Vienna Vikings web site

Pfizer Charity Bowl XI web site

The Illinois Wesleyan football team will face the Vienna Vikings in a charity exhibition game during their visit to Austria and the Czech Republic May 28 to June 5.

Division III schools are allowed a foreign exhibition game of this kind every four years, IWU has previously played in France (2005), Italy (2001) and Germany (1997).

The Titan team completed the five-week “skill instruction” period of the off-season and had a 10-day practice schedule in preparation for the Europe trip from May 11-26.

The team and coaches will be staying first in Vienna, where they will visit the Prater Amusement Park, Schonbrunn Palace, Danube Tower and other imperial buildings that are reminders of the wealth and influence of the Hapsburgs who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

In Prague, the student-athletes will see historic Old Town, the medieval Charles Bridge, the Castle District and St. Vitus' Cathedra;, a Gothic structure that took nearly six centuries to complete. In addition the team will tour the town of Cesky Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992.

The Vienna Vikings host the annual game against American collegiate teams at Höhe Warte Stadium. A pre-game pep rally, post-game BBQ and halftime shows offer opportunities for bands to perform for thousands of spectators. Bands also march in a parade through the historical heart of Vienna.

The Charity Bowl event annually attracts thousands of spectators. Its theme is "strong helping the weak" with proceeds helping charitable youth organizations.