Five consecutive playoff trips are in the books, but the expectations at UW-La Crosse aren’t slowing down with the season-opener Saturday against a heavy-hitting nonconference test on the road.
The 10th-ranked Eagles take on No. 11 Saint John’s with kickoff set for 1 p.m. Saturday in Collegeville, Minn. Listen live on WKTY 96.7 FM / 580 AM with coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m.
UW-L is coming off an 8-3 2025 campaign that ended in the third round of the Division III playoffs against top-ranked North Central College.
To keep the postseason streak rolling, UW-L brings back 76 letter winners and 10 starters.
The roster features firepower across the board, led by a veteran core:
- Senior QB Kyle Haas: Back under center after completing 67.2% of his passes for 2,173 yards, 20 touchdowns, and eight interceptions last fall.
- Senior WR Jack Janke: A Preseason D3football.com All-American coming off a huge year, where he hauled in 77 receptions for 1,009 yards and 10 touchdowns.
- Senior DB Trent Mullen: A Preseason D3football.com All-American and two-time First Team All-WIAC selection anchoring the secondary after racking up three interceptions last season.
Saturday’s road trip kicks off a grueling early slate for the Eagles, who return home to Roger Harring Stadium on Sept. 12 to host 15th-ranked Hardin-Simmons (Texas).
Things don’t get any easier, either, once WIAC play begins. Four teams are in the Top 12 — No. 6 UW-Platteville, No. 7 UW-River Falls, No. 10 UW-La Crosse, and No. 12 UW-Whitewater— while UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stout both received votes in the preseason poll.
First-year head coach Michael Zweifel — who spent the past four seasons on staff as defensive coordinator before taking over the program this offseason — joined The Rick Solem Show back in March and discussed taking over the UW-L program, scrapping traditional drills for “chaos training,” and why he might drive his Hall of Fame coach dad crazy with his modern approach.
Listen live weekdays at 5:05 p.m. Find the pod on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska)
