On Oct. 11, 2025, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse hosted the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) matchup.
The WIAC rivalry game overlapped with UWL’s family weekend, which took place from Oct. 10 – Oct. 12. Families had a wide variety of events and activities to attend, ranging from bean bag tournaments to magic and comedy shows.
One of these events was the Gillette Pepsi Company Tailgate on the morning of Oct. 11. As early as 9 a.m., fans were outside of Roger Herring Stadium with their maroon and grey on full display. Students and their families were out as well, playing music and enjoying the atmosphere.
Attendee Kristen Book commented, “It’s high energy, lots of fun, loud and boisterous, but all in a good way!”
Aside from the high energy environment, the feelings of family and community were present throughout the crowd. For some families it was about more than just attending a tailgate, but keeping family traditions alive.
Joel and Laura Mirasola, parents attending the tailgate, said, “For us there’s a lot of family history. My cousin played here, my brother played here, so there’s a lot of family tradition, and now our son plays here.”
There were more than just old family traditions being continued, new families were also celebrated. The UWL women’s basketball team had their own unique way of introducing a future eagle to the world.
Renne Jordan, mother of player Ella Jordan said, “Because we were all together, the senior girls on the team got gender reveal blasters; and that was our big event today, we had our gender reveal for coach and coach Mo didn’t even know what she was having. She waited until being with all of us to find out.”
The pink glitter on the ground indicated that head coach Moran Lonning would welcome a baby girl into the Eagles community. That moment between the team represented the belonging that extends to the entire community.
Matt Wilson, father of volleyball player Maddy Wilson commented, “I think everybody’s willing to be friendly with everyone. You could go up to different tables and everyone will be willing to talk, and I think that’s just the sense of friendship that UWL has.”
It’s that very friendship and camaraderie that helps parents know their kid made the right decision in attending UWL. With some parents being far away from campus, it’s reassuring to know what type of people make up this campus.
Football player Tyr Severson’s parents, Dwayne and Bethany Severson said, “It’s always scary sending your child away from school. He’s almost three hours away from us, but we’ve felt he’s had good connections and has always surrounded himself by the right people.”
After a couple of hours of family and friends, the band arrived at the scene marking that the kickoff was approaching.
Coming off a win against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Eagles were looking to extend their winning streak to four against the Blugolds.
The Eagles came out firing on all cylinders. Fourth-year running back Gabe Lynch showcased his dynamic running ability, breaking tackles for not just one, but two touchdown runs in the first quarter.
The team was able to keep running the football effectively throughout the game. Lynch and fourth-year teammate Braedon Ott were able to rush for 288 yards on only 27 rushing attempts.
The first quarter would end with UWL on top 21-0. This lead would prove to be insurmountable for the Blugolds as the Eagles would soar away with the win 41-21. Third-year quarterback Kyle Haas also contributed 251 yards through the air with two touchdowns.
This win pushes the Eagles record to 4-0 in the season. Next week the team will be traveling to Platteville to compete against WIAC opponent University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Oct. 18.
More stats and information on the UWL football team can be found by clicking here.
