Adrian enters AFCA Top 25 for first time since 2012
November 11, 2025
It took 13 years, but Adrian is back in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Down 21-7 to Trine after the first quarter, the Bulldogs scored the next 37 points, winning in a runaway, 44-21. The win moved Adrian to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play, making next Saturday’s game against Alma a possible conference deciding game. If Adrian wins, there will be a three-way tie for the title with Hope and Alma. If Alma wins, they win the conference outright. Adrian enters the poll at No. 24. The Bulldogs were No. 25 when they were last ranked on November 12, 2012.
The top three teams remained the same, but thanks to Salisbury’s loss to Christopher Newport, the rest of the top 25 is completely different. CNU moves up to No. 8 while the loss dropped Salisbury six spots to No. 10. Bethel (Minn.) beat Carleton, 49-7, and moves to No. 4, followed by UW-River Falls at No. 5, who demolished UW-La Crosse, 41-7, dropping the Eagles to No. 17. Hardin-Simmons lost a close one to Mary Hardin-Baylor, 21-17, and fell seven spots to No. 12.
Baldwin Wallace and Hampden-Sydney both lost to unranked teams and fell out of the poll, making room for Adrian and No. 25 Franklin & Marshall. The Diplomats are 8-1 and will host No. 3 Johns Hopkins for the Centennial Conference title on Saturday.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 10 Next Game
1 North Central (52) 9-0 1300 1 D. Elmhurst, 58-0 Nov. 15 vs. Illinois Wesleyan
2 Mount Union 9-0 1239 2 D. Marietta, 30-19 Nov. 15 vs. Muskingum
3 Johns Hopkins 9-0 1185 3 D. McDaniel, 42-0 Nov. 15 at No. 25 Franklin & Marshall
4 Bethel (Minn.) 9-0 1121 6 D. Carleton, 49-7 Nov. 15 at St. Scholastica
5 UW-River Falls 8-1 1073 8 D. No. 10 UW-La Crosse, 41-7 Nov. 15 at UW-Stout
6 Wartburg 9-0 1072 7 Idle Nov. 15 vs. Buena Vista
7 St. John’s (Minn.) 8-1 959 9 D. St. Scholastica, 70-21 Nov. 15 vs. St. Olaf
8 Christopher Newport 9-0 930 12 D. No. 4 Salisbury, 45-42 Nov. 14 at College of New Jersey
9 John Carroll 8-1 872 11 D. Ohio Wesleyan, 55-17 Nov. 15 at Denison
10 Salisbury 8-1 779 4 Lost to No. 12 Christopher Newport, 45-42 Nov. 14 vs. Castleton
11 DePauw 8-1 698 13 D. Wooster, 59-0 Nov. 15 at No. 23 Wabash
12 Hardin-Simmons 8-1 691 5 Lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor, 21-17 Nov. 15 vs. East Texas Baptist
13 UW-Platteville 7-2 662 14 D. UW-Stout, 24-23 Nov. 15 at UW-Eau Claire
14 Cortland 8-1 571 15 D. Brockport, 44-14 Nov. 15 at Ithaca
15 Hope 8-1 553 16 D. Calvin, 52-0 Nov. 15 vs. Olivet
16 UW-Whitewater 7-2 501 17 D. UW-Eau Claire, 51-10 Nov. 15 at UW-Oshkosh
17 UW-La Crosse 6-2 480 10 Lost to No. 8 UW-River Falls, 41-7 Nov. 15 at UW-Stevens Point
18 Randolph-Macon 8-1 433 18 Idle Nov. 15 vs. Hampden-Sydney
19 Central (Iowa) 8-1 426 19 D. Simpson, 35-10 Nov. 15 vs. Coe
20 Berry 8-1 367 20 D. Maryville, 36-7 Nov. 15 at Southwestern (Tex.)
21 Wheaton 7-2 263 21 D. Millikin, 61-14 Nov. 15 at North Park
22 Trinity (Tex.) 8-1 229 22 D. Millsaps, 42-24 Nov. 15 at Maryville
23 Wabash 8-1 167 23 D. Oberlin, 42-13 Nov. 15 vs. No. 11 DePauw
24 Adrian 8-1 57 NR D. Trine, 44-21 Nov. 15 at Alma
25 Franklin & Marshall 8-1 42 NR D. Carnegie Mellon, 31-24 Nov. 15 vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins
Dropped Out: Baldwin Wallace (24), Hampden-Sydney (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor, 37; Monmouth (Ill.), 26; UW-Oshkosh, 20; Endicott, 17; Susquehanna, 17; Whitworth, 17; Hanover, 14; Alma, 12; Linfield, 11; UW-Stout, 11; Coe, 9; Washington & Jefferson, 9; Chapman, 7; Springfield, 6; Muhlenberg, 5; Baldwin Wallace, 3; Concordia (Wis.), 2; LaGrange, 2; Washington (Mo.), 2; Eastern, 1; Ohio Northern, 1; Wesleyan, 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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It took 13 years, but Adrian is back in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. Down 21-7 to Trine after the first quarter, the Bulldogs scored the next 37 points, winning in a runaway, 44-21. The win moved Adrian to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play, making next Saturday’s game against Alma a possible conference deciding game. If Adrian wins, there will be a three-way tie for the title with Hope and Alma. If Alma wins, they win the conference outright. Adrian enters the poll at No. 24. The Bulldogs were No. 25 when they were last ranked on November 12, 2012.
The top three teams remained the same, but thanks to Salisbury’s loss to Christopher Newport, the rest of the top 25 is completely different. CNU moves up to No. 8 while the loss dropped Salisbury six spots to No. 10. Bethel (Minn.) beat Carleton, 49-7, and moves to No. 4, followed by UW-River Falls at No. 5, who demolished UW-La Crosse, 41-7, dropping the Eagles to No. 17. Hardin-Simmons lost a close one to Mary Hardin-Baylor, 21-17, and fell seven spots to No. 12.
Baldwin Wallace and Hampden-Sydney both lost to unranked teams and fell out of the poll, making room for Adrian and No. 25 Franklin & Marshall. The Diplomats are 8-1 and will host No. 3 Johns Hopkins for the Centennial Conference title on Saturday.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 10 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (52) | 9-0 | 1300 | 1 | D. Elmhurst, 58-0 | Nov. 15 vs. Illinois Wesleyan | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 9-0 | 1239 | 2 | D. Marietta, 30-19 | Nov. 15 vs. Muskingum | |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins | 9-0 | 1185 | 3 | D. McDaniel, 42-0 | Nov. 15 at No. 25 Franklin & Marshall | |
| 4 | Bethel (Minn.) | 9-0 | 1121 | 6 | D. Carleton, 49-7 | Nov. 15 at St. Scholastica | |
| 5 | UW-River Falls | 8-1 | 1073 | 8 | D. No. 10 UW-La Crosse, 41-7 | Nov. 15 at UW-Stout | |
| 6 | Wartburg | 9-0 | 1072 | 7 | Idle | Nov. 15 vs. Buena Vista | |
| 7 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 8-1 | 959 | 9 | D. St. Scholastica, 70-21 | Nov. 15 vs. St. Olaf | |
| 8 | Christopher Newport | 9-0 | 930 | 12 | D. No. 4 Salisbury, 45-42 | Nov. 14 at College of New Jersey | |
| 9 | John Carroll | 8-1 | 872 | 11 | D. Ohio Wesleyan, 55-17 | Nov. 15 at Denison | |
| 10 | Salisbury | 8-1 | 779 | 4 | Lost to No. 12 Christopher Newport, 45-42 | Nov. 14 vs. Castleton | |
| 11 | DePauw | 8-1 | 698 | 13 | D. Wooster, 59-0 | Nov. 15 at No. 23 Wabash | |
| 12 | Hardin-Simmons | 8-1 | 691 | 5 | Lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor, 21-17 | Nov. 15 vs. East Texas Baptist | |
| 13 | UW-Platteville | 7-2 | 662 | 14 | D. UW-Stout, 24-23 | Nov. 15 at UW-Eau Claire | |
| 14 | Cortland | 8-1 | 571 | 15 | D. Brockport, 44-14 | Nov. 15 at Ithaca | |
| 15 | Hope | 8-1 | 553 | 16 | D. Calvin, 52-0 | Nov. 15 vs. Olivet | |
| 16 | UW-Whitewater | 7-2 | 501 | 17 | D. UW-Eau Claire, 51-10 | Nov. 15 at UW-Oshkosh | |
| 17 | UW-La Crosse | 6-2 | 480 | 10 | Lost to No. 8 UW-River Falls, 41-7 | Nov. 15 at UW-Stevens Point | |
| 18 | Randolph-Macon | 8-1 | 433 | 18 | Idle | Nov. 15 vs. Hampden-Sydney | |
| 19 | Central (Iowa) | 8-1 | 426 | 19 | D. Simpson, 35-10 | Nov. 15 vs. Coe | |
| 20 | Berry | 8-1 | 367 | 20 | D. Maryville, 36-7 | Nov. 15 at Southwestern (Tex.) | |
| 21 | Wheaton | 7-2 | 263 | 21 | D. Millikin, 61-14 | Nov. 15 at North Park | |
| 22 | Trinity (Tex.) | 8-1 | 229 | 22 | D. Millsaps, 42-24 | Nov. 15 at Maryville | |
| 23 | Wabash | 8-1 | 167 | 23 | D. Oberlin, 42-13 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 11 DePauw | |
| 24 | Adrian | 8-1 | 57 | NR | D. Trine, 44-21 | Nov. 15 at Alma | |
| 25 | Franklin & Marshall | 8-1 | 42 | NR | D. Carnegie Mellon, 31-24 | Nov. 15 vs. No. 3 Johns Hopkins | |
Dropped Out: Baldwin Wallace (24), Hampden-Sydney (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor, 37; Monmouth (Ill.), 26; UW-Oshkosh, 20; Endicott, 17; Susquehanna, 17; Whitworth, 17; Hanover, 14; Alma, 12; Linfield, 11; UW-Stout, 11; Coe, 9; Washington & Jefferson, 9; Chapman, 7; Springfield, 6; Muhlenberg, 5; Baldwin Wallace, 3; Concordia (Wis.), 2; LaGrange, 2; Washington (Mo.), 2; Eastern, 1; Ohio Northern, 1; Wesleyan, 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.
