It stood to reason that UW-Whitewater would take time to celebrate its 2007 college football successes once 2008 rolled around.

And the Warhawks will be throwing a party Friday evening that not only honors its 2007 NCAA Division III national championship team, but also toasts significant improvements to Perkins Stadium.

In between, Whitewater will open the 2008 season with a 7 p.m. non-conference game against Saint Xavier (Ill.), looking to extend their 25-game homefield winning streak that dates to a season-ending loss to UW-La Crosse on Nov. 13, 2004.

Prior to kickoff, the school's new Field Turf will be dedicated as part of the $1.3 million project to the campus' outdoor athletic facilities that was overseen by former Warhawks coach Bob Berezowitz.  A brick archway has been erected at the entrance to the stadium and a cement walkway will circle the football field.

 With the improvements, the portfolio of Whitewater athletic facilities has been renamed the Kachel Family Sports Complex. They include Perkins Stadium, Prucha Field, Fiskum Field, Foster Track and Field, Van Steenderen Softball Complex, the Williams Center and the Kachel Fieldhouse.

At halftime, the 2007 NCAA III national championship team will be recognized with a special championship flag raising, honoring the 2007 seniors. The Warhawks must replace 23 seniors who went 14-1 each of the last three seasons and 49-6 in their four years.

A third special event this weekend will take place Saturday at 2:15 p.m. when the new soccer facility -- Fiskum Field -- will be dedicated before the Warhawks' women's soccer match with Lakeland College. It is dedicated to Bob Fiskum, a former coach and instructer at UW-Whitewater after whom the previous soccer facility was also named.