MADISON — University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the winner of two consecutive conference championships, has been tabbed to win the 2024 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football title, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
The Eagles claimed the 35th conference championship in program history last season and enter the 2024 campaign ranked fifth in Lindy’s Sports Annuals Preseason Top 25 Poll and sixth in the D3football.com Top 25 Preseason Poll. UW-La Crosse reached the quarterfinals of last year’s NCAA Division III Championship and brings back a pair of D3football.com Preseason All-Americans. Michael Stack is a first team selection - and claimed WIAC Special Teams Player of the Year recognition in 2023 - while Jack Studer is a second team honoree. UW-La Crosse’s 11 wins a season ago were the most since 1996 (11-2).
UW-Whitewater is slotted for second in conference poll and owns a WIAC-best 39 first-place finishes. The Warhawks advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Championship a season ago and are ranked third by D3football.com and sixth by Lindy’s Sports Annuals. UW-Whitewater has a trio of D3football.com Preseason All-Americans, including second team selection John Pekar, and third team picks Alex Pethan and Tamir Thomas. Tyler Vasey was the WIAC Newcomer of the Year last season, while Kyle Koelblinger secured the distinction in 2021.
UW-River Falls is expected to place third in the conference standings, and ranked 17th by D3football.com and 22nd by Lindy’s Sports Annuals. The Falcons have won 23 games in the last three seasons - matching the best three-year stretch since 1995-97. In 2023, their 5-0 start was the best since the 1993 campaign. Kaleb Blaha established program records with 134 points and 3,882 yards of total offense a year ago.
The remaining order in the conference predictions features: UW-Platteville; UW-Oshkosh; UW-Stout; UW-Eau Claire; and UW-Stevens Point.
The 2024 season is set to begin Sept. 5, with the conference slate kicking-off Oct. 5.
The WIAC will be represented in the Culver’s Isthmus Bowl for the fourth consecutive season against an opponent from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The game will feature the highest-placing team in each conference’s standings that isn’t selected for the NCAA Division III Championship. This year’s event will be held at Bank of Sun Prairie Stadium at Ashley Field in Sun Prairie, Wis., Nov. 23.
