By WJBC Staff
BLOOMINGTON – Due to a cancellation, the Illinois Wesleyan football season will open against an international opponent at Tucci Stadium at 1 p.m. on Sept. 3.
The Titans will host the Borregos Salvajes (Wild Sheep) of the Monterrey Tech-State of Mexico campus as a replacement for Lawrence University, who cancelled their game at IWU this spring to leave the vacant Sept. 3 date.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott Laughlin’s interview with coach Eash on WJBC.
“We’re excited to be hosting an international team at Tucci Stadium,” said IWU coach Norm Eash. “It should be a great game against a very successful and highly-regarded program.”
Monterrey Tech-Mexico, who was 6-4 last season, plays in the 15-team CONADEIP Premier Conference and is ranked No. 3 in the country in a preseason ranking. Head coach Jorge Guerra Robles has a two-year record of 12-8 and the school has a 22-year overall record of 168-63 (.727 winning percentage).
The Wild Sheep have made the playoffs in each of their 22 years, have a 21-19 playoff record and were national college champions in 1996 (Division II), 2000 and 2003 (Division I). Monterrey Tech-Mexico plays their home games in the 7,500-seat, artificial turf Corral de Plástico.
“We’ll have to play very well to win the game,” Eash said. “They play a spread formation and will up-tempo the game, playing fast and quick. It will also be their second game of the season and our opener so that’s a concern.” Eash added that his team will prepare as they would against any other team in the season and have exchanged film and scouting reports with the Wild Sheep staff.
About 80 high schools in Mexico now play American Football and Monterrey Tech-Mexico is one of 35 universities playing American Football. They have a regular season of 10 games from August to November with playoffs and a national championship game in December.
Mexican universities are able to give non-athletic scholarships and the players have seven seasons of eligibility. Teams are limited to six foreign team members, mostly from Spain, Germany or France, with only three of those on the field at a time.
This is the first international football game at Illinois Wesleyan but Titan teams have played five games previously overseas. IWU teams have played in Germany, Italy, France, Austria, and Finland and plans are in motion for the team to travel to Tokyo, Japan next spring.
Illinois Wesleyan will open NCAA regular season play on Sept. 10 with a road game at Nebraska Wesleyan and will begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with a home game against North Central on Sept. 17.
