Kearney, Neb. – For just the second time in school history the Nebraska-Kearney football team will play in a bowl game.

The Lopers will face Winona (Minn.) State on Saturday, December 7, in the 53rd Annual Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs, Mo. The Lopers (6-5) are 0-1 all-time vs. the Warriors (8-3) from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

Since 2003 the Mineral Water Bowl has been held at Tiger Field, home of the Excelsior Springs High Tigers. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. with media (live radio, video stream, stats) for the contest announced at a later time. 

This is the 12th postseason appearance in the 113-year history of the UNK program. The Lopers only other bowl trip came in 1955 when then-Nebraska State Teachers College beat then-Northern State Teachers College, 34-13, in the Botany Bowl in Shenandoah, Ia.

The Mineral Water Bowl dates back to 1947 and in its long history the game has involved high schools, junior colleges and "small" colleges. Among the participants in the last five decades are Hastings College, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, Drake, Wayne State and eight current MIAA members. Winona previously played in this game in 2000, 2002 and 2012. 

The MIAA had a tie-in with the game from 2000-2017. Now the game has a tie-in with the NSIC and pits that school against an MIAA or Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) member. Last year Missouri S & T downed Minnesota State-Moorhead, 51-16.

The previous Loper-Warrior game was held in the old Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn., to close out the 1994 season. An 8-2 UNK team fell by a 50-34 score that day. More currently, Warrior offensive line coach Joe Holtzclaw previously was a UNK assistant coach during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. 

UNK in the Postseason (3-8)
Yr.        Level       Game              Opponent                             Score
1955    NAIA       Botany Bowl    vs. Northern State **             W, 34-13
1963    NAIA       Playoffs           Prairie View A & M (TX)           L, 20-7
1977    NAIA       Playoffs           at SW Oklahoma State            L, 21-7
1979    NAIA       Playoffs           Central Oklahoma                   L, 42-22
1980    NAIA       Playoffs           at Mars Hill (N.C.)                  W, 9-6
            NAIA       Playoffs           at Northeastern State (OK)     L, 14-0
2002    NCAA      Playoffs           Texas A&M-Kingsville              L, 58-40
2005    NCAA      Playoffs           Pittsburg State (KS)                L, 49-20
2009    NCAA      Playoffs           Saginaw Valley State (MI)       W, 35-20
            NCAA      Playoffs           at Minnesota-Duluth               L, 42-7
2011    NCAA      Playoffs           Wayne State (MI)                   L, 38-26
** - Game played in Shenandoah, Iowa