Defending National Champion North Central is No. 1 in First AFCA Top 25
September 18, 2023
The defending NCAA Division III National Champions are No. 1 in the first AFCA Top 25 poll of 2023. North Central (Ill.) received all 49 first-place votes and sit atop the first AFCA rankings for a second straight year. The Cardinals are 2-0 after a 70-0 blowout win over Carthage (Wis.). The team North Central beat for last year’s title, the Mount Union (Ohio) Purple Raiders, sit No. 2. They are also 2-0 after a 28-0 victory over Marietta (Ohio).
Wisconsin-Whitewater comes in at No. 3 with a 3-0 record. The Warhawks defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 17-14, in Belton this past Saturday. The loss moved UMHB’s record to 0-3 with the Crusaders failing to appear in the AFCA Top 25 for the first time since September 11, 2001. That broke the Crusaders streak of 220 straight AFCA Top 25 appearances.
There is only one Top 25 matchup this coming weekend, and it is a big one in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.) plays host to No. 18 Bethel (Minn.). The Johnnies and the Royals met twice last season, with Bethel taking the first game and St. John’s winning in the MIAC championship game.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Last Week Next Game
1 North Central (Ill.) (49) 2-0 1225 – D. Carthage (Wis.), 70-0 Sept. 23 at Elmhurst (Ill.)
2 Mount Union (Ohio) 2-0 1166 – D. Marietta (Ohio), 28-0 Sept. 23 vs. Muskingum (Ohio)
3 Wisconsin-Whitewater 3-0 1093 – D. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 17-14 Sept. 30 at No. 23 Wisconsin-Oshkosh
4 Wartburg (Iowa) 3-0 1088 – D. Buena Vista (Iowa), 47-0 Sept. 23 at Simpson (Iowa)
5 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 2-0 997 – Idle Sept. 22 at Endicott (Mass.)
6 Wisconsin-River Falls 3-0 914 – D. Northwestern (Minn.), 75-3 Sept. 30 vs. Wisconsin-Platteville
7 Linfield (Ore.) 2-0 846 – D. Redlands (Calif.), 17-10 Sept. 30 vs. Willamette (Ore.)
8 Wheaton (Ill.) 2-0 809 – D. Illinois Wesleyan, 47-16 Sept. 23 vs. Augustana (Ill.)
9 Trinity (Tex.) 2-1 793 – D. Birmingham-Southern (Ala.), 38-3 Sept. 23 vs. Rhodes (Tenn.)
10 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 3-0 726 – D. Salisbury (Md.), 42-7 Sept. 30 at Rowan (N.J.)
11 St. John’s (Minn.) 1-1 692 – Idle Sept. 23 vs. No. 18 Bethel (Minn.)
12 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 3-0 681 – D. Southern Virginia, 51-10 Sept. 30 at Guilford (N.C.)
13 Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) 3-0 553 – D. Waynesburg (Pa.), 41-10 Sept. 23 at Grove City (Pa.)
14 Aurora (Ill.) 3-0 547 – D. Benedictine (Ill.), 63-7 Sept. 30 vs. Eureka (Ill.)
15 Wisconsin-La Crosse 2-1 544 – D. Northern Michigan, 34-3 Sept. 30 vs. Wisconsin-Stout
16 Susquehanna (Pa.) 3-0 515 – D. Cortland (N.Y.), 38-35 Sept. 23 vs. Western New England (Mass.)
17 Alma (Mich.) 3-0 335 – D. Anderson (Ind.), 60-14 Sept. 23 at Wittenberg (Ohio)
18 Bethel (Minn.) 1-1 313 – D. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 24-0 Sept. 23 at No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.)
19 John Carroll (Ohio) 1-1 302 – D. Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 30-7 Sept. 23 at Heidelberg (Ohio)
20 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 3-0 254 – D. New Jersey, 38-10 Sept. 29 at Ursinus (Pa.)
21 Cortland (N.Y.) 2-1 228 – Lost to Susquehanna (Pa.), 38-35 Sept. 30 at Morrisville St. (N.Y.)
22 Ithaca (N.Y.) 2-1 218 – D. Alfred (N.Y.), 22-0 Sept. 30 vs. Hobart (N.Y.)
23 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 2-1 194 – D. East Texas Baptist, 60-7 Sept. 30 vs. No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater
24 Utica (N.Y.) 3-0 112 – D. Lycoming (Pa.), 38-35 Sept. 23 vs. Curry (Mass.)
25t. Delaware Valley (Pa.) 2-1 106 – D. Eastern (Pa.), 29-6 Sept. 23 vs. King’s (Pa.)
25t. DePauw (Ind.) 3-0 106 – D. Hiram (Ohio), 49-0 Sept. 23 vs. Ohio Wesleyan
Others Receiving Votes: Rensselaer (N.Y.), 83; Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 82; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 78; Lake Forest (Ill.), 51; Albion (Mich.), 47; Berry (Ga.), 43; Washington (Mo.), 36; Coe (Iowa), 35; Wisconsin-Platteville, 24; Ursinus (Pa.), 18; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 16; Howard Payne (Tex.), 15; Whitworth (Wash.), 14; Hobart (N.Y.), 9; Union (N.Y.), 6; Belhaven (Miss.), 4; Endicott (Mass.), 2; Huntingdon (Ala.), 2; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), 1; Heidelberg (Ohio), 1; 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.
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The defending NCAA Division III National Champions are No. 1 in the first AFCA Top 25 poll of 2023. North Central (Ill.) received all 49 first-place votes and sit atop the first AFCA rankings for a second straight year. The Cardinals are 2-0 after a 70-0 blowout win over Carthage (Wis.). The team North Central beat for last year’s title, the Mount Union (Ohio) Purple Raiders, sit No. 2. They are also 2-0 after a 28-0 victory over Marietta (Ohio).
Wisconsin-Whitewater comes in at No. 3 with a 3-0 record. The Warhawks defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 17-14, in Belton this past Saturday. The loss moved UMHB’s record to 0-3 with the Crusaders failing to appear in the AFCA Top 25 for the first time since September 11, 2001. That broke the Crusaders streak of 220 straight AFCA Top 25 appearances.
There is only one Top 25 matchup this coming weekend, and it is a big one in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) as No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.) plays host to No. 18 Bethel (Minn.). The Johnnies and the Royals met twice last season, with Bethel taking the first game and St. John’s winning in the MIAC championship game.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Last Week | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (49) | 2-0 | 1225 | – | D. Carthage (Wis.), 70-0 | Sept. 23 at Elmhurst (Ill.) | |
| 2 | Mount Union (Ohio) | 2-0 | 1166 | – | D. Marietta (Ohio), 28-0 | Sept. 23 vs. Muskingum (Ohio) | |
| 3 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 3-0 | 1093 | – | D. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 17-14 | Sept. 30 at No. 23 Wisconsin-Oshkosh | |
| 4 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 3-0 | 1088 | – | D. Buena Vista (Iowa), 47-0 | Sept. 23 at Simpson (Iowa) | |
| 5 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 2-0 | 997 | – | Idle | Sept. 22 at Endicott (Mass.) | |
| 6 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 3-0 | 914 | – | D. Northwestern (Minn.), 75-3 | Sept. 30 vs. Wisconsin-Platteville | |
| 7 | Linfield (Ore.) | 2-0 | 846 | – | D. Redlands (Calif.), 17-10 | Sept. 30 vs. Willamette (Ore.) | |
| 8 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 2-0 | 809 | – | D. Illinois Wesleyan, 47-16 | Sept. 23 vs. Augustana (Ill.) | |
| 9 | Trinity (Tex.) | 2-1 | 793 | – | D. Birmingham-Southern (Ala.), 38-3 | Sept. 23 vs. Rhodes (Tenn.) | |
| 10 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 3-0 | 726 | – | D. Salisbury (Md.), 42-7 | Sept. 30 at Rowan (N.J.) | |
| 11 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 1-1 | 692 | – | Idle | Sept. 23 vs. No. 18 Bethel (Minn.) | |
| 12 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 3-0 | 681 | – | D. Southern Virginia, 51-10 | Sept. 30 at Guilford (N.C.) | |
| 13 | Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) | 3-0 | 553 | – | D. Waynesburg (Pa.), 41-10 | Sept. 23 at Grove City (Pa.) | |
| 14 | Aurora (Ill.) | 3-0 | 547 | – | D. Benedictine (Ill.), 63-7 | Sept. 30 vs. Eureka (Ill.) | |
| 15 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 2-1 | 544 | – | D. Northern Michigan, 34-3 | Sept. 30 vs. Wisconsin-Stout | |
| 16 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 3-0 | 515 | – | D. Cortland (N.Y.), 38-35 | Sept. 23 vs. Western New England (Mass.) | |
| 17 | Alma (Mich.) | 3-0 | 335 | – | D. Anderson (Ind.), 60-14 | Sept. 23 at Wittenberg (Ohio) | |
| 18 | Bethel (Minn.) | 1-1 | 313 | – | D. Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 24-0 | Sept. 23 at No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.) | |
| 19 | John Carroll (Ohio) | 1-1 | 302 | – | D. Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 30-7 | Sept. 23 at Heidelberg (Ohio) | |
| 20 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 3-0 | 254 | – | D. New Jersey, 38-10 | Sept. 29 at Ursinus (Pa.) | |
| 21 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 2-1 | 228 | – | Lost to Susquehanna (Pa.), 38-35 | Sept. 30 at Morrisville St. (N.Y.) | |
| 22 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 2-1 | 218 | – | D. Alfred (N.Y.), 22-0 | Sept. 30 vs. Hobart (N.Y.) | |
| 23 | Wisconsin-Oshkosh | 2-1 | 194 | – | D. East Texas Baptist, 60-7 | Sept. 30 vs. No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater | |
| 24 | Utica (N.Y.) | 3-0 | 112 | – | D. Lycoming (Pa.), 38-35 | Sept. 23 vs. Curry (Mass.) | |
| 25t. | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 2-1 | 106 | – | D. Eastern (Pa.), 29-6 | Sept. 23 vs. King’s (Pa.) | |
| 25t. | DePauw (Ind.) | 3-0 | 106 | – | D. Hiram (Ohio), 49-0 | Sept. 23 vs. Ohio Wesleyan |
Others Receiving Votes: Rensselaer (N.Y.), 83; Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 82; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 78; Lake Forest (Ill.), 51; Albion (Mich.), 47; Berry (Ga.), 43; Washington (Mo.), 36; Coe (Iowa), 35; Wisconsin-Platteville, 24; Ursinus (Pa.), 18; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 16; Howard Payne (Tex.), 15; Whitworth (Wash.), 14; Hobart (N.Y.), 9; Union (N.Y.), 6; Belhaven (Miss.), 4; Endicott (Mass.), 2; Huntingdon (Ala.), 2; Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Calif.), 1; Heidelberg (Ohio), 1; 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.
