North Central the favorite to win title No. 4
August 24, 2026
Last season’s national runner-up is the preseason favorite to win it all in 2026. North Central received 50 first-place votes and is the No. 1 team in the AFCA Division III Coaches Preseason Poll. The Cardinals have played in the last six national title games, taking home three championships. North Central’s season gets started on September 5 with a rare 1 vs. 2 matchup in week one against Bethel (Minn.). Ranked No. 2, the Royals will look to avenge their quarterfinal loss to the Cardinals in last year’s playoff.
Coming in at No. 3 is perennial power Mount Union. The Purple Raiders want to rebound from their third-round exit in the playoffs a year ago. They will get a big test in week one as they travel to No. 5 Wheaton. The Thunder went 11-3 and would like to get revenge from their season opening loss to Mount Union in 2025. Johns Hopkins rounds out the top five at No. 4. The Blue Jays have been semifinalists in the Division III playoffs for two straight seasons.
The rest of the top 10 has UW-Platteville at 6, defending national champion UW-River Falls at 7, John Carroll at 8, Wartburg at 9, and UW-La Crosse at 10. The Eagles are a part of the third top 25 matchup in week one as they travel to No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.).
Rank School (1st votes) 2025 Rec. Pts. 2025 Rank* Season Opener Head Coach
1 North Central (50) 14-1 1322 2 Sept. 5 vs. No. 2 Bethel (Minn.) Brad Spencer
2 Bethel (Minn.) 12-1 1228 5 Sept. 5 at No. 1 North Central Mike McElroy
3 Mount Union 11-1 1202 6 Sept. 5 at No. 5 Wheaton Geoff Dartt
4 Johns Hopkins 12-2 1162 4 Sept. 5 vs. Ithaca Dan Wodicka
5 Wheaton 11-3 1030 7 Sept. 5 vs. No. 3 Mount Union Jesse Scott
6 UW-Platteville 9-3 1025 11 Sept. 5 vs. Aurora Ryan Munz
7 UW-River Falls (3) 14-1 961 1 Sept. 3 vs. Southern Virginia Jake Wissing
8 John Carroll 12-2 930 3 Sept. 5 at Carnegie Mellon Brian Polian
9 Wartburg 10-1 904 14 Sept. 5 at Monmouth (Ill.) Chris Winter
10 UW-La Crosse 8-3 836 10 Sept. 5 at No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.) Michael Zweifel
11 St. John’s (Minn.) 10-2 835 8 Sept. 5 vs. No. 10 UW-La Crosse Gary Fasching
12 UW-Whitewater 8-3 666 20 Sept. 5 vs. Carleton Jace Rindahl
13 DePauw 10-2 627 13 Sept. 5 at Rose-Hulman Brett Dietz
14 Trinity (Tex.) 10-2 617 16 Sept. 5 vs. Texas Lutheran Jerheme Urban
15 Berry 11-2 567 9 Sept. 5 at Huntingdon Tony Kunczewski
16 Hardin-Simmons 9-2 563 19 Sept. 5 vs. Chapman Jesse Burleson
17 Salisbury 10-2 482 12 Sept. 12 vs. McDaniel Sherman Wood
18 Christopher Newport 10-1 382 18 Sept. 5 vs. Newport News Paul Crowley
19 Hope 9-2 351 17 Sept. 5 at Denison Peter Stuursma
20 Mary Hardin-Baylor 7-3 305 NR Sept. 4 at Rowan Larry Harmon
21 Susquehanna 11-3 272 15 Sept. 5 at Union (N.Y.) Chris Pincince
22 Coe 9-3 177 NR Sept. 5 vs. Cornell (Iowa) Tyler Staker
23 Randolph-Macon 9-2 137 21 Sept. 4 at Dickinson Pedro Arruza
24 Endicott 9-2 119 24 Sept. 5 vs. Eastern (Pa.) Paul McGonagle
25 Cortland 8-3 112 NR Sept. 5 at Grove City Tom Blumenauer
*– Record and ranking in final AFCA Division III Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Oshkosh, 53; Linfield, 47; Alma, 40; Franklin & Marshall, 33; Monmouth (Ill.), 28; Washington & Jefferson, 28; Central (Iowa), 22; Chapman, 22; LaGrange, 20; Springfield, 20; Whitworth, 16; Eastern (Pa.), 11; Grove City, 9; Hampden-Sydney, 7; Augustana (Ill.), 6; Baldwin-Wallace, 6; Concordia (Wis.), 6; UW-Stout, 6; Wabash, 6; Adrian, 4; Hanover, 4; Calvin, 3; Muhlenberg, 3; Washington (Mo.), 3; Carnegie Mellon, 2; Illinois Wesleyan, 2; Union (N.Y.), 2; Utica (N.Y.), 2; Lake Forest, 1; Rowan, 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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Last season’s national runner-up is the preseason favorite to win it all in 2026. North Central received 50 first-place votes and is the No. 1 team in the AFCA Division III Coaches Preseason Poll. The Cardinals have played in the last six national title games, taking home three championships. North Central’s season gets started on September 5 with a rare 1 vs. 2 matchup in week one against Bethel (Minn.). Ranked No. 2, the Royals will look to avenge their quarterfinal loss to the Cardinals in last year’s playoff.
Coming in at No. 3 is perennial power Mount Union. The Purple Raiders want to rebound from their third-round exit in the playoffs a year ago. They will get a big test in week one as they travel to No. 5 Wheaton. The Thunder went 11-3 and would like to get revenge from their season opening loss to Mount Union in 2025. Johns Hopkins rounds out the top five at No. 4. The Blue Jays have been semifinalists in the Division III playoffs for two straight seasons.
The rest of the top 10 has UW-Platteville at 6, defending national champion UW-River Falls at 7, John Carroll at 8, Wartburg at 9, and UW-La Crosse at 10. The Eagles are a part of the third top 25 matchup in week one as they travel to No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2025 Rec. | Pts. | 2025 Rank* | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (50) | 14-1 | 1322 | 2 | Sept. 5 vs. No. 2 Bethel (Minn.) | Brad Spencer | |
| 2 | Bethel (Minn.) | 12-1 | 1228 | 5 | Sept. 5 at No. 1 North Central | Mike McElroy | |
| 3 | Mount Union | 11-1 | 1202 | 6 | Sept. 5 at No. 5 Wheaton | Geoff Dartt | |
| 4 | Johns Hopkins | 12-2 | 1162 | 4 | Sept. 5 vs. Ithaca | Dan Wodicka | |
| 5 | Wheaton | 11-3 | 1030 | 7 | Sept. 5 vs. No. 3 Mount Union | Jesse Scott | |
| 6 | UW-Platteville | 9-3 | 1025 | 11 | Sept. 5 vs. Aurora | Ryan Munz | |
| 7 | UW-River Falls (3) | 14-1 | 961 | 1 | Sept. 3 vs. Southern Virginia | Jake Wissing | |
| 8 | John Carroll | 12-2 | 930 | 3 | Sept. 5 at Carnegie Mellon | Brian Polian | |
| 9 | Wartburg | 10-1 | 904 | 14 | Sept. 5 at Monmouth (Ill.) | Chris Winter | |
| 10 | UW-La Crosse | 8-3 | 836 | 10 | Sept. 5 at No. 11 St. John’s (Minn.) | Michael Zweifel | |
| 11 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 10-2 | 835 | 8 | Sept. 5 vs. No. 10 UW-La Crosse | Gary Fasching | |
| 12 | UW-Whitewater | 8-3 | 666 | 20 | Sept. 5 vs. Carleton | Jace Rindahl | |
| 13 | DePauw | 10-2 | 627 | 13 | Sept. 5 at Rose-Hulman | Brett Dietz | |
| 14 | Trinity (Tex.) | 10-2 | 617 | 16 | Sept. 5 vs. Texas Lutheran | Jerheme Urban | |
| 15 | Berry | 11-2 | 567 | 9 | Sept. 5 at Huntingdon | Tony Kunczewski | |
| 16 | Hardin-Simmons | 9-2 | 563 | 19 | Sept. 5 vs. Chapman | Jesse Burleson | |
| 17 | Salisbury | 10-2 | 482 | 12 | Sept. 12 vs. McDaniel | Sherman Wood | |
| 18 | Christopher Newport | 10-1 | 382 | 18 | Sept. 5 vs. Newport News | Paul Crowley | |
| 19 | Hope | 9-2 | 351 | 17 | Sept. 5 at Denison | Peter Stuursma | |
| 20 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 7-3 | 305 | NR | Sept. 4 at Rowan | Larry Harmon | |
| 21 | Susquehanna | 11-3 | 272 | 15 | Sept. 5 at Union (N.Y.) | Chris Pincince | |
| 22 | Coe | 9-3 | 177 | NR | Sept. 5 vs. Cornell (Iowa) | Tyler Staker | |
| 23 | Randolph-Macon | 9-2 | 137 | 21 | Sept. 4 at Dickinson | Pedro Arruza | |
| 24 | Endicott | 9-2 | 119 | 24 | Sept. 5 vs. Eastern (Pa.) | Paul McGonagle | |
| 25 | Cortland | 8-3 | 112 | NR | Sept. 5 at Grove City | Tom Blumenauer | |
*– Record and ranking in final AFCA Division III Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Oshkosh, 53; Linfield, 47; Alma, 40; Franklin & Marshall, 33; Monmouth (Ill.), 28; Washington & Jefferson, 28; Central (Iowa), 22; Chapman, 22; LaGrange, 20; Springfield, 20; Whitworth, 16; Eastern (Pa.), 11; Grove City, 9; Hampden-Sydney, 7; Augustana (Ill.), 6; Baldwin-Wallace, 6; Concordia (Wis.), 6; UW-Stout, 6; Wabash, 6; Adrian, 4; Hanover, 4; Calvin, 3; Muhlenberg, 3; Washington (Mo.), 3; Carnegie Mellon, 2; Illinois Wesleyan, 2; Union (N.Y.), 2; Utica (N.Y.), 2; Lake Forest, 1; Rowan, 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.
