Wisconsin–Platteville Pioneers football
| Wisconsin–Platteville Pioneers football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1895 | ||
| Head coach | Ryan Munz 4th season, 21–11 (.656) | ||
| Stadium | Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium | ||
| Location | Platteville, Wisconsin | ||
| NCAA division | Division III | ||
| Conference | WIAC | ||
| All-time record | 445–449–33 (.498) | ||
| Bowl record | 1–0 (1.000) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 4 (1 NAIA Div. I, 3 NCAA Div. III) | ||
| Playoff record | 1–4 (.200) | ||
| Conference titles | 15 | ||
| Colors | |||
| Website | letsgopioneers.com/football | ||
The Wisconsin–Platteville Pioneers football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Wisconsin–Platteville located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The team competes at the NCAA Division III level and is a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).
Championships
Conference championships
The Pioneers have won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship 15 times.[1]
| Year | Year | Coach | Overall record |
WIAC record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938† | Lester Leitl | 4–1 | 3–1 | |
| 1941† | 3–0–2 | 3–0–1 | ||
| 1942† | 3–1–1 | 3–0–1 | ||
| 1952† | 5–1 | 4–0 | ||
| 1953† | 6–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 1956† | 6–1 | 5–0 | ||
| 1957 | 5–1 | 5–0 | ||
| 1968† | Monte Charles | 8–1 | 7–1 | |
| 1969† | Gil Krueger | 8–1 | 7–1 | |
| 1970 | 10–1 | 8–0 | ||
| 1971† | 9–1 | 7–1 | ||
| 1974† | Bob Seamans | 8–2 | 7–1 | |
| 1976† | 8–2 | 6–2 | ||
| 1980† | George Chryst | 7–3 | 6–2 | |
| 2024 | Ryan Munz | 9–2 | 6–1 |
† Co-champions
Postseason appearances
NCAA Division III playoffs
The Pioneers have made three appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs, with a combined record of 1–3.
| Year | Round | Rival | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | First Round Second Round |
Concordia (WI) North Central (IL) |
W, 54–20 L, 24–52 |
| 2016 | First Round | Saint John's (MN) | L, 31–32 |
| 2024 | Second Round | Wartburg | L, 14–19 |
NAIA Division I playoffs
The Pioneers have made one appearance in the NAIA Division I playoffs, with a combined record of 0–1.
| Year | Round | Rival | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Semifinals | Texas A&I | L, 0–16 |
Bowl games
The Pioneers have a 1–0 bowl record after participating in the Culver's Isthmus Bowl in 2023.
| Year | Bowl | Coach | Rival | Result | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Isthmus Bowl | Ryan Munz | Augustana (IL) | W 36–10 | 7–4 |
Ranked teams
Starting in 1999 the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) began publishing rankings for Division III football.[2] The AFCA Division III poll records are not well kept online, so the table will read "Unknown" if rankings weren't able to be found for that particular season. In 2003, D3football.com started publishing its own rankings for Division III football.[3] Since the inception of both polls, Wisconsin–Platteville has been ranked at least four times in the AFCA Coaches Poll and five times in the D3football.com poll to end the season. Additionally, while not being ranked in the Top 25 to end the season, the Pioneers have received votes (RV) at least three times in the AFCA Coaches Poll and three times in the D3football.com poll.
| Year | D3 | AFCA | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 13 | 16 | 8–2 |
| 2013 | 9 | 8 | 10–2 |
| 2014 | RV | RV | 7–3 |
| 2015 | 14 | 15 | 8–2 |
| 2016 | 14 | Unknown | 8–3 |
| 2017 | RV | Unknown | 7–3 |
| 2019 | NR | RV | 7–3 |
| 2023 | RV | RV | 7–4 |
| 2024 | 16 | 17 | 9–2 |
Border Battle
From 1984 to 2000 the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, home to the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Golden Gophers, hosted games in November between WIAC teams and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) teams at the NCAA Division II level in what came to be known as the "Border Battle".[4] The Pioneers played at the Metrodome three times, and had a 1–2 record.[5]
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| November 18, 1984 | Minnesota Duluth | L 0–10 |
| November 14, 1999 | Minnesota Morris | W 46–15 |
| November 11, 2000 | Southwest Minnesota State | L 30–52 |
Facilities
From 1984 to 2001 the Chicago Bears of the National Football League used the Pioneers facilities for the team's annual preseason training camp.[6] The Bears were looking at Platteville, as well as Wisconsin–Whitewater, but ultimately chose Platteville after a tour with legendary coach and athletic director George Chryst. The Bears cited strong facilities, as well as fewer distractions for the team due to the remoteness of Platteville.[7] The decision seemed to have paid off, as the 1985 Bears went on to win Super Bowl XX. Five other NFL teams used campuses across Wisconsin and Minnesota for training camp, in what was known as the Cheese League.
Notable players
References
- ^ "Football Team Champs (PDF) - Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference" (PDF). wiacsports.com. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ "Polls". AFCA. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
- ^ "D3football.com Top 25 history".
- ^ "Breaking the five-way tie". November 11, 1999.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Football Year By Year Results (PDF) - Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference" (PDF). wiacsports.com. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ "Chicago Bears Training Camp Locations". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 4, 2025.
- ^ Lucas, Mike (August 4, 2023). "Platteville: Once home to Bears, Bo Ryan, Walter Payton and The Hill". The Cap Times. Retrieved January 4, 2025.