The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team took the field for the first time since December of 2019 on Saturday as it began its 127th season.
In 2019, Warhawks posted a 13-2 record in 2019, including a 6-1 mark in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and won a share of their conference-record 37th league championship. UW-W also made its 10th appearance in the Stagg Bowl – the NCAA Division III national championship game – that season and finished as national runner-up.
Following a year of training and practice that included the canceled 2020 season, UW-Whitewater is the favorite of the league’s coaches and sports information directors to make it three straight WIAC championships in 2021. The team is also ranked among the top four in three separate national preseason polls, including No. 2 in the Lindy’s Sports Division III Top 25 and No. 4 in the D3football.com and College Football America rankings.
In non-conference play, the Warhawks hosted Carthage Saturday and will visit eighth-ranked Salisbury (Md.), a 2019 national quarterfinalist, on Sept. 11. UW-W returns home Sept. 18 to host No. 25 Berry (Ga.), a 2019 NCAA qualifier.
UW-Whitewater begins the seven-game WIAC schedule with back-to-back home games on Oct. 2 against UW-Stout (Alumni Day) and Oct. 9 against UW-Platteville (Family Fest). The team hits the road for the next two weeks at ninth-ranked UW-Oshkosh on Oct. 16 and at UW-River Falls on Oct. 23.
The Warhawks’ Homecoming game will be played against UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 30, and the team closes the regular-season home slate on Nov. 6 against UW-La Crosse on Shriners and Military Appreciation Day at Perkins Stadium.
The regular season concludes on Nov. 13 at UW-Stevens Point.
Head coach Kevin Bullis, who is in his seventh year at the helm of the program, has led UW-W to three conference championships and four trips to the NCAA Playoffs, including one quarterfinal, two semifinals, and one Stagg Bowl.
The following UW-Whitewater student-athletes from the area are members of the 2021 Warhawk football team:
Aaron Sturdevant of Burlington (Burlington High School), a junior majoring in Physical Education.
Jaylon Edmonson of Racine (Racine Case High School), a junior majoring in criminology.
Luke Nelson of Union Grove (Union Grove High School), a freshman majoring in environmental science.
Tervell Jackson of Racine (Racine Case High School), a sophomore majoring in human performance.
About UW-Whitewater
For more than 150 years, UW-Whitewater has provided students with the education and training to begin their careers with a solid foundation behind them. The UW-Whitewater is committed to the development of the individual, the growth of personal and professional integrity, and respect for diversity and global perspectives. These are met by providing academic and co-curricular programs that emphasize the pursuit of knowledge and understanding and a commitment to service within a safe and secure environment.
