A Legacy of Excellence: The History of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Football
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks football team boasts a rich and storied history, marked by consistent success, passionate fans, and a commitment to excellence. From its humble beginnings in 1889 to its current status as a Division III powerhouse, the program has become synonymous with winning.
Early Years and Program Establishment
Wisconsin-Whitewater's first football team was fielded in 1889, marking the beginning of a program that would become a source of pride for the university and the state of Wisconsin. The Warhawks have compiled an all-time record of 661-273-21 (.703).
Conference Affiliation and Stadium
The Warhawks compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) of NCAA Division III football. They play their home games at Perkins Stadium, a 13,500-seat venue in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
A Tradition of Championships
The Warhawks have won six NCAA Division III national championships, claiming the title in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014. Their playoff record stands at an impressive 61-15 (.803).
The Berezowitz and Leipold Era
Following the 2006 season, Berezowitz retired, and alum and former assistant Lance Leipold (Wisconsin-Whitewater 1987) was named Warhawk head coach.
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The Warhawks opened the 2007 season with a victory, then suffered their first regular-season defeat since 2004, 26-16 to NCAA Division II's St. Cloud State. The Warhawks followed this up by going undefeated through the remainder of the season. After finishing the regular season with a 9-1 record and a third consecutive 7-0 WIAC record, the UW-Whitewater Warhawks entered the NCAA Division III playoffs for the third consecutive time. The Warhawks won four home playoff games, including a December 8, 2007 repeat home victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor 16-7 in the semi-finals, to earn their third straight trip to the NCAA Division III Championship Game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia, and set up their third championship game against Mount Union College. On December 15, 2007, the Warhawks beat Mount Union 31-21 to win the Division III title and close the 2007 season 14-1.
The Warhawks entered the 2008 playoffs with one loss after a last-second loss to Wisconsin-Stevens Point that ended Wisconsin-Whitewater's WIAC win streak at 27 games. Despite having to travel for some of their playoff contests, the Warhawks won four playoff games, earning a spot in the Stagg Bowl after a 39-13 victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor.
The Warhawks ran the table in 2009 with a perfect record of 15-0, defeating Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl 38-28 to claim their second national title in three years. The string continued in 2010, including a sixth straight WIAC title and ending with UW-Whitewater’s third NCAA Division III championship in four years, with a 31-21 win over Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl to finish 15-0 and run the NCAA's (all divisions) leading win streak to 30 games. Once again, in 2011, they ran the regular season undefeated, winning their seventh straight WIAC title. They then went on to face Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl for the seventh straight season and won their third straight title, their fourth in five years, to finish 15-0 again.
In 2013, the Warhawks faced off with the Purple Raiders of Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl for the eighth time in nine seasons. On December 19, 2014, the Warhawks and Mount Union met again in the Stagg Bowl; the Warhawks won their sixth national championship over Mount Union for the ninth time in ten seasons, 43-34.
The Kevin Bullis Era
Kevin Bullis was introduced on February 4, 2015, as the 21st head coach of the Warhawks. The former Wisconsin-Whitewater assistant had spent eight years as the defensive line coach and run defense coordinator. The Warhawks finished the 2015 season as runner-up in the WIAC behind Wisconsin-Oshkosh, to whom they lost 10-7 on October 10. The Warhawks got revenge against the Titans, beating them 31-29 in the third round of the NCAA D-III Playoffs. The Warhawks would go on to lose the next week, 36-6, to the Mount Union Purple Raiders in the NCAA D-III Semifinals.
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In 2016, the Warhawks won their 35th conference title on the way to a perfect regular season. The season highlight was a come-from-behind 17-14 victory over Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The game set the D-III on-campus attendance record with 17,535 people in attendance. The record was broken on October 14, 2022.
In 2017, the team started the season 0-2 for the first time since 2001. After a WIAC season-opening loss to Wisconsin-Oshkosh, their record fell to 1-3. The Warhawks then rattled off six straight victories, giving them a final record of 7-3.
In 2019, the Warhawks went 9-1 in the regular season, winning the WIAC. In the playoffs, they beat Monmouth (IL) 35-10, then Wartburg 41-28 at home in the first two rounds of the Division III football playoff. For the quarterfinals, UW-Whitewater had to travel to Belton, Texas, to play Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Warhawks beat the Crusaders 26-7. For the semifinal game, Wisconsin-Whitewater played another home game against St.
Two years later, in 2021, the team made it to the conference semifinals but lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor, who went on to win the Stagg Bowl. The 2022 season came to an end after a 33-28 loss against Aurora in the first round of the playoffs. The Warhawks went 8-3 in the regular season. After the end of the season, head coach Kevin Bullis announced his retirement.
The Rindahl Era
Jace Rindahl is the current head coach. He is in his 3rd season, with a record of 25-9 (.735).
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Football Rivals
A summary of the team's performance against other universities:
- vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Overall:53-23 Conf:52-22 Home:26-6 Away:19-9 Neutral:8-8
- vs University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Overall:39-35 Conf:36-33 Home:19-13 Away:17-12 Neutral:3-10
- vs University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Overall:82-30-5Conf:73-25-5 Home:24-5-1 Away:22-7 Neutral:36-18-4
- vs University of Wisconsin-Platteville Overall:86-27-4 Conf:76-24-4 Home:24-4-1 Away:22-8 Neutral:40-15-3
- vs University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Overall:68-35 Conf:66-29 Home:25-4 Away:19-12 Neutral:24-19
- vs University of Wisconsin-Stout Overall:55-11-2 Conf:54-11-2 Home:26-4 Away:24-4-1 Neutral:5-3-1
- vs University of Wisconsin-Superior Overall:25-4-2 Conf:25-3-2 Home:14-0 Away:9-2-1 Neutral:2-2-1
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