resume Season 2017 | 75 / 100

The strongest body-of-work season currently attached to this program in the loaded archive.

Current Season Standing Resume #2 | Power #1

Where the current season sits inside this program's loaded history on the two main scales.

Program Percentile Resume 95th | Power 100th

A cleaner fan-facing answer to the question: is this near the top of the program's arc or just another solid year?

Best Record 2003 | 8-3

The cleanest results season in the loaded archive, regardless of whether it was also the strongest by power.

Current context

The premium fan question is not only "how good is this team?" It is "how good is this season relative to the program I know?"

Current board #170 Where the latest loaded season sits on today's all-level board.
Latest season 2026 5-4
Program baseline +5.8 Recent multi-year closing-power standard.
Gap to peak 0.0 How far the latest season sits below the program's strongest loaded team.

Program signals

The clearest historical takeaways, written for scan speed.

Strongest Loaded Team

2025 Season

Ended at power +8.1, record 4-8, and final loaded-board rank #224.

Best Loaded Resume

2017 Season

Resume 75 / 100 with 8 wins and a 67% win rate.

Best Record

8-3

The cleanest loaded season by results came in 2003, with a margin of +139.

Roughest Loaded Season

2023 Season

0-11 with power +2.1 and margin -371.

Best resume season

2017 | 75 / 100

Latest versus standard

+6.1

Season explorer

Every loaded season, with conference era attached to the correct year and filters built for the questions fans actually ask.

52 seasons visible
Season Conference Lens Record Final Rank End Power End Resume Margin Season Page
2026 OVCFCS CurrentThis season anchors the current board. 5-4 #170 +11.9 58 +82 Open team page
2025 OVC-Big SouthFCS Above recent levelClosed well above the program's recent baseline. 4-8 #224 +8.1 56 −140 Program view
2024 Big South-OVCFCS In range 4-8 #242 +7.1 54 −149 Program view
2023 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 0-11 #268 +2.1 14 −371 Program view
2022 MVFCFCS In range 0-11 #241 +6.2 12 −276 Program view
2021 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 2-9 #210 +1.7 16 −159 Program view
2019 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 1-11 #211 −4.0 3 −219 Program view
2018 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 5-6 #128 +1.0 30 −23 Program view
2017 MVFCFCS Best resumeBest body-of-work season in the loaded archive. 8-4 #97 +3.3 75 +144 Program view
2016 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 6-5 #145 +0.0 47 −27 Program view
2015 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 7-6 #125 +1.4 52 −59 Program view
2014 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 5-7 #152 +0.6 47 −28 Program view
2013 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 4-8 #190 −1.5 33 −46 Program view
2012 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 3-8 #222 −6.7 5 −204 Program view
2011 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 2-9 #194 −2.4 3 −229 Program view
2010 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 8-5 #122 +3.1 56 +129 Program view
2009 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 1-10 #192 −2.5 6 −150 Program view
2008 MVFCFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 6-5 #136 +2.1 52 +116 Program view
2007 Gateway FootballFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 6-5 #133 +2.6 56 +58 Program view
2006 Gateway FootballFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 5-6 #147 +1.5 45 +56 Program view
2005 Gateway FootballFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 5-6 #161 −0.4 27 −19 Program view
2004 Gateway FootballFCS Below recent levelClosed well below the program's recent baseline, which is not the same as a bad season. 4-7 #213 −5.0 7 −100 Program view
2003 Gateway FootballFCS Best recordCleanest win-loss season in the loaded archive. 8-3 #-- -- -- +139 Program view
2002 Gateway FootballFCS In range 1-0 #-- -- -- +3 Program view
2001 Gateway FootballFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −31 Program view
2000 Gateway FootballFCS In range 1-1 #-- -- -- −20 Program view
1999 Gateway FootballFCS In range 1-0 #-- -- -- +6 Program view
1998 Gateway FootballFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −21 Program view
1997 Gateway FootballFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −41 Program view
1996 Gateway FootballFCS In range 1-0 #-- -- -- +17 Program view
1995 Gateway FootballFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −13 Program view
1994 Gateway FootballFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −36 Program view
1993 Gateway FootballFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −2 Program view
1991 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −18 Program view
1990 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −21 Program view
1989 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −7 Program view
1988 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −10 Program view
1987 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 0-2 #-- -- -- −18 Program view
1986 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 1-1 #-- -- -- −18 Program view
1985 Gateway Collegiate AthleticFCS In range 1-2 #-- -- -- −23 Program view
1984 Mid-ContinentFCS In range 4-0 #-- -- -- +61 Program view
1983 Mid-ContinentFCS In range 1-2 #-- -- -- −53 Program view
1982 Mid-ContinentFCS In range 1-2 #-- -- -- −34 Program view
1981 Mid-ContinentFCS In range 0-3 #-- -- -- −46 Program view
1980 Mid-ContinentDII In range 1-1 #-- -- -- −9 Program view
1979 Mid-ContinentDII In range 0-2 #-- -- -- −31 Program view
1978 Mid-ContinentDII In range 1-2 #-- -- -- −9 Program view
1977 Independent DIIDII In range 0-1 #-- -- -- −10 Program view
1976 Independent DIIDII In range 1-0 #-- -- -- +10 Program view
1975 Independent DIIDII In range 2-1 #-- -- -- −4 Program view
1974 Independent DIIDII In range 1-0 #-- -- -- +31 Program view
1973 Independent DIIDII In range 1-0 #-- -- -- +3 Program view