WHITEWATER, Wis. — College football season is back for fans of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks. This season, they can watch games at Perkins Stadium while drinking beer with a direct university connection.
Warhawks Light Ale will be sold at the stadium every game day. It is a collaboration between UW-Whitewater and nearby Duesterbeck's Brewing Company.
TMJ4 News reporter Taj Simmons has more on the partnership in the video below:
"It's a true partnership," said UW-Whitewater athletic director Ryan Callahan. "We couldn't be as strong as we are without the community, and the community couldn't be as strong as they are without us."
The partnership is deeper than just a business relationship.
Makai Johnson, the son of Duesterbeck's owners, is a senior at UW-Whitewater studying graphic design.
The university chose not to outsource the design of the Warhawks Light Ale can and let Johnson design the packaging from scratch.
"I ran track here my freshman year, and on the back of our t-shirts, it said, 'Powered by Tradition,'" Johnson said. "I wanted to take something like that with me and put it on the cans."
Johnson already designs the packaging for his parents' beers, but he says working directly with UW-Whitewater was the professional opportunity he hoped to have before graduation.
"With the cans for my parents, I have a lot of creative control," Johnson said. "This time, it was cool following all of the brand guidelines and the real-world experience that I had to do myself."
The cans also feature a QR code so Warhawk fans can donate directly to the athletic department.
"We are still a Division III program which operates with a lot of fundraising dollars," Callahan said. "It's just a way to keep our alumni and supporters engaged."
The UW-Whitewater Warhawks start their season at home on Sept. 5 against Carleton College. They will return to Perkins Stadium on Sept. 12 to play Saint Xavier University of Illinois.
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