Winning Warhawks

On the way to Madison this afternoon, we learned that for the fifth year in a row, the UW-Whitewater Warhawks are headed to Salem, Virginia for the NCAA Division III Football Championship Game against Mount Union.

On an unseasonably warm Saturday two weeks ago, Jim and I put on our purple and made the short drive to Whitewater to watch the football team from Jim's alma mater play against the team from Illinois Wesleyan in the second round of playoff games. Jim had expressed an interest in attending a Whitewater football game a few times over the last few years, but other obligations or the cold prevented us from going. With temperatures in the 50s and nothing else to do on that Saturday, we had no reason not to go!

Having cheered on the Badgers at Camp Randall on many occasions, we were struck by what a different experience it was to watch the Warhawks at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater. First of all, we parked just a few minutes away from the stadium in a parking lot just outside of Jim's old dorm. For FREE! We walked up to a ticket window and purchased tickets for that day's game for just $10 per ticket. Once inside the stadium, we had our choice of seating on the bleachers that line the perimeter of the field. We sat on the 50 yard line, and waited for the game to start. The stands never filled to their capacity. The student section held fewer than 100 students, and the band that had assembled to provide music for the game was a group of no more than 15 students. When we grew hungry, we visited one of two concession stands in the stadium for popcorn and nachos. There was no half-time entertainment and no Fifth Quarter.

While Perkins Stadium is no Camp Randall and the experience of watching a Warhawks game does not compare to attending a Badger game, we enjoyed our afternoon in Whitewater. It was easy to get in and out of the game, it was cheap to attend the game, and it was just a 45-minute drive away. We didn't need to contend with drunken crowds or game traffic. No TV time-outs and no lines to use the bathroom. Instead of celebrating on State Street afterwards, we treated ourselves to custard at Frosty's as we headed out of town. It was a different game-day experience, but one that we enjoyed no less.

We watched the Whitewater Warhawks win with a 45-7 score over the team from Wesleyan. After winning today's semi-final game against Linfield College, the Warhawks advance to play against Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl on December 19th. We'll be watching (if we can find it on TV)! Go Warhawks!