Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324

2025 AFCA Top 25 Week 1 Coaches' Poll
D3football.com Week 1 Top 25 Poll

Sept. 8, 2025 - Despite not playing in Week 1 due to a bye, the North Central College football team remains No. 1 in both the D3football.com Top 25 poll and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 poll.

The defending national champion Cardinals received 23 of 25 first-place votes in the D3football.com poll and 51 of 52 first-place votes in the AFCA poll. This marks the 35th consecutive AFCA poll in which North Central has held the top spot, and the 43rd time in the last 46 D3football.com polls.

Mount Union is ranked No. 2 in both polls, followed by Johns Hopkins at No. 3. Susquehanna University is No. 5 in the D3football.com poll, while the AFCA poll flips Susquehanna and St. John's University, placing the Johnnies at No. 5. Conference foe Wheaton College fell to No. 22 following a loss to the Purple Raiders.

North Central will host No. 16/18 UW-Oshkosh, which jumped into the rankings after a convincing 31–14 win over No. 16 Linfield University. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.