Christopher Newport Enters AFCA Top 25
September 29, 2025
The last time Christopher Newport appeared in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, it was on September 26, 2016, at No. 25. Almost nine years later, the Captains are back after beating then-No. 14 Susquehanna, 41-27. CNU matched a program record with their eighth straight victory and beat a ranked opponent for the first time, you guessed it, since 2016. Christopher Newport jumps into the poll at No. 24 while Susquehanna falls out of the top 25.
There was very little movement in the top 10 this week as five teams were on a bye. North Central continues their dominance at No. 1, beating Washington (Mo.), 44-14. Same goes for No. 2 Mount Union, who downed Baldwin Wallace, 42-23. Johns Hopkins and St. John’s (Minn.) remain at 3 and 4 with the only change in the top 10 coming at No. 5. UW-La Crosse flip-flops with Salisbury despite La Crosse being idle and Salisbury beating Catholic with ease, 55-6.
Change will come to the poll next week as there are five top 25 matchups that include four top 10 teams. Two of the biggest will be No. 4 St. John’s (Minn.) traveling to No. 11 Bethel (Minn.) for the top spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while the other is a top 10 battle in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as No. 5 UW-La Crosse travels to No. 10 UW-Whitewater.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Week 4 Next Game
1 North Central (51) 3-0 1275 1 D. Washington (Mo.), 44-14 Oct. 4 vs. No. 15 Wheaton
2 Mount Union 3-0 1224 2 D. Baldwin Wallace, 42-23 Oct. 4 vs. Otterbein
3 Johns Hopkins 3-0 1153 3 Idle Oct. 3 vs. Dickinson
4 St. John’s (Minn.) 3-0 1072 4 D. Augsburg, 63-0 Oct. 4 at No. 11 Bethel (Minn.)
5 UW-La Crosse 2-0 1033 6 Idle Oct. 4 at No. 10 UW-Whitewater
6 Salisbury 3-0 999 5 D. Catholic, 55-6 Oct. 4 vs. TCNJ
7 Hardin-Simmons 3-0 928 7 Idle Oct. 4 vs. Howard Payne
8 UW-Platteville 3-0 906 8 Idle Oct. 4 vs. UW-Stevens Point
9 Wartburg 4-0 863 9 D. Coe, 17-7 Oct. 4 at Luther
10 UW-Whitewater 3-0 817 10 Idle Oct. 4 vs. No. 5 UW-La Crosse
11 Bethel (Minn.) 3-0 773 11 D. Hamline, 62-12 Oct. 4 vs. No. 4 St. John’s (Minn.)
12 UW-River Falls 3-0 759 12 Idle Oct. 4 at No. 17 UW-Oshkosh
13 DePauw 4-0 665 13 D. Wittenberg, 28-0 Oct. 4 vs. Oberlin
14 Trinity (Tex.) 3-0 550 16t Idle Oct. 4 vs. Southwestern (Tex.)
15 Wheaton 2-1 521 16t D. Carroll (Wis.), 61-13 Oct. 4 at No. 1 North Central
16 Carnegie Mellon 2-1 438 20 Idle Oct. 4 vs. McDaniel
17 UW-Oshkosh 2-1 429 21 Idle Oct. 4 vs. No. 12 UW-River Falls
18 Central (Iowa) 4-0 384 23 D. Dubuque, 35-16 Oct. 4 at Loras
19 John Carroll 3-1 369 22 D. Kenyon, 52-0 Oct. 4 vs. No. 25 Wabash
20 Cortland 3-1 238 24 D. Morrisville, 48-3 Oct. 4 vs. Utica
21 Hampden-Sydney 4-0 234 25 D. Guilford, 69-14 Oct. 4 vs. Washington & Lee
22 Mary Hardin-Baylor 1-2 174 18 Lost to Mars Hill, 21-7 Oct. 4 at East Texas Baptist
23 Hope 3-1 168 15 Lost to Alma, 29-26 OT Oct. 4 at Trine
24 Christopher Newport 3-0 121 NR D. No. 14 Susquehanna, 41-27 Oct. 4 at Rowan
25 Wabash 4-0 92 NR D. Denison, 36-0 Oct. 4 at No. 19 John Carroll
Dropped Out: Susquehanna (14), Grove City (19)
Others Receiving Votes: Muhlenberg, 67; Linfield, 46; Randolph-Macon, 44; Berry, 38; Susquehanna, 35; Alma, 30; Ursinus, 28; Baldwin Wallace, 23; UW-Stevens Point, 13; Brockport, 10; Maryville, 10; Marietta, 9; Salve Regina, 8; Washington (Mo.), 8; Coe, 5; Calvin, 4; Washington & Jefferson, 4; Grove City, 3; Utica, 3; Stevenson, 1; University of New England, 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.
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The last time Christopher Newport appeared in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, it was on September 26, 2016, at No. 25. Almost nine years later, the Captains are back after beating then-No. 14 Susquehanna, 41-27. CNU matched a program record with their eighth straight victory and beat a ranked opponent for the first time, you guessed it, since 2016. Christopher Newport jumps into the poll at No. 24 while Susquehanna falls out of the top 25.
There was very little movement in the top 10 this week as five teams were on a bye. North Central continues their dominance at No. 1, beating Washington (Mo.), 44-14. Same goes for No. 2 Mount Union, who downed Baldwin Wallace, 42-23. Johns Hopkins and St. John’s (Minn.) remain at 3 and 4 with the only change in the top 10 coming at No. 5. UW-La Crosse flip-flops with Salisbury despite La Crosse being idle and Salisbury beating Catholic with ease, 55-6.
Change will come to the poll next week as there are five top 25 matchups that include four top 10 teams. Two of the biggest will be No. 4 St. John’s (Minn.) traveling to No. 11 Bethel (Minn.) for the top spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while the other is a top 10 battle in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as No. 5 UW-La Crosse travels to No. 10 UW-Whitewater.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 4 | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (51) | 3-0 | 1275 | 1 | D. Washington (Mo.), 44-14 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 15 Wheaton | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 3-0 | 1224 | 2 | D. Baldwin Wallace, 42-23 | Oct. 4 vs. Otterbein | |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins | 3-0 | 1153 | 3 | Idle | Oct. 3 vs. Dickinson | |
| 4 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 3-0 | 1072 | 4 | D. Augsburg, 63-0 | Oct. 4 at No. 11 Bethel (Minn.) | |
| 5 | UW-La Crosse | 2-0 | 1033 | 6 | Idle | Oct. 4 at No. 10 UW-Whitewater | |
| 6 | Salisbury | 3-0 | 999 | 5 | D. Catholic, 55-6 | Oct. 4 vs. TCNJ | |
| 7 | Hardin-Simmons | 3-0 | 928 | 7 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. Howard Payne | |
| 8 | UW-Platteville | 3-0 | 906 | 8 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. UW-Stevens Point | |
| 9 | Wartburg | 4-0 | 863 | 9 | D. Coe, 17-7 | Oct. 4 at Luther | |
| 10 | UW-Whitewater | 3-0 | 817 | 10 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. No. 5 UW-La Crosse | |
| 11 | Bethel (Minn.) | 3-0 | 773 | 11 | D. Hamline, 62-12 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 4 St. John’s (Minn.) | |
| 12 | UW-River Falls | 3-0 | 759 | 12 | Idle | Oct. 4 at No. 17 UW-Oshkosh | |
| 13 | DePauw | 4-0 | 665 | 13 | D. Wittenberg, 28-0 | Oct. 4 vs. Oberlin | |
| 14 | Trinity (Tex.) | 3-0 | 550 | 16t | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. Southwestern (Tex.) | |
| 15 | Wheaton | 2-1 | 521 | 16t | D. Carroll (Wis.), 61-13 | Oct. 4 at No. 1 North Central | |
| 16 | Carnegie Mellon | 2-1 | 438 | 20 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. McDaniel | |
| 17 | UW-Oshkosh | 2-1 | 429 | 21 | Idle | Oct. 4 vs. No. 12 UW-River Falls | |
| 18 | Central (Iowa) | 4-0 | 384 | 23 | D. Dubuque, 35-16 | Oct. 4 at Loras | |
| 19 | John Carroll | 3-1 | 369 | 22 | D. Kenyon, 52-0 | Oct. 4 vs. No. 25 Wabash | |
| 20 | Cortland | 3-1 | 238 | 24 | D. Morrisville, 48-3 | Oct. 4 vs. Utica | |
| 21 | Hampden-Sydney | 4-0 | 234 | 25 | D. Guilford, 69-14 | Oct. 4 vs. Washington & Lee | |
| 22 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 1-2 | 174 | 18 | Lost to Mars Hill, 21-7 | Oct. 4 at East Texas Baptist | |
| 23 | Hope | 3-1 | 168 | 15 | Lost to Alma, 29-26 OT | Oct. 4 at Trine | |
| 24 | Christopher Newport | 3-0 | 121 | NR | D. No. 14 Susquehanna, 41-27 | Oct. 4 at Rowan | |
| 25 | Wabash | 4-0 | 92 | NR | D. Denison, 36-0 | Oct. 4 at No. 19 John Carroll | |
Dropped Out: Susquehanna (14), Grove City (19)
Others Receiving Votes: Muhlenberg, 67; Linfield, 46; Randolph-Macon, 44; Berry, 38; Susquehanna, 35; Alma, 30; Ursinus, 28; Baldwin Wallace, 23; UW-Stevens Point, 13; Brockport, 10; Maryville, 10; Marietta, 9; Salve Regina, 8; Washington (Mo.), 8; Coe, 5; Calvin, 4; Washington & Jefferson, 4; Grove City, 3; Utica, 3; Stevenson, 1; University of New England, 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.
