Dawg Pound

THE SIU DAWG POUND

For as long as SIU has fielded intercollegiate athletics, there has been students cheering on the Salukis! For decades now that group of passionate students has been called the Dawg Pound.

At the height of SIU success on the court and on the field in the early 2000’s the Dawg Pound was one of the most intimidating student sections in America let alone the Missouri Valley Conference. The current Dawg Pound is looking to reinvigorate that passion in the student body and bring more spirit and pride to campus.

The Dawg Pound works to promote all 15 Saluki athletic programs. Whether it is bringing out 3,200 students to the Homecoming football game or cheering on the swim team at Shea Natatorium or driving opposing basketball teams crazy during conference play, the Dawg Pound is there loud and ready to push our Salukis to victory.  

The Dawg Pound is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) and charges a 1 time $20 fee to join. This includes receiving a free Dawg Pound shirt. That is the only direct income the group makes in a year. All other funds come from assistance from departments on campus and donations from alumni/ the community.

2023-24 Fast Facts:

FOOTBALL

• Averaged 2,000 students per football game.
• SEMO Ticket Giveaway
• Traveled to Murray State vs SIU game.
• Multiple giveaways funded by Dawg Pound

BASKETBALL

• Averaging 800+ students per men’s basketball game
• Sold out student section at multiple games, including the Nov. 10^th Pack The Pound Promo and Dawg Pound Night Free Tuition Drawing with over 2,000 students in attendance, which has now been done two years in a row.
• Was listed in the Top 20 list on Big Game Boomer for Best Student Section in the Country in 2023
• Themes for all men’s and women’s games
• Multiple giveaways at 18-20 games throughout season
• Food provided at select games for free
• Travel opportunities to Murray State, and Evansville
• Opportunities to attend Arch Madness with bus or ticket options.

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL

• Planned cookouts on The Hill sponsored by the Dawg Pound
• Planned tailgate/cookout for Softball doubleheader
• Giveaway opportunities

OLYMPIC SPORTS

• Attended Soccer Matches, Volleyball Games, Swimming and Diving Meets
• Sharing all home games, matches, and meets on social media

Looking Ahead for 2024–25

As we look to next school year here are some of the activities that the Dawg Pound has looked into providing:

• 1 travel game during the football season
• 2 travel games for Men’s basketball
• 1 travel game for women’s basketball

In addition to those experiences, the Dawg Pound would like to work to increase giveaways and promotion throughout all sporting events.

The Dawg Pound looks to make these opportunities and giveaways as accessible as possible for our student body. To make that possible we look to making as much as we can free for students. That cannot be possible without donations from alumni and community members.

Any donations go straight to enhancing the student experience on campus and providing as many opportunities as possible for students to get involved and out to Saluki athletic events.