WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University football team was picked to finish sixth in the 2023 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Football Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced today by the league.  In addition, Ty Gavin and Clay Schueffner were named as the WSU offensive and defensive players to watch, respectively. 
 

Winona State, led by second-year head coach Brian Bergstrom, will open up the 2023 season on the road at Saginaw Valley State University on Thursday, August 31. The Warriors and Cardinals are set to kickoff at 6 p.m. EST in University Center, Michigan. The 2023 meeting will be the first-ever matchup between the two programs.  SVSU and Winona State both factored into the 2022 AFCA Division II national rankings last season, with the Cardinals and Warriors both in the ‘Receiving Votes’ section of the final NCAA DII AFCA coaches poll.  

Ty Gavin racked up over 900 yards offensively last year - including more than 850 yards on the ground - and earned the WSU Player-to-Watch designation on offense.  The 5'11'', 190 lb. running back was a key component of the Warrior backfield, racking up 154 rushing attempts and averaging 5.5 yards per carry. The Niles, Illinois product had a longest rush of 81 yards last season, a scoring run against Minot State that helped turn the tide of momentum the way of the Warriors in a key season-opening 24-10 victory over the Beavers on Sept. 3. Gavin rumbled to a single-game best 167 yards against Wayne State College on Oct. 1. 

Clay Schueffner was a dominant linebacker in 2022 for Winona State, leading the NCAA postseason-qualifying Warriors in tackles (122), solo stops (68), and assists (54).  Following an impressive 2022 season, the 6'2', 230 lb. standout was listed among the Elite 100 NCAA Division II football players, as cited by D2 Football.com. Scheuffner's 122 total tackles were the 14th-most in NCAA Division II football last season. The St. Cloud, Wis. product was among 48 nominees for the 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy, the NCAA Division II football equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. 

Both Gavin and Schueffner earned All-NSIC honors last fall, with Schueffner claiming First Team Defensive accolades and Gavin Second Team Offense honors. Schueffner was one of four WSU players named to the NSIC South First Team, joining Warrior teammates Carter Duxbury, Darius Manuel and Mitch Snitker. 

The first home contest for Winona State will be on Saturday, Sept. 9, hosting Concordia University, St. Paul at 1pm in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.  WSU defeated CSP, 47-6 in 2021, in the last meeting between the two teams, as the Warriors racked up a 30-3 halftime lead en route to the rout of the Golden Bears at home on Sept. 2, 2021. 

The 2023 season will include five home games in the 11-week regular season. Winona State will play on the road in week one in a non-conference tilt at Saginaw Valley State University on Thursday, Aug. 31, before their week two showdown with CSP.  
 
Season ticket packages start at $110 (general admission), and reserved seats cost $125. Season ticket holders also receive a parking pass in the Main/Sarnia lot or receive a $75 credit in the IWC lot (Map). Season ticket holders should visit this link for more information.  

Warrior football season tickets can be purchased at this link.  For football, the ticket booth will open 90 minutes before kickoff. For more information or questions, please contact Joey Mueller via email at: joseph.mueller@winona.edu  

For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

About Winona State University Athletics: 

The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.  

Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.