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

D3football.com Top 25
AFCA Divison III Top 25

Oct. 24, 2026 - Following a historic defensive effort, the North Central College football team remains in the top five of both NCAA Division III Top 25 rankings, coming in at No. 5 in the D3football.com poll and No. 5 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll.

The Cardinals held Carthage College to just 61 yards of total offense Saturday in a 55-3 victory over the Firebirds Tha marked the fewest number of yards allowed in a single game in program history. Offensively, North Central threw for 454 yards while putting up 622 yards of total offense. The Cardinals did not punt in the game while recording five sacks and allowing just two first downs.

Wheaton College remains the top team in both polls with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, St. John's University and UW-Whitewater ahead of the Cardinals. In the AFCA rankings, Hardin-Simmons University, Washington University in St. Louis, Hope College, Christopher Newport University and Endicott College round out the top 10 while the D3football.com poll has Hardin-Simmonds, Endicott, WashU, Hope and State University of New York at Cortland completing the top 10. 

North Central plays its final road regular season contest of the year Saturday, visiting Millikin University for a noon kickoff. The Cardinals earned a 59-10 victory over the Big Blue last season in Naperville, and are riding a 20-game winning streak over Millikin.