UW-L wins WIAC for 1st time since 2004, waits now for at-large NCAA tournament bid

For the first time since 2004, the UW-La Crosse football team has won the WIAC.

The seventh-ranked Eagles share the title with No. 10 UW-Whitewater, after beating UW-Platteville 31-10 on Saturday in the regular-season finale.

UW-Whitewater beat the Eagles in La Crosse back on Oct. 1, 34-31, but there are no tiebreakers for the WIAC. There is, however, one for automatic bids to the NCAA tournament, in which the Warhawks received that honor.

The Eagles, however, will have to wait and see it receives an at-large bid to the Division III tournament. The 32-team field will be announced at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

This is the 34th WIAC title in school history for UW-L (9-1), which won back-to-back-to-back titles from 2002-2004.

UW-Whitewater has 39 conference titles in school history, while the Eagles have 32.

The nine regular-season wins for UW-L are the most since 2003.

UW-L coach Matt Janus is in his third year but second season for UW-L, compiling an 18-4 record. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19.