UW-Whitewater kicks of the 2026 campaign Saturday, September 5 against Carleton in Perkins Stadium. DLK Enterprises is sponsoring the season-opener Saturday. The first 1,000 UW-Whitewater students entering Perkins Stadium will get a free t-shirt courtesy of DLK.
New to Perkins Stadium this year - no re-entry! If you leave Perkins Stadium during the game, you will not be allowed to re-enter without a new ticket.
Preview
Last season, the Warhawks battled through the fifth-toughest schedule in Division III to an 8-3 record. UWW earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Championship falling in the second round of the playoffs. The 2026 slate will be another battle in the toughest conference in Division III -- six WIAC institutions are ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. The Warhawks come in at #12 according to both D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association.
The 2026 Warhawks return a wealth of experience to the field and sidelines. Head Coach Jace Rindahl begins his fourth year at the helm of the Warhawks this season. Caden Murphy returns as the team's offensive coordinator along with numerous starters from a year ago including quarterback Justin Klinkner, running back Brian Stanton, fullback Charlie Koeppen, wide receiver Tyler Vasey, tight end Colin Fritts and nearly the entire offensive line (Mason McNeill, Aaron Johnson, Colin Krzeczkowski and Troy Dietzler).
Ryan Cortez will head the defense once again with a pair of starters coming back on the line (Noah Moris, Ben Bielawski), a host of returning linebackers including Karsten Libby and Jayden Fowler, as well as a seasoned secondary that includes Efrein Ramirez, Deven Magli and Carter Sessa - all starters a season ago.
In special teams, Hunter Liszka and Dylan Tackett will take over the kicking duties. Vasey, the most prolific return man in program history is also back for his senior season.
Captains
The 2026 captains were announced last week. Leading the team this season are senior linebacker Karsten Libby, senior wide receiver Tyler Vasey, senior offensive lineman Aaron Johnson, senior defensive lineman Noah Moris and senior defensive back Carter Sessa.
Returning All-WIAC Honorees
The Warhawks are returning numerous all-league picks to this year's squad including two-time honorees Noah Moris (SR, DL) and Karsten Libby (SR, LB). Troy Dietzler (SR, OL), Brian Stanton (SR, RB), Deven Magli (SR, DB) and Efrein Ramirez (JR, DB) all earned recognition on last year's all-conference team.
The most decorated returner on the 2026 squad is Tyler Vasey (SR, WR). Vasey earned First Team All-WIAC honors on special teams as a returner in 2024 and 2025 while adding second team recognition in 2023. He added Honorable Mention honors in 2025 as a wide receiver. Following his freshman campaign, Vasey was named the league's Newcomer of the Year. In 2024, the dynamic return man was selected as the WIAC Special Teams Player of the Year.
Around the WIAC
All eight league teams are in action this week. UW-River Falls is the first to take to the field with a 6 PM matchup against Southern Virginia on Thursday. Eau Claire is set for a noon kickoff Saturday against Alma. UW-La Crosse will take on St. John's while UW-Oshkosh hosts Linfield at the same time as UWW's 1 PM kickoff at Perkins Stadium. UW-Stevens Point hosts Augsburg at 6 PM while UW-Stout Polytechnic is at Dubuque at 6. The final game of the evening is slated for a 6:30 kickoff in Platteville as the Pioneers take on Aurora.
