The UW-La Crosse has unveiled its 2026 football schedule, marking the beginning of the Michael Zweifel era.
Zweifel takes over as head coach after serving as an assistant for the past four seasons as the Eagles schedule is filled with ranked opponents.
During Zweifel’s time as the team’s defensive and special teams coordinator, UW-L put together a 36-11 record, won two WIAC titles, and made five consecutive playoff appearances.
Zweifel joined the Rick Solem show last week on WIZM and mentioned the Eagles will begin the spring practice season next week.
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The Eagles are coming off an 8-3 season in 2025 and reached the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. They finished the year ranked No. 8 in the final national poll.
High-stakes nonconference slate
The 2026 campaign kicks off on the road Sept. 5 with a heavyweight matchup against No. 11 Saint John’s University in Minnesota. While the Johnnies hold a 6-1 all-time lead in the series — including eliminating the Eagles from the 2024 playoffs — the two programs haven’t met in the regular season since 1972.
UW-L returns to Roger Harring Stadium for its home opener Sept. 12 against No. 20 Hardin-Simmons University out of Texas. The game will serve as the program’s annual Community Day. The Eagles wrap up nonconference Sept. 19 with a trip to Detroit to face Division II Wayne State University, which is looking to bounce back after a winless 2025 season.
Navigating the “toughest conference in the country”
The Eagles open WIAC play Oct. 3 at UW-Oshkosh. Zweifel noted that the conference remains a gauntlet, producing four playoff teams last season — including the defending national champion in top-ranked UW-River Falls.
“The league speaks to the level of competition throughout,” Zweifel said in a release. “Week in and week out, this conference demands your very best.”
The schedule features several key home dates at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex:
- October 10: No. 18 UW-Whitewater (Family Weekend/Football Reunion)
- October 17: UW-Stevens Point (Homecoming/Wall of Fame)
- November 7: No. 1 UW-River Falls (Veterans Day)
- November 14: No. 10 UW-Platteville (Senior Day)
Defending champions come to town
A major highlight of the home schedule arrives on Nov. 7, when the Eagles host UW-River Falls. The Falcons are coming off a historic 2025 season where they captured the national championship with a 24-14 victory over North Central College — a team that has eliminated the Eagles from the playoffs three of the past five seasons.
While the Falcons enter as the defending title-holders, UW-L has historically controlled the series, winning 28 of the last 32 meetings between the two programs.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – UW-La Crosse’s football team practices at Veterans Memorial Field (PHOTO: @laxfootball on Facebook)
