Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

D3football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll

July 26, 2022 - The North Central College football team will enter the 2022 season as the No. 2-ranked NCAA Division III program in the nation, according to the annual Preseason Top 25 Poll released Tuesday by D3football.com.

The Cardinals' preseason ranking is their highest ever, surpassing the No. 3 ranking North Central garnered in 2021 before advancing to the Division III national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, for the second straight season. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, which won Stagg Bowl XLVIII, is ranked No. 1 in this year's preseason poll with 619 points and 23 of 25 first-place votes, while the Cardinals, winners of Stagg Bowl XLVII in 2019, received 587 points.

The University of Mount Union is ranked third with 577 points and the remaining two first-place votes. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater sits fourth, followed by Saint John's University (Minnesota), Hardin-Simmons University (Texas), Linfield College (Oregon), Wheaton College, Trinity University (Texas) and Johns Hopkins University (Maryland). North Central and Wheaton will face each other in the annual Battle for the Little Brass Bell at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium Oct. 1.

Preparing to enter their first season under the direction of new head coach Brad Spencer, the Cardinals open the 2022 season with a pair of road games at Wabash College (Sept. 10) and Carthage College (Sept. 17) before their home opener against Elmhurst University Sept. 24. Click HERE for the full 2022 schedule.

Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.