The Pioneer football team is eagerly looking forward to proving their talent in this upcoming game against the undefeated University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks. Not only are the athletes impatiently awaiting kickoff, but the fans are overwhelmed with excitement as well. This Division III college football season is the first of its kind where ESPN will have a new fantasy section available for these diehard fans.

Up until now, these games were only enjoyed by the college students who were willing to travel to the stadium.  Now, there is an entirely new demographic of fans who can cheer on their favorite teams from their couches.

Senior UW-Platteville student, Ben Jerkin, supports these new Fantasy Leagues.

“There are plenty of nerds who like to sit in front of a computer and get drunk,” Jerkin said. “This way they can have school spirit and feel involved.”

One of the most well-known names in football, Lince Vombardi, also believes fantasy leagues will be beneficial to the sport.

After hearing what Jerkin had said, Vombardi explained, “I don’t care, who’s Ben Jerkin anyway? The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of will, but rather in a lack of knowledge.”

Lombardi also said that he couldn’t even live in a house where he isn’t respected as a fantasy football player.

The scoring system will be the same as other Division I college fantasy leagues. Points will be awarded based on performances. Unlike NFL fantasy leagues, where one draft occurs at the beginning of each season, college drafts will be completed on a weekly basis.  This will make up for the lack of trading between teams.

The third string quarterback for the UW-Platteville Pioneers, Ben Schwarmer, was asked about his opinion on the new fantasy league.

“Well everyone knows the only reason to play college football, is for the girls,” Schwarmer said. “The other two quarterbacks could get hurt, causing my fantasy score to skyrocket and that’s all that matters.”

Schwarmer admitted that most fans should not bet on him to score more on the field but instead score more in the bedroom.

Both college athletes and fantasy football players are looking forward to the results of the Division III college football games this upcoming weekend. All Platteville students should watch the game against the Warhawks this Saturday or at least stay updated on their fantasy teams.