North Central The Favorite To Win Title No. 4
August 18, 2025
North Central is the preseason favorite to win their fourth national title, according to the coaches in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Cardinals received all 51 first-place votes, and will begin defense of their national title during the second week of the season against UW-Oshkosh on September 13. Mount Union, last year’s national runner-up, is the preseason No. 2 pick. The Purple Raiders will open the 2025 season hosting No. 17-ranked Wheaton on September 6.
That top 25 matchup is one of three during the opening weekend of the season. The other two have No. 11 Cortland, the 2023 national champions, hosting No. 23 Grove City while No. 14 UW-Platteville travels to No. 24 Aurora.
A semifinalist from a year ago, Johns Hopkins is ranked No. 3 to start the season. The Blue Jays finished with a 12-2 record last year and will start 2025 on the road against Ithaca. St. John’s (Minn.) will start the season at No. 4. The Johnnies made it to the third round of the NCAA playoffs last year, falling to eventual semifinalist and preseason No. 5 Susquehanna. The River Hawks will try to better their 12-2 mark from a year ago when they start against Union (N.Y.) on September 6.
Rank School (1st votes) 2024 Rec. Pts. 2024 Rank* Season Opener Head Coach
1 North Central (51) 15-0 1275 1 Sept. 13 vs. UW-Oshkosh Brad Spencer
2 Mount Union 14-1 1218 2 Sept. 6 vs. No. 17 Wheaton Geoff Dartt
3 Johns Hopkins 12-2 1097 3 Sept. 6 at Ithaca Dan Wodicka
4 St. John’s (Minn.) 11-1 1058 7 Sept. 13 vs. Minnesota-Morris Gary Fasching
5 Susquehanna 12-2 1016 4 Sept. 6 vs. Union (N.Y.) Tom Perkovich
6 Hardin-Simmons 10-1 975 15 Sept. 6 at Chapman Jesse Burleson
7 Salisbury 12-1 870 5 Sept. 6 at Washington and Lee Sherman Wood
8 Mary Hardin-Baylor 8-4 861 11 Sept. 6 vs. Bethel (Tenn.) Larry Harmon
9 Wartburg 10-2 811 12 Sept. 6 vs. Monmouth (Ill.) Chris Winter
10 UW-La Crosse 8-4 763 21 Sept. 13 at No. 18 Carnegie Mellon Matt Janus
11 Cortland 11-1 742 8 Sept. 6 vs. No. 23 Grove City Tom Blumenauer
12 Bethel (Minn.) 11-3 706 10 Sept. 13 vs. Northwestern (Minn.) Mike McElroy
13 Springfield 12-1 627 6 Sept. 6 at Western New England Mike Cerasuolo
14 UW-Platteville 9-2 609 17 Sept. 6 at No. 24 Aurora Ryan Munz
15 Linfield 10-2 516 16 Sept. 6 vs. UW-Oshkosh Joseph Smith
16 DePauw 11-1 490 9 Sept. 6 at Rose-Hulman Brett Dietz
17 Wheaton 9-2 423 NR Sept. 6 at No. 2 Mount Union Jesse Scott
18 Carnegie Mellon 10-2 382 14 Sept. 6 at Chicago Ryan Larsen
19 UW-River Falls 7-3 354 NR Sept. 6 vs. Alma Matt Walker
20 Hope 11-1 332 13 Sept. 6 at Loras Peter Stuursma
21 Randolph-Macon 10-2 254 18 Sept. 5 vs. Dickinson Pedro Arruza
22 UW-Whitewater 6-4 238 NR Sept. 6 vs. Carleton Jace Rindahl
23 Grove City 9-2 229 20 Sept. 6 at No. 11 Cortland Andrew DiDonato
24 Aurora 9-2 194 22 Sept. 6 vs. No. 14 UW-Platteville Don Beebe
25 John Carroll 9-3 128 NR Sept. 6 at Waynesburg Jeff Behrman
Others Receiving Votes: Washington & Jefferson, 71; UW-Oshkosh, 70; Endicott, 46; Whitworth, 38; Alma, 35; Trinity (Tex.), 27; Hobart, 19; Ithaca, 18; Delaware Valley, 17; Coe, 15; UW-Stout, 13; Berry, 12; Brockport, 8; Lake Forest, 5; Chapman, 3; Mount St. Joseph, 2; UMass-Dartmouth, 2; Baldwin-Wallace, 1; Central (Iowa), 1; Rowan, 1; Washington (Mo.), 1; Wesleyan, 1; Westminster (Pa.), 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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North Central is the preseason favorite to win their fourth national title, according to the coaches in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Cardinals received all 51 first-place votes, and will begin defense of their national title during the second week of the season against UW-Oshkosh on September 13. Mount Union, last year’s national runner-up, is the preseason No. 2 pick. The Purple Raiders will open the 2025 season hosting No. 17-ranked Wheaton on September 6.
That top 25 matchup is one of three during the opening weekend of the season. The other two have No. 11 Cortland, the 2023 national champions, hosting No. 23 Grove City while No. 14 UW-Platteville travels to No. 24 Aurora.
A semifinalist from a year ago, Johns Hopkins is ranked No. 3 to start the season. The Blue Jays finished with a 12-2 record last year and will start 2025 on the road against Ithaca. St. John’s (Minn.) will start the season at No. 4. The Johnnies made it to the third round of the NCAA playoffs last year, falling to eventual semifinalist and preseason No. 5 Susquehanna. The River Hawks will try to better their 12-2 mark from a year ago when they start against Union (N.Y.) on September 6.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2024 Rec. | Pts. | 2024 Rank* | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (51) | 15-0 | 1275 | 1 | Sept. 13 vs. UW-Oshkosh | Brad Spencer | |
| 2 | Mount Union | 14-1 | 1218 | 2 | Sept. 6 vs. No. 17 Wheaton | Geoff Dartt | |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins | 12-2 | 1097 | 3 | Sept. 6 at Ithaca | Dan Wodicka | |
| 4 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 11-1 | 1058 | 7 | Sept. 13 vs. Minnesota-Morris | Gary Fasching | |
| 5 | Susquehanna | 12-2 | 1016 | 4 | Sept. 6 vs. Union (N.Y.) | Tom Perkovich | |
| 6 | Hardin-Simmons | 10-1 | 975 | 15 | Sept. 6 at Chapman | Jesse Burleson | |
| 7 | Salisbury | 12-1 | 870 | 5 | Sept. 6 at Washington and Lee | Sherman Wood | |
| 8 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 8-4 | 861 | 11 | Sept. 6 vs. Bethel (Tenn.) | Larry Harmon | |
| 9 | Wartburg | 10-2 | 811 | 12 | Sept. 6 vs. Monmouth (Ill.) | Chris Winter | |
| 10 | UW-La Crosse | 8-4 | 763 | 21 | Sept. 13 at No. 18 Carnegie Mellon | Matt Janus | |
| 11 | Cortland | 11-1 | 742 | 8 | Sept. 6 vs. No. 23 Grove City | Tom Blumenauer | |
| 12 | Bethel (Minn.) | 11-3 | 706 | 10 | Sept. 13 vs. Northwestern (Minn.) | Mike McElroy | |
| 13 | Springfield | 12-1 | 627 | 6 | Sept. 6 at Western New England | Mike Cerasuolo | |
| 14 | UW-Platteville | 9-2 | 609 | 17 | Sept. 6 at No. 24 Aurora | Ryan Munz | |
| 15 | Linfield | 10-2 | 516 | 16 | Sept. 6 vs. UW-Oshkosh | Joseph Smith | |
| 16 | DePauw | 11-1 | 490 | 9 | Sept. 6 at Rose-Hulman | Brett Dietz | |
| 17 | Wheaton | 9-2 | 423 | NR | Sept. 6 at No. 2 Mount Union | Jesse Scott | |
| 18 | Carnegie Mellon | 10-2 | 382 | 14 | Sept. 6 at Chicago | Ryan Larsen | |
| 19 | UW-River Falls | 7-3 | 354 | NR | Sept. 6 vs. Alma | Matt Walker | |
| 20 | Hope | 11-1 | 332 | 13 | Sept. 6 at Loras | Peter Stuursma | |
| 21 | Randolph-Macon | 10-2 | 254 | 18 | Sept. 5 vs. Dickinson | Pedro Arruza | |
| 22 | UW-Whitewater | 6-4 | 238 | NR | Sept. 6 vs. Carleton | Jace Rindahl | |
| 23 | Grove City | 9-2 | 229 | 20 | Sept. 6 at No. 11 Cortland | Andrew DiDonato | |
| 24 | Aurora | 9-2 | 194 | 22 | Sept. 6 vs. No. 14 UW-Platteville | Don Beebe | |
| 25 | John Carroll | 9-3 | 128 | NR | Sept. 6 at Waynesburg | Jeff Behrman | |
Others Receiving Votes: Washington & Jefferson, 71; UW-Oshkosh, 70; Endicott, 46; Whitworth, 38; Alma, 35; Trinity (Tex.), 27; Hobart, 19; Ithaca, 18; Delaware Valley, 17; Coe, 15; UW-Stout, 13; Berry, 12; Brockport, 8; Lake Forest, 5; Chapman, 3; Mount St. Joseph, 2; UMass-Dartmouth, 2; Baldwin-Wallace, 1; Central (Iowa), 1; Rowan, 1; Washington (Mo.), 1; Wesleyan, 1; Westminster (Pa.), 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.
