Briar Cliff steps up to varsity football

A new era begins at Briar Cliff University on Saturday when the school plays its first varsity football game by hosting Northwestern College. Dick Stritmatter has taken on the job of building the program from scratch and says the school is already seeing the benefits of offering the sport.The school played a club schedule last fall and Stritmatter says the team received a lot of support.He will have plenty of time to develop the current roster, which is top-heavy with freshmen and sophomores.With games against Northwestern and Morningside, Stritmatter says they will have a chance to generate some rivalries.