2025 UW-La Crosse Football Schedule
La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has announced its 2025 football schedule. The Eagles are currently scheduled to play nine games, including four home contests at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex.
UWL, which finished 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in 2024, opens its season Saturday, September 13 at Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) at 11 a.m. (Central).
"We will still search for a 10th game, but our options are limited," said UWL Head Coach
Matt Janus. "We will continue to be in talks with other opponents. Regardless, as I told our team, our non-conference games with Carnegie Mellon and Wayne State will get us ready to play in the most important part of our schedule the WIAC."
Matt Janus has led UWL to four straight
NCAA Division III appearances.
Janus enters his sixth season as UWL's head coach in 2025 after leading the Eagles to four consecutive appearances in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships. The Eagles earned their first outright WIAC title since 2004 with their 7-0 mark in 2023. It was UWL's 35th overall league title in school history and second straight under Janus.
UWL, ranked 21st on the final regular-season American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and D3football.com Top-25 Polls, advanced to the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship Second Round last season. The Eagles earned a 59-14 victory over the University of Northwestern (Minn.) in the NCAA Division III First Round last season at Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex. UWL fell, 24-13, at third-ranked Saint John's University (Minn.) in the second round.
Janus was named the 2022 and 2023 WIAC Kwik Trip George Chryst Coach of the Year. He is 37-11 at UWL, including 4-4 in the NCAA Division III Championships. The Eagles went 9-3 in 2021, 9-2 in 2022, and 11-2 in 2023 under Janus. The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat.
UWL and Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) will be meeting for the first time in school history. The Tartans, members of the President's Athletic Conference, finished 10-2 overall and 9-1 in the conference a year ago. Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) defeated Case Western Reserve University (Ohio), 37-30, in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships a year ago and earned a 24-15 victory over Centre College (Ky.) in the second round. Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) lost, 24-19, at fifth-ranked University of Mount Union (Ohio) in the third round. The Tartans were ranked 15
th on the final D3football.com Top-25 Poll and 14
th in the AFCA.
"Carnegie Mellon is a Top 15 program in the country, and I look forward to the challenge both schematically as well as talent," said Janus. "They will no doubt be a national title contender in 2025, and that is the quality of opponents that you want to play."
The Eagles host NCAA Division II Wayne State University (Mich.) in their home opener on Saturday, September 20 at 1 p.m. UWL earned a 28-21 victory in 2022 in Detroit, Michigan in the only previous matchup between the teams. Wayne State (Mich.) finished 2-9 overall and 2-5 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) last season.
"We will play up a level against Wayne State," added Janus. "We have seen them before in 2022, and know all too well the type of physicality, size, and speed will be unmatched."
After a bye week, the Eagles open up WIAC play and will travel to UW-Whitewater on Saturday, October 4 at 1 p.m. UWL snapped a 19-game losing streak to UW-Whitewater in 2023 with a 37-34 victory at Perkins Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Warhawks, 24-21, last season. UW-Whitewater finished 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC last season. The Warhawks lead the all-time season, 39-33. UW-Whitewater received votes in the final 2024 D3football.com Poll.
"We will get a week to rest back up, then for seven straight weeks, eight teams in this great conference will rip, tear, and claw each other a part," said Janus. "The physicality in our league is second to none, the talent from top to bottom is second to none and the coaching from top to bottom is second to none.
That's what teams outside of the WIAC don't understand. We are in playoff mode from the straight of conference play until the end, every game for seven weeks. It is a war of attrition, sometimes luck, and one possession games. It is what makes this so different."
UWL finished 8-4 overall and 5-2 in the WIAC last season.
UWL returns home to face the UW-Eau Claire on Saturday, October 11 for Family Weekend at 1 p.m. The Eagles earned their seventh straight victory over the Blugolds a year ago, 34-7 in Eau Claire. The Eagles lead the all-time series, 60-28-2. UW-Eau Claire finished 2-8 overall and 1-6 in the WIAC in 2024.
UWL heads back on the road to face UW-Platteville on Saturday, October 18 at 1 p.m. The Pioneers defeated the Eagles, 30-27 in overtime, in 2024 to hand UWL its first conference loss since the 2022 opener versus UW-Whitewater. UW-Platteville was ranked 17th on the final regular-season AFCA Poll and 16th on D3football.com. The Pioneers advanced to the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship Second Round last season. After a first-round bye, UW-Platteville lost, 19-14, at 10th-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa). UWL leads the all-time series, 59-28, with UW-Platteville.
A pair of home games follows for UWL in the 2025 season. The Eagles host UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, October 25 and UW-Stout on Saturday, November 1 with start times for both games at 1 p.m. UW-Oshkosh earned a 34-33 victory over UWL a year ago. The Titans finished 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC. UWL leads the all-time series, 53-16-6 over the Titans. The Titans received votes in the final D3football.com Poll and AFCA Top-25 Polls.
UWL hosts UW-Stout for Veterans Day/Senior Day. The Eagles have won the last 12 games with the Blue Devils, including 33-31 in Stout, last year. UWL leads the all-time series, 77-15-6. UW-Stout was 6-4 overall and 4-3 in the league in 2024. UW-Stout fell to Wheaton College (Ill.) in the annual Culver's Isthmus Bowl, 35-32, at the end of the 2024 season. The Blue Devils were receiving votes in the final D3football.com Poll and receiving votes on the AFCA Top-25 Poll.
The Eagles will hit the road for their last two games of the 2025 regular season. UWL will play at UW-River Falls on Saturday, November 8 and at UW-Stevens Point on Saturday, November 15. Both starts are set for 1 p.m. kickoffs.
UW-River Falls finished 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the WIAC in 2024, going 5-0 at home. UWL leads the all-time series, 66-32-7, with the UW-River Falls. The Eagles won the 2024 meeting, 28-24, and have won 28 of the last 31 games with the Falcons. UW-River Falls received votes in the final D3football.com Poll and AFCA Top-25 Polls.
At UW-Stevens Point, UWL aims for its first eighth straight win over the Pointers. UWL earned a 56-14 victory last season. UWL leads the all-time series, 51-15-4. UW-Stevens Point was 1-9 overall and 0-7 in the WIAC last season.
