Wittenberg will start series against old OAC football rivalry in 2024

The teams last played in 1999 and played annually when both were members of the OAC. Baldwin Wallace remains in that conference. Wittenberg left for the North Coast Athletic Conference after the 1988 season.

“In the history of Division III football, the Wittenberg vs. Baldwin Wallace rivalry was as big as it gets,” said Wittenberg coach Jim Collins, who was hired in November after longtime coach Joe Fincham retired, in a press release. “Renewing this storied tradition will not only be a special experience for our present student athletes but will also ignite fond memories in the men who made this matchup legendary.”

Wittenberg leads the series 21-20-1. The Tigers won 13 of 19 meetings in OAC play.

Baldwin Wallace finished 8-2 last season and finished second in the OAC behind perennial champion Mount Union. Wittenberg finished 7-3 and tied for second in the NCAC.

“When you think about Division III rivalries this one is at the TOP of the list,” Baldwin Wallace coach Jim Hilvert said in a press release. “We are very excited to about starting up this legendary rivalry with Wittenberg again. There have been some great battles in the past. I know BW alums will be fired up about these two historic programs playing against each other in 2024 and 2025.”

When the OAC held championship games from 1972-83, Wittenberg or Baldwin Wallace played each other in seven of the 12 games and combined to win nine championships. They tied in one game. Heidelberg and Muskingum won the other two.

“Wittenberg University, our football program and alumni are excited about continuing one of the fiercest rivalries in college football,” Wittenberg Athletic Director Brian Agler said in a press release. “There have been many football games between Wittenberg and Baldwin Wallace where the result determined the champion.”