2013 Final Standings
All-Time Standings (Courtesy of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
Year-By-Year Results (Courtesy of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference)
Looking back: The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks football team made history in 2013-2014, becoming the first school in NCAA history to win national championships in all three major men's sports--football, basketball, and baseball--all at the NCAA Division III level. That's not to mention the women's gymnastics team has won three straight national championships of their own--in 2012, 2013, and 2014. That's enough to make anyone wonder: What's in the water--in Whitewater, Wisconsin?
Back to the football, though. The Warhawks walloped Mount Union, 52-14, to win their fourth national championship in the last five years, and fifth in the last seven years. Since 2005, UWW has a combined 37-3 overall record in postseason games (39-7 all time), with their lone playoff losses during that span coming to Mount Union in 2005, 2006, and 2008.
The only other team in the WIAC to advance to postseason play in 2013 was Wisconsin-Platteville, who advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs as an at-large team. The Pioneers crushed Concordia (Wis.), 54-20, to claim their program's first-ever playoff win. Their season ended in the second round, as North Central cruised to a convincing 52-24 rout.
Looking ahead: While Whitewater enters the 2014 season as the team to beat in the nation as a whole--as well as in the WIAC--the likes of Platteville and Oshkosh, who made an unlikely deep run to the national semifinals in 2012, can't be completely counted out.
Predicted order of finish (2013 overall record in parentheses):
1. Wisconsin-Whitewater (15-0): Obviously, the Warhawks are the team to beat until another team proves otherwise.
2. Wisconsin-Platteville (10-2): But the Pioneers could give them a serious run for their money in 2014. Ironically, however, they'll travel to North Central on September 20 in a re-match of last year's playoff game.
3. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (8-2): The Titans will face a huge challenge in trying to advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the second time in three years. Their early-season schedule definitely doesn't do them any favors, as they must head west to face a South Dakota State squad that advanced to the FCS playoffs last year. Oh, and the Titans must take trips to Whitewater and Platteville late in the season as well.
4. Wisconsin-Stevens Point (5-5): A heartbreaking one-point loss to Platteville sent the Pointers on a four-game skid after starting 4-1. Only a season-ending 19-14 win at Stout allowed them to avoid a losing season. Third-year head coach Tom Journell and his charges must learn how to win the close games if they have any chance to contend for a conference championship this season.
5. Wisconsin-Stout (4-6): The Blue Devils will look to improve on last year's 2-5 record in WIAC play last season.
6. Wisconsin-LaCrosse (3-7): Despite a disappointing 2013 season where they started 0-6, a three-game winning streak towards the end serves as a sign that the Eagles could be headed in the right direction going into the 2014 season.
7. Wisconsin-Eau Claire (2-8): Can anybody say "uphill battle" for the Blugolds in 2014?
8. Wisconsin-River Falls (0-10): Same situation rings true for the Falcons.
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