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

D3football.com Top 25 Poll
AFCA Top 25 Poll

Sept. 8, 2026 - Following a statement victory over No. 2 Bethel University, the North Central College football team remains the unanimous No. 1 team in NCAA Division III, earning all of the possible first-place votes in both the D3football.com and American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) Top 25, after the first week of contests.

The Cardinals opened the season with a 44-21 win over the Royals. The defensive unit forced four turnovers from last season's highest-scoring offense. North Central converted on all five red zone opportunities while winning the time of possession battle.
Individually, the offense was led by David Ballard III's 160 receiving yards and two scores and Garret Wilson's career-high 325 passing yards along with four touchdowns. Sean Ryniec drilled the second-longest field goal in program history, a 56-yarder, adding to his perfect day with a 3/3 mark on field goals and a 5/5 clip on extra points.

Following the Cardinals in the D3football.com poll is College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin rival Wheaton College, their highest-ever ranking. Johns Hopkins University, UW-Platteville, and Bethel round out the top five. The Cardinals' week two opponent, Wartburg College, remains at No. 9. 

The AFCA poll's top four teams mirror D3football.com, with defending national champion UW-River Falls sliding in at No. 5. Wartburg dropped to No. 10, despite a 36-21 victory in their season opener.

North Central takes on another ranked opponent in their final nonconference game of the season, facing No. 9 Wartburg this Saturday. The Cardinals beat the Knights in the 2023 national semifinal, 34-27 in Waverly, Iowa. North Central heads back to Iowa for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Walston-Hoover Stadium.