North Central No. 1 in AFCA Preseason Poll, Presented by Hudl
August 26, 2024
Last season’s national runner-up is the preseason favorite to win it all in Division III. North Central (Ill.) received 26 first-place votes and is the No. 1 team in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Cardinals went 14-1 in 2023, falling in the national championship game to the No. 2 team in the preseason poll, Cortland (N.Y.). The Red Dragons, who received 24 first-place votes, took home their first national title in 2023 and will begin defense of their championship on September 7 against Hilbert (N.Y.).
Wisconsin-Whitewater is the No. 3 team. The Warhawks lost in the quarterfinals of last year’s playoffs to Wartburg (Iowa), who is ranked No. 4. UW-Whitewater also has one of three top 25 matchups in the first week of action. The Warhawks will host No. 20 John Carroll (Ohio) on September 7. The other top 25 matchups have No. 7 Alma (Mich.) playing host to No. 17 Wisconsin-River Falls and No. 8 Johns Hopkins (Md.) traveling to No. 19 Ithaca (N.Y.).
Rank School (1st votes) 2023 Rec. Pts. 2023 Rank* Season Opener Head Coach
1 North Central (Ill.) (26) 14-1 1225 2 Sept. 14 at No. 15 Aurora (Ill.) Brad Spencer
2 Cortland (N.Y.) (24) 14-1 1195 1 Sept. 7 at Hilbert (N.Y.) Curt Fitzpatrick
3 Wisconsin-Whitewater 11-2 1102 5 Sept. 7 vs. No. 20 John Carroll (Ohio) Jace Rindahl
4 Wartburg (Iowa) 13-1 1057 3 Sept. 7 at Monmouth (Ill.) Chris Winter
5 Mount Union (Ohio) 11-1 1042 9 Sept. 7 at Ferrum (Va.) Geoff Dartt
6 Wisconsin-La Crosse 11-2 1008 4 Sept. 5 at Rensselaer (N.Y.) Matt Janus
7 Alma (Mich.) 12-1 934 7 Sept. 7 vs. No. 17 Wisconsin-River Falls Jason Couch
8 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 12-1 836 8 Sept. 7 at No. 19 Ithaca (N.Y.) Dan Wodicka
9 Wheaton (Ill.) 10-2 779 13 Sept. 7 at Wisconsin-Oshkosh Jesse Scott
10 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 13-1 738 6 Sept. 6 at Dickinson (Pa.) Pedro Arruza
11 Grove City (Pa.) 11-1 697 10 Sept. 7 vs. Geneva (Pa.) Andrew DiDonato
12 Susquehanna (Pa.) 10-1 604 14 Sept. 6 vs. Bridgewater (Va.) Tom Perkovich
13 Trinity (Tex.) 10-2 600 11 Sept. 7 vs. Texas Lutheran Jerheme Urban
14 St. John’s (Minn.) 8-2 577 22 Sept. 7 vs. Carthage (Wis.) Gary Fasching
15 Aurora (Ill.) 11-1 529 12 Sept. 6 at Dubuque (Iowa) Don Beebe
16 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 9-2 517 17 Sept. 7 at Howard Payne (Tex.) Jesse Burleson
17 Wisconsin-River Falls 7-3 427 NR Sept. 7 at No. 7 Alma (Mich.) Matt Walker
18 Endicott (Mass.) 9-2 356 15 Sept. 7 at St. Lawrence (N.Y.) Paul McGonagle
19 Ithaca (N.Y.) 9-3 294 18 Sept. 7 vs. No. 8 Johns Hopkins (Md.) Michael Toerper
20 John Carroll (Ohio) 8-2 287 25 Sept. 7 at No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater Jeff Behrman
21 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 10-1 248 19 Sept. 7 at Moravian (Pa.) Nate Milne
22 Linfield (Ore.) 8-1 228 24 Sept. 7 vs. Denison (Ohio) Joseph Smith
23 Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) 10-1 190 NR Sept. 7 at Thiel (Pa.) Ryan Larsen
24 Berry (Ga.) 9-1 177 23 Sept. 7 at Huntingdon (Ala.) Tony Kunczewski
25 Whitworth (Wash.) 10-1 155 16 Sept. 7 at Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) Rod Sandberg
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division III Poll of 2023
Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 111; Bethel (Minn.), 56; Wisconsin-Platteville, 52; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 39; DePauw (Ind.), 37; Union (N.Y.), 35; Delaware Valley (Pa.), 23; Wabash (Ind.), 22; Coe (Iowa), 20; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 14; Illinois College, 10; Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 7; Christopher Newport (Va.), 5; Washington (Mo.), 5; Belhaven (Miss.), 3; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 3; Huntingdon (Ala.), 2; Springfield (Mass.), 2; Central (Iowa), 1; Wisconsin-Stout, 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.
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Last season’s national runner-up is the preseason favorite to win it all in Division III. North Central (Ill.) received 26 first-place votes and is the No. 1 team in the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Cardinals went 14-1 in 2023, falling in the national championship game to the No. 2 team in the preseason poll, Cortland (N.Y.). The Red Dragons, who received 24 first-place votes, took home their first national title in 2023 and will begin defense of their championship on September 7 against Hilbert (N.Y.).
Wisconsin-Whitewater is the No. 3 team. The Warhawks lost in the quarterfinals of last year’s playoffs to Wartburg (Iowa), who is ranked No. 4. UW-Whitewater also has one of three top 25 matchups in the first week of action. The Warhawks will host No. 20 John Carroll (Ohio) on September 7. The other top 25 matchups have No. 7 Alma (Mich.) playing host to No. 17 Wisconsin-River Falls and No. 8 Johns Hopkins (Md.) traveling to No. 19 Ithaca (N.Y.).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2023 Rec. | Pts. | 2023 Rank* | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central (Ill.) (26) | 14-1 | 1225 | 2 | Sept. 14 at No. 15 Aurora (Ill.) | Brad Spencer | |
| 2 | Cortland (N.Y.) (24) | 14-1 | 1195 | 1 | Sept. 7 at Hilbert (N.Y.) | Curt Fitzpatrick | |
| 3 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 11-2 | 1102 | 5 | Sept. 7 vs. No. 20 John Carroll (Ohio) | Jace Rindahl | |
| 4 | Wartburg (Iowa) | 13-1 | 1057 | 3 | Sept. 7 at Monmouth (Ill.) | Chris Winter | |
| 5 | Mount Union (Ohio) | 11-1 | 1042 | 9 | Sept. 7 at Ferrum (Va.) | Geoff Dartt | |
| 6 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 11-2 | 1008 | 4 | Sept. 5 at Rensselaer (N.Y.) | Matt Janus | |
| 7 | Alma (Mich.) | 12-1 | 934 | 7 | Sept. 7 vs. No. 17 Wisconsin-River Falls | Jason Couch | |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 12-1 | 836 | 8 | Sept. 7 at No. 19 Ithaca (N.Y.) | Dan Wodicka | |
| 9 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 10-2 | 779 | 13 | Sept. 7 at Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Jesse Scott | |
| 10 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 13-1 | 738 | 6 | Sept. 6 at Dickinson (Pa.) | Pedro Arruza | |
| 11 | Grove City (Pa.) | 11-1 | 697 | 10 | Sept. 7 vs. Geneva (Pa.) | Andrew DiDonato | |
| 12 | Susquehanna (Pa.) | 10-1 | 604 | 14 | Sept. 6 vs. Bridgewater (Va.) | Tom Perkovich | |
| 13 | Trinity (Tex.) | 10-2 | 600 | 11 | Sept. 7 vs. Texas Lutheran | Jerheme Urban | |
| 14 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 8-2 | 577 | 22 | Sept. 7 vs. Carthage (Wis.) | Gary Fasching | |
| 15 | Aurora (Ill.) | 11-1 | 529 | 12 | Sept. 6 at Dubuque (Iowa) | Don Beebe | |
| 16 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 9-2 | 517 | 17 | Sept. 7 at Howard Payne (Tex.) | Jesse Burleson | |
| 17 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 7-3 | 427 | NR | Sept. 7 at No. 7 Alma (Mich.) | Matt Walker | |
| 18 | Endicott (Mass.) | 9-2 | 356 | 15 | Sept. 7 at St. Lawrence (N.Y.) | Paul McGonagle | |
| 19 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 9-3 | 294 | 18 | Sept. 7 vs. No. 8 Johns Hopkins (Md.) | Michael Toerper | |
| 20 | John Carroll (Ohio) | 8-2 | 287 | 25 | Sept. 7 at No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater | Jeff Behrman | |
| 21 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 10-1 | 248 | 19 | Sept. 7 at Moravian (Pa.) | Nate Milne | |
| 22 | Linfield (Ore.) | 8-1 | 228 | 24 | Sept. 7 vs. Denison (Ohio) | Joseph Smith | |
| 23 | Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) | 10-1 | 190 | NR | Sept. 7 at Thiel (Pa.) | Ryan Larsen | |
| 24 | Berry (Ga.) | 9-1 | 177 | 23 | Sept. 7 at Huntingdon (Ala.) | Tony Kunczewski | |
| 25 | Whitworth (Wash.) | 10-1 | 155 | 16 | Sept. 7 at Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) | Rod Sandberg | |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division III Poll of 2023
Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 111; Bethel (Minn.), 56; Wisconsin-Platteville, 52; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 39; DePauw (Ind.), 37; Union (N.Y.), 35; Delaware Valley (Pa.), 23; Wabash (Ind.), 22; Coe (Iowa), 20; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 14; Illinois College, 10; Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 7; Christopher Newport (Va.), 5; Washington (Mo.), 5; Belhaven (Miss.), 3; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 3; Huntingdon (Ala.), 2; Springfield (Mass.), 2; Central (Iowa), 1; Wisconsin-Stout, 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.
