Heidelberg Ranked For The First Time Since 2022
September 28, 2026
One week after their monumental upset of Mount Union, Heidelberg is still winning. The ‘Berg blanked Muskingum, 56-0, to record their second shutout of the 2026 season and moved their record to 4-0. The win vaulted Heidelberg into the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, for the first time since September 19, 2022. That week, the ‘Berg were ranked 18th, but this time, they come in at No. 24. Because of Heidelberg’s appearance, one team had to drop out and that team is Mount Union. This marks the first time the Purple Raiders have not been ranked in the AFCA Top 25 since the poll began in 1999, breaking a streak of 283 straight appearances.
There wasn’t a lot of movement in the poll this week because 10 of the top 25 teams were idle, but that will change next Monday because of five top 25 matchups. Two are top 10 showdowns with the first being No. 2 UW-River Falls traveling to No. 7 UW-Whitewater while No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.) plays host to No. 8 Bethel (Minn.). The three other matchups have No. 6 John Carroll traveling to No. 17 WashU, No. 9 Trinity (Tex.) hosting No. 11 Berry and No. 16 Cortland traveling to No. 21 Utica.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 North Central (44) 3-0 1315 1 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Augustana (Ill.)
2 UW-River Falls (9) 3-0 1243 3 Idle Oct. 3 at No. 7 UW-Whitewater
3 Wheaton 4-0 1236 2 D. Illinois Wesleyan, 28-7 Oct. 3 vs. North Park
4 UW-Platteville 3-0 1164 4 Idle Oct. 3 at UW-Stout
5 St. John’s (Minn.) 3-0 1104 5 D. Augsburg, 72-0 Oct. 3 vs. No. 8 Bethel (Minn.)
6 John Carroll 4-0 1045 6 D. Wittenberg, 49-3 Oct. 3 at No. 17 WashU
7 UW-Whitewater 3-0 995 7 D. Keystone, 69-0 Oct. 3 vs. No. 2 UW-River Falls
8 Bethel (Minn.) 2-1 929 8 D. Hamline, 77-0 Oct. 3 at No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.)
9 Trinity (Tex.) 3-0 884 9 Idle Oct. 3 vs. No. 11 Berry
10 Hardin-Simmons 2-0 851 10 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Fort Lauderdale
11 Berry 3-0 765 11 Idle Oct. 3 at No. 9 Trinity (Tex.)
12 Salisbury 3-0 727 12 D. Catholic, 47-10 Oct. 3 at The College of New Jersey
13 Christopher Newport 3-0 698 14 D. No. 13 Susquehanna, 21-0 Oct. 3 vs. William Paterson
14 Hope 4-0 616 15 D. Albion, 63-0 Oct. 3 at Olivet
15 Endicott 4-0 585 16 D. Husson, 35-6 Oct. 3 at Univ. of New England
16 Cortland 4-0 508 17 D. Morrisville, 62-6 Oct. 3 at No. 21 Utica
17 WashU 4-0 428 19 D. Oberlin, 79-0 Oct. 3 vs. No. 6 John Carroll
18 Wartburg 1-2 404 18 Idle Oct. 3 at Nebraska Wesleyan
19 UW-La Crosse 1-2 233 20 Idle Oct. 3 at UW-Oshkosh
20 Mary Hardin-Baylor 2-1 230 21 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Keystone
21 Utica 4-0 198 24 D. Alfred St., 58-13 Oct. 3 vs. No. 16 Cortland
22 Susquehanna 3-1 188 13 Lost to No. 14 Christopher Newport, 21-0 Oct. 10 at Catholic
23 DePauw 3-1 171 22 D. Kenyon, 31-3 Oct. 3 vs. Oberlin
24 Heidelberg 4-0 125 NR D. Muskingum, 56-0 Oct. 3 vs. Baldwin Wallace
25 Franklin & Marshall 3-0 117 25 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Gettysburg
Dropped Out: Mount Union (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Mount Union, 88; Wabash, 79; Randolph-Macon, 60; Calvin, 50; Springfield, 22; Lake Forest, 21; Mount St. Joseph, 20; Baldwin-Wallace, 19; Chapman, 18; UW-Oshkosh, 17; Illinois Wesleyan, 14; Johns Hopkins, 12; Muhlenberg, 8; Hampden-Sydney, 7; Ursinus, 6; Marietta, 5; Concordia-Moorhead, 4; Linfield, 3; UW-Stout, 3; Wesleyan, 3; Augustana (Ill.), 2; Dickinson, 2; Washington & Jefferson, 2; Trinity (Conn.), 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
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One week after their monumental upset of Mount Union, Heidelberg is still winning. The ‘Berg blanked Muskingum, 56-0, to record their second shutout of the 2026 season and moved their record to 4-0. The win vaulted Heidelberg into the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by GoRout Gridiron, for the first time since September 19, 2022. That week, the ‘Berg were ranked 18th, but this time, they come in at No. 24. Because of Heidelberg’s appearance, one team had to drop out and that team is Mount Union. This marks the first time the Purple Raiders have not been ranked in the AFCA Top 25 since the poll began in 1999, breaking a streak of 283 straight appearances.
There wasn’t a lot of movement in the poll this week because 10 of the top 25 teams were idle, but that will change next Monday because of five top 25 matchups. Two are top 10 showdowns with the first being No. 2 UW-River Falls traveling to No. 7 UW-Whitewater while No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.) plays host to No. 8 Bethel (Minn.). The three other matchups have No. 6 John Carroll traveling to No. 17 WashU, No. 9 Trinity (Tex.) hosting No. 11 Berry and No. 16 Cortland traveling to No. 21 Utica.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (44) | 3-0 | 1315 | 1 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Augustana (Ill.) | |
| 2 | UW-River Falls (9) | 3-0 | 1243 | 3 | Idle | Oct. 3 at No. 7 UW-Whitewater | |
| 3 | Wheaton | 4-0 | 1236 | 2 | D. Illinois Wesleyan, 28-7 | Oct. 3 vs. North Park | |
| 4 | UW-Platteville | 3-0 | 1164 | 4 | Idle | Oct. 3 at UW-Stout | |
| 5 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 3-0 | 1104 | 5 | D. Augsburg, 72-0 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 8 Bethel (Minn.) | |
| 6 | John Carroll | 4-0 | 1045 | 6 | D. Wittenberg, 49-3 | Oct. 3 at No. 17 WashU | |
| 7 | UW-Whitewater | 3-0 | 995 | 7 | D. Keystone, 69-0 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 2 UW-River Falls | |
| 8 | Bethel (Minn.) | 2-1 | 929 | 8 | D. Hamline, 77-0 | Oct. 3 at No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.) | |
| 9 | Trinity (Tex.) | 3-0 | 884 | 9 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. No. 11 Berry | |
| 10 | Hardin-Simmons | 2-0 | 851 | 10 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Fort Lauderdale | |
| 11 | Berry | 3-0 | 765 | 11 | Idle | Oct. 3 at No. 9 Trinity (Tex.) | |
| 12 | Salisbury | 3-0 | 727 | 12 | D. Catholic, 47-10 | Oct. 3 at The College of New Jersey | |
| 13 | Christopher Newport | 3-0 | 698 | 14 | D. No. 13 Susquehanna, 21-0 | Oct. 3 vs. William Paterson | |
| 14 | Hope | 4-0 | 616 | 15 | D. Albion, 63-0 | Oct. 3 at Olivet | |
| 15 | Endicott | 4-0 | 585 | 16 | D. Husson, 35-6 | Oct. 3 at Univ. of New England | |
| 16 | Cortland | 4-0 | 508 | 17 | D. Morrisville, 62-6 | Oct. 3 at No. 21 Utica | |
| 17 | WashU | 4-0 | 428 | 19 | D. Oberlin, 79-0 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 6 John Carroll | |
| 18 | Wartburg | 1-2 | 404 | 18 | Idle | Oct. 3 at Nebraska Wesleyan | |
| 19 | UW-La Crosse | 1-2 | 233 | 20 | Idle | Oct. 3 at UW-Oshkosh | |
| 20 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 2-1 | 230 | 21 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Keystone | |
| 21 | Utica | 4-0 | 198 | 24 | D. Alfred St., 58-13 | Oct. 3 vs. No. 16 Cortland | |
| 22 | Susquehanna | 3-1 | 188 | 13 | Lost to No. 14 Christopher Newport, 21-0 | Oct. 10 at Catholic | |
| 23 | DePauw | 3-1 | 171 | 22 | D. Kenyon, 31-3 | Oct. 3 vs. Oberlin | |
| 24 | Heidelberg | 4-0 | 125 | NR | D. Muskingum, 56-0 | Oct. 3 vs. Baldwin Wallace | |
| 25 | Franklin & Marshall | 3-0 | 117 | 25 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Gettysburg | |
Dropped Out: Mount Union (23)
Others Receiving Votes: Mount Union, 88; Wabash, 79; Randolph-Macon, 60; Calvin, 50; Springfield, 22; Lake Forest, 21; Mount St. Joseph, 20; Baldwin-Wallace, 19; Chapman, 18; UW-Oshkosh, 17; Illinois Wesleyan, 14; Johns Hopkins, 12; Muhlenberg, 8; Hampden-Sydney, 7; Ursinus, 6; Marietta, 5; Concordia-Moorhead, 4; Linfield, 3; UW-Stout, 3; Wesleyan, 3; Augustana (Ill.), 2; Dickinson, 2; Washington & Jefferson, 2; Trinity (Conn.), 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
