Mary Hardin-Baylor Returns to No. 1 in AFCA Top 25
December 20, 2021
Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) started the season ranked No. 1, then sat behind North Central (Ill.) for the rest of the regular season. After their dominating 57-24 win over the Cardinals in the NCAA Division III national championship game, Mary Hardin-Baylor returns to the top spot of the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll to end 2021. This was the Crusaders’ second national championship, and first since 2018.
RELATED ARTICLE: [D3 Poll] North Central Starts 2021 Playoffs at No. 1
North Central falls to the No. 2 spot after the loss. The final two semifinalist, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mount Union (Ohio), finish in the third and fourth spots, respectively, followed by new No. 5 Linfield (Ore.), who lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor in the quarterfinals. Muhlenberg (Pa.) and Rensselaer (N.Y.) made the biggest moves in the final poll thanks to their quarterfinal runs in the playoffs. The Mules moved up six spots No. 7, as did RPI, who jumped from No. 20 to No. 14 to end the 2021 season.
2021 American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches’ Poll – December 20, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Post-season Head Coach
1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) (47) 15-0 1175 2 D. No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 57-24, in national championship Pete Fredenburg
2 North Central (Ill.) 13-1 1126 1 Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 57-24, in national championship Jeff Thorne
3 Wisconsin-Whitewater 13-1 1071 3 Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 24-7, in semifinals Kevin Bullis
4 Mount Union (Ohio) 13-1 1037 4 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 26-13, in semifinals Geoff Dartt
5 Linfield (Ore.) 11-1 960 6 Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 49-24, in quarterfinals Joseph Smith
6 Central (Iowa) 12-1 890 10 Lost to No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 51-21, in quarterfinals Jeff McMartin
7 Muhlenberg (Pa.) 11-2 842 13 Lost to No. 4 Mount Union (Ohio), 35-29 OT, in quarterfinals Nate Milne
8 St. John’s (Minn.) 11-1 822 5 Lost to No. 6 Linfield (Ore.), 31-28, in second round Gary Fasching
9 Wheaton (Ill.) 10-2 727 9 Lost to No. 10 Central (Iowa), 30-28, in second round Jesse Scott
10 Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 9-1 695 8 DNQ Playoffs Jesse Burleson
11 Delaware Valley (Pa.) 11-1 675 7 Lost to No. 13 Muhlenberg (Pa.), 14-0, in second round Duke Greco
12 Wisconsin-La Crosse 9-3 625 15 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 34-20, in second round Matt Janus
13 Johns Hopkins (Md.) 10-2 576 16 Lost to No. 4 Mount Union (Ohio), 45-35, in second round Greg Chimera
14 Rensselaer (N.Y.) 11-2 568 20 Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 55-6, in quarterfinals Ralph Isernia
15 Trinity (Tex.) 9-1 566 14 Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 13-3, in first round Jerheme Urban
16 Cortland (N.Y.) 11-1 491 12 Lost to No. 20 Rensselaer (N.Y.), 21-14, in second round Curt Fitzpatrick
17 Salisbury (Md.) 8-2 407 11 Lost to No. 16 Johns Hopkins (Md.), 45-20, in first round Sherman Wood
18 Bethel (Minn.) 8-3 389 17 Lost to No. 10 Central (Iowa), 61-35, in first round Steve Johnson
19 Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) 10-2 376 19 Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 42-7, in second round Tony Joe White
20 Randolph-Macon (Va.) 9-1 206 18 DNQ Playoffs Pedro Arruza
21 Redlands (Calif.) 8-2 176 21 Lost to No. 6 Linfield (Ore.), 44-10, in first round Jim Good
22 Wisconsin-River Falls 9-2 160 25 D. Washington (Mo.), 48-27, in Culver’s Isthmus Bowl Matt Walker
23 Lake Forest (Ill.) 10-1 120 22 Lost to No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.), 41-14, in first round Jim Catanzaro
24 Ithaca (N.Y.) 8-2 116 24 DNQ Playoffs Dan Swanstrom
25 Albion (Mich.) 9-2 109 23 Lost to No. 15 Wisconsin-La Crosse, 58-23, in first round Dustin Beurer
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: DePauw (Ind.), 102; Aurora (Ill.), 54; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 30; Merchant Marine (N.Y.), 28; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 20; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 15; Hobart (N.Y.), 13; Susquehanna (Pa.), 13; Union (N.Y.), 13; Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 12; Springfield (Mass.), 12; Huntingdon (Ala.), 10; Coe (Iowa), 9; Washington & Lee (Va.), 8; Williams (Mass.), 7; John Carroll (Ohio), 6; Endicott (Mass.), 5; Heidelberg (Pa.), 4; Wabash (Ind.), 4; Ohio Wesleyan, 2; Methodist (N.C.), 1; Rose-Hulman (Ind.), 1; Wartburg (Iowa), 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.
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Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) started the season ranked No. 1, then sat behind North Central (Ill.) for the rest of the regular season. After their dominating 57-24 win over the Cardinals in the NCAA Division III national championship game, Mary Hardin-Baylor returns to the top spot of the AFCA Division III Coaches’ Top 25 Poll to end 2021. This was the Crusaders’ second national championship, and first since 2018.
RELATED ARTICLE: [D3 Poll] North Central Starts 2021 Playoffs at No. 1
North Central falls to the No. 2 spot after the loss. The final two semifinalist, Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mount Union (Ohio), finish in the third and fourth spots, respectively, followed by new No. 5 Linfield (Ore.), who lost to Mary Hardin-Baylor in the quarterfinals. Muhlenberg (Pa.) and Rensselaer (N.Y.) made the biggest moves in the final poll thanks to their quarterfinal runs in the playoffs. The Mules moved up six spots No. 7, as did RPI, who jumped from No. 20 to No. 14 to end the 2021 season.
2021 American Football Coaches Association Division III Coaches’ Poll – December 20, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) (47) | 15-0 | 1175 | 2 | D. No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 57-24, in national championship | Pete Fredenburg |
| 2 | North Central (Ill.) | 13-1 | 1126 | 1 | Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 57-24, in national championship | Jeff Thorne |
| 3 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 13-1 | 1071 | 3 | Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 24-7, in semifinals | Kevin Bullis |
| 4 | Mount Union (Ohio) | 13-1 | 1037 | 4 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 26-13, in semifinals | Geoff Dartt |
| 5 | Linfield (Ore.) | 11-1 | 960 | 6 | Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 49-24, in quarterfinals | Joseph Smith |
| 6 | Central (Iowa) | 12-1 | 890 | 10 | Lost to No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater, 51-21, in quarterfinals | Jeff McMartin |
| 7 | Muhlenberg (Pa.) | 11-2 | 842 | 13 | Lost to No. 4 Mount Union (Ohio), 35-29 OT, in quarterfinals | Nate Milne |
| 8 | St. John’s (Minn.) | 11-1 | 822 | 5 | Lost to No. 6 Linfield (Ore.), 31-28, in second round | Gary Fasching |
| 9 | Wheaton (Ill.) | 10-2 | 727 | 9 | Lost to No. 10 Central (Iowa), 30-28, in second round | Jesse Scott |
| 10 | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 9-1 | 695 | 8 | DNQ Playoffs | Jesse Burleson |
| 11 | Delaware Valley (Pa.) | 11-1 | 675 | 7 | Lost to No. 13 Muhlenberg (Pa.), 14-0, in second round | Duke Greco |
| 12 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 9-3 | 625 | 15 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 34-20, in second round | Matt Janus |
| 13 | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 10-2 | 576 | 16 | Lost to No. 4 Mount Union (Ohio), 45-35, in second round | Greg Chimera |
| 14 | Rensselaer (N.Y.) | 11-2 | 568 | 20 | Lost to No. 1 North Central (Ill.), 55-6, in quarterfinals | Ralph Isernia |
| 15 | Trinity (Tex.) | 9-1 | 566 | 14 | Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 13-3, in first round | Jerheme Urban |
| 16 | Cortland (N.Y.) | 11-1 | 491 | 12 | Lost to No. 20 Rensselaer (N.Y.), 21-14, in second round | Curt Fitzpatrick |
| 17 | Salisbury (Md.) | 8-2 | 407 | 11 | Lost to No. 16 Johns Hopkins (Md.), 45-20, in first round | Sherman Wood |
| 18 | Bethel (Minn.) | 8-3 | 389 | 17 | Lost to No. 10 Central (Iowa), 61-35, in first round | Steve Johnson |
| 19 | Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) | 10-2 | 376 | 19 | Lost to No. 2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 42-7, in second round | Tony Joe White |
| 20 | Randolph-Macon (Va.) | 9-1 | 206 | 18 | DNQ Playoffs | Pedro Arruza |
| 21 | Redlands (Calif.) | 8-2 | 176 | 21 | Lost to No. 6 Linfield (Ore.), 44-10, in first round | Jim Good |
| 22 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 9-2 | 160 | 25 | D. Washington (Mo.), 48-27, in Culver’s Isthmus Bowl | Matt Walker |
| 23 | Lake Forest (Ill.) | 10-1 | 120 | 22 | Lost to No. 5 St. John’s (Minn.), 41-14, in first round | Jim Catanzaro |
| 24 | Ithaca (N.Y.) | 8-2 | 116 | 24 | DNQ Playoffs | Dan Swanstrom |
| 25 | Albion (Mich.) | 9-2 | 109 | 23 | Lost to No. 15 Wisconsin-La Crosse, 58-23, in first round | Dustin Beurer |
Dropped Out: None
Others Receiving Votes: DePauw (Ind.), 102; Aurora (Ill.), 54; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 30; Merchant Marine (N.Y.), 28; Baldwin Wallace (Ohio), 20; Carnegie Mellon (Pa.), 15; Hobart (N.Y.), 13; Susquehanna (Pa.), 13; Union (N.Y.), 13; Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 12; Springfield (Mass.), 12; Huntingdon (Ala.), 10; Coe (Iowa), 9; Washington & Lee (Va.), 8; Williams (Mass.), 7; John Carroll (Ohio), 6; Endicott (Mass.), 5; Heidelberg (Pa.), 4; Wabash (Ind.), 4; Ohio Wesleyan, 2; Methodist (N.C.), 1; Rose-Hulman (Ind.), 1; Wartburg (Iowa), 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.
