NORTH CENTRAL CLAIMS NO. 1 SPOT AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY
December 19, 2022
The North Central Cardinals (Ill.) held on after a furious charge by Mount Union (Ohio) in the fourth quarter of the Division III National Championship game to claim their second national title, 28-21. The Cardinals ran the table in the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, finishing the 2022 season at No. 1. The Purple Raiders end the season at No. 2 with a 14-1 overall mark.
Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) stays in the third spot while Wartburg (Iowa) jumps eight spots to finish at No. 4. The Knights finished 13-1 after losing their first game of the season in a back-and-forth semifinal against Mount Union. Bethel (Minn.) made the biggest jump in the poll, climbing 12 spots to No. 8 after their 10-3 season came to an end in the quarterfinals against Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Two new teams entered the final Top 25 for the first time in 2022. Aurora (Ill.), champions of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, made a run to the quarterfinals and finished the season ranked No. 15 with an 11-2 record. Utica (N.Y.) comes in at No. 22. The Pioneers won 10 games in a season for the first time in program history and won their first-ever playoff game.
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 North Central (Ill.) (45) 15-0 1125 1 D. No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 28-21, in championship Brad Spencer
2 Mount Union (Ohio) 14-1 1080 2 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 28-21, in championship Geoff Dartt
3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) 12-2 1008 3 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 49-14, in semifinals Larry Harmon
4 Wartburg (Iowa) 13-1 991 12 Lost to No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 34-31, in semifinals Chris Winter
5 Trinity (Tex.) 11-1 852 5 Lost to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 24-17, in second round Jerheme Urban
6 St. John’s (Minn.) 10-2 826 6 Lost to No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa), 23-20, in second round Gary Fasching
7 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 12-1 818 8 Lost to No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 22-6, in quarterfinals Duke Greco
8 Bethel (Minn.) 10-3 775 20 Lost to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 41-28, in quarterfinals Steve Johnson
9 Linfield (Ore.) 10-1 722 4 Lost to No. 20 Bethel (Minn.), 30-13, in second round Joseph Smith
10 Ithaca (N.Y.) 12-1 712 9 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 48-7, in quarterfinals Mike Toerper
11 Wisconsin-La Crosse 9-2 626 7 Lost to No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa), 14-6, in first round Matt Janus
12 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 9-2 582 10 Lost to No. 5 Trinity (Tex.), 14-7, in first round Jesse Burleson
13 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 11-1 572 14 Lost to No. 8 Delaware Valley (Pa.), 39-32, in second round Pedro Arruza
14 Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) 11-1 566 15 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 28-7, in second round Ryan Larsen
15 Aurora (Ill.) 11-2 529 NR Lost to No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa), 45-17, in quarterfinals Don Beebe
16 Wisconsin-Whitewater 8-3 432 11 Lost to Aurora (Ill.), 33-28, in first round Kevin Bullis
17 Wheaton (Ill.) 8-3 351 18 Lost to No. 20 Bethel (Minn.), 34-32, in first round Jesse Scott
18 Alma (Mich.) 11-1 326 22 Lost to Aurora (Ill.), 48-26, in second round Jason Couch
19 Cortland (N.Y.) 9-2 312 17 Lost to No. 14 Randolph-Macon (Va.), 35-28, in first round Curt Fitzpatrick
20 Susquehanna (Pa.) 10-1 300 13 Lost to Utica (N.Y.), 17-10, in first round Tom Perkovich
21 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 10-1 283 16 D. Stevenson (Md.), 27-7, in Centennial-MAC Bowl Series Greg Chimera
22 Utica (N.Y.) 10-2 207 NR Lost to No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 45-7, in second round Blaise Faggiano
23 Huntingdon (Ala.) 9-2 132 19 Lost to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 54-0, in first round Mike Turk
24 Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) 10-1 109 21 Lost to No. 22 Alma (Mich.), 41-21, in first round Tyler Hopperton
25 Endicott (Mass.) 10-1 71 23 Lost to Springfield (Mass.), 17-14, in first round Paul McGonagle
Dropped Out: Salisbury (Md.) (24), Albion (Mich.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Springfield (Mass.), 65; Salisbury (Md.), 58; John Carroll (Ohio), 54; Albion (Mich.), 46; DePauw (Ind.), 23; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 13; Lake Forest (Ill.), 11; Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.), 9; Trinity (Conn.), 9; Ursinus (Pa.), 8; Wisconsin-River Falls, 8; Washington (Mo.), 4; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 3; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 3; Howard Payne (Tex.), 2; Heidelberg (Ohio), 1; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 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 North Central Cardinals (Ill.) held on after a furious charge by Mount Union (Ohio) in the fourth quarter of the Division III National Championship game to claim their second national title, 28-21. The Cardinals ran the table in the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, finishing the 2022 season at No. 1. The Purple Raiders end the season at No. 2 with a 14-1 overall mark.
Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) stays in the third spot while Wartburg (Iowa) jumps eight spots to finish at No. 4. The Knights finished 13-1 after losing their first game of the season in a back-and-forth semifinal against Mount Union. Bethel (Minn.) made the biggest jump in the poll, climbing 12 spots to No. 8 after their 10-3 season came to an end in the quarterfinals against Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Two new teams entered the final Top 25 for the first time in 2022. Aurora (Ill.), champions of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, made a run to the quarterfinals and finished the season ranked No. 15 with an 11-2 record. Utica (N.Y.) comes in at No. 22. The Pioneers won 10 games in a season for the first time in program history and won their first-ever playoff game.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (45) | 15-0 | 1125 | 1 | D. No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 28-21, in championship | Brad Spencer |
| 2 | Mount Union (Ohio) | 14-1 | 1080 | 2 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 28-21, in championship | Geoff Dartt |
| 3 | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) | 12-2 | 1008 | 3 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 49-14, in semifinals | Larry Harmon |
| 4 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 13-1 | 991 | 12 | Lost to No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 34-31, in semifinals | Chris Winter |
| 5 | Trinity (Tex.) | 11-1 | 852 | 5 | Lost to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 24-17, in second round | Jerheme Urban |
| 6 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 10-2 | 826 | 6 | Lost to No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa), 23-20, in second round | Gary Fasching |
| 7 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 12-1 | 818 | 8 | Lost to No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 22-6, in quarterfinals | Duke Greco |
| 8 | Bethel (Minn.) | 10-3 | 775 | 20 | Lost to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 41-28, in quarterfinals | Steve Johnson |
| 9 | Linfield (Ore.) | 10-1 | 722 | 4 | Lost to No. 20 Bethel (Minn.), 30-13, in second round | Joseph Smith |
| 10 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 12-1 | 712 | 9 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 48-7, in quarterfinals | Mike Toerper |
| 11 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 9-2 | 626 | 7 | Lost to No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa), 14-6, in first round | Matt Janus |
| 12 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 9-2 | 582 | 10 | Lost to No. 5 Trinity (Tex.), 14-7, in first round | Jesse Burleson |
| 13 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 11-1 | 572 | 14 | Lost to No. 8 Delaware Valley (Pa.), 39-32, in second round | Pedro Arruza |
| 14 | Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) | 11-1 | 566 | 15 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 28-7, in second round | Ryan Larsen |
| 15 | Aurora (Ill.) | 11-2 | 529 | NR | Lost to No. 12 Wartburg (Iowa), 45-17, in quarterfinals | Don Beebe |
| 16 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 8-3 | 432 | 11 | Lost to Aurora (Ill.), 33-28, in first round | Kevin Bullis |
| 17 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 8-3 | 351 | 18 | Lost to No. 20 Bethel (Minn.), 34-32, in first round | Jesse Scott |
| 18 | Alma (Mich.) | 11-1 | 326 | 22 | Lost to Aurora (Ill.), 48-26, in second round | Jason Couch |
| 19 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 9-2 | 312 | 17 | Lost to No. 14 Randolph-Macon (Va.), 35-28, in first round | Curt Fitzpatrick |
| 20 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 10-1 | 300 | 13 | Lost to Utica (N.Y.), 17-10, in first round | Tom Perkovich |
| 21 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 10-1 | 283 | 16 | D. Stevenson (Md.), 27-7, in Centennial-MAC Bowl Series | Greg Chimera |
| 22 | Utica (N.Y.) | 10-2 | 207 | NR | Lost to No. 2 Mount Union (Ohio), 45-7, in second round | Blaise Faggiano |
| 23 | Huntingdon (Ala.) | 9-2 | 132 | 19 | Lost to No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 54-0, in first round | Mike Turk |
| 24 | Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) | 10-1 | 109 | 21 | Lost to No. 22 Alma (Mich.), 41-21, in first round | Tyler Hopperton |
| 25 | Endicott (Mass.) | 10-1 | 71 | 23 | Lost to Springfield (Mass.), 17-14, in first round | Paul McGonagle |
Dropped Out: Salisbury (Md.) (24), Albion (Mich.) (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Springfield (Mass.), 65; Salisbury (Md.), 58; John Carroll (Ohio), 54; Albion (Mich.), 46; DePauw (Ind.), 23; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 13; Lake Forest (Ill.), 11; Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.), 9; Trinity (Conn.), 9; Ursinus (Pa.), 8; Wisconsin-River Falls, 8; Washington (Mo.), 4; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 3; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 3; Howard Payne (Tex.), 2; Heidelberg (Ohio), 1; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 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.
