Eastern Washington Eagles football The Eastern Washington Eagles football team ( or " Eags " ) represents Eastern Washington University in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The Eastern Eagles are members of the Big Sky Conference and play at Roos Field , which is known for being the only stadium in college football with a red playing surface . History . Beginning & NAIA era . Eastern Washington University began fielding a football team in 1901 , when the school was known at the time as the State Normal School and the team mascot was the Savages . Eastern ' s first national affiliation came with joining the NAIA . Eastern competed in the NAIA until 1977 , along the way advancing to the NAIA Football National Championship finals in 1967 , losing to Fairmont State 28 - 21 . This marked Eastern Washington ' s first appearance in a national championship game at any level of competition . Identity changes . During this time period , the school would undergo numerous changes to its identity . The school name would change in 1937 to the Eastern Washington College of Education , then again shortly after World War II to the Eastern Washington State College . The final change to the school name came in 1977 when the school was renamed Eastern Washington University . In 1973 , the student body voted to make Eastern ’ s mascot the Eagles . Shortly before that , the Eastern Board of Trustees declared " Savages , " its mascot through its first 92 years , no longer acceptable . Eagles are native to eastern Washington and thus a logical choice for a replacement . Transition to NCAA and Big Sky . Eastern joined the NCAA in 1978 , participating at the NCAA Division II level as an independent . The Eagles stayed at the Division II level until 1983 , when the Eagles moved up to Division I - AA ( now known as the FCS ) as an Independent . In 1987 , Eastern was extended an invitation to and joined the Big Sky Conference . Eastern continues to participate in the Big Sky to this day and is now the sixth - most tenured member of the conference . Red Turf and National Championship . The 2010 season would mark a number of firsts for Eastern Washington ' s football program . The offseason would see a highly publicized move to install a red turf playing surface , the first of its kind in the country . Eastern would utilize the excitement and energy surrounding the program to complete its finest season of competition in the program ' s history . The 2010 season concluded with Eastern Washington ' s first appearance in the FCS Championship Game . The Eagles defeated the Delaware Blue Hens 20 - 19 in Frisco , Texas to win the school ' s first national championship in football . Home stadium . The EWU football team plays at Roos Field , opened in 1967 and recently expanded and renovated in 2004 and 2010 to seat 11 , 702 . The stadium was originally named Woodward Field in honor of former Eagles head football and basketball coach Arthur C . Woodward . It replaced the original Woodward Field , which was located near the present JFK Library . Red turf installation and name change . On February 26 , 2010 , ESPN reported that Eastern Washington planned to remove the natural grass surface at Woodward Field and replace it with red SprinTurf , the first of its kind at any level of American football . A funding drive was initiated in late January 2010 , with EWU alumnus Michael Roos donating $ 500 , 000 toward the installation costs , and fellow alumnus and ESPN personality Colin Cowherd also making a donation . On May 20 , 2010 the Eastern Washington Board of Trustees approved a name change to Roos Field , scheduled for the 2010 season , upon the successful completion of the project . Installation of the red synthetic turf was completed in September 2010 , in time for the first home game of the 2010 season against Montana . The Inferno . Eastern Washington ' s red playing surface is known as The Inferno . The nickname was chosen through a vote conducted by Eastern on its athletic website , goeags . com . Voting began on August 4 , 2010 and allowed fans to choose from seven proposed names : red sea , red zone , inferno , big red , red carpet , ring of fire and lava pit . Inferno finished as the top choice and the nickname was revealed at the first home game with the new field on September 18 , 2010 . Rivalries . Montana Grizzlies . The EWU - UM Governors Cup is the annual college football game between the Montana Grizzlies and the Eastern Eagles . Traditionally , it is in the middle of the regular season , played on the Saturday alternating between Roos Field and Washington - Grizzly Stadium each year . The Eagles currently trail in the series with 12 wins and 26 losses . Portland State Vikings . The Eagles also have a new rivalry with the Portland State Vikings in all sports , starting in 2010 called The Dam Cup . Eastern football won the first rivalry match between the two schools in 2010 with a score of 55 - 17 . The purpose of the Dam Cup is to create a rivalry between Portland State University and Eastern Washington University and provide a sense of pride between alumni in the Portland and Spokane areas . Other goals include increasing attendance at events between both schools and building school spirit among each institutions ' student body . Championships . National championships . Eastern Washington has won one national championship in the NCAA Division I FCS , the highest division in college football to hold a playoff tournament to determine its champion . Conference championships . Eastern Washington has won 22 conference championships since 1901 , including six in the Big Sky Conference . Playoff appearances . Eastern Washington has participated eight times in the I - AA / FCS playoffs since 1978 . Their first appearance occurred during the 1985 season , when they advanced to the quarterfinals . The Eagles ' best finish came during the 2010 season , when they won the national championship . Eagles in the pros . The following former Eastern Washington players are currently playing in one of the three professional football leagues listed below .