NAPERVILLE – Four-time reigning College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) football champion North Central is the coaches’ pick to win a fifth straight crown in 2025, the league office announced Monday morning. The preseason poll gave the defending national champions the maximum point total of 81 from the ballots collected in early August.

2025 CCIW Football Preseason Coaches' Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Points
1. North Central (9)	81
2. Wheaton (1)	73
3. WashU	65
4. Illinois Wesleyan	53
5. Carroll	48
6. Augustana	43
7. North Park	34
8. Carthage	26
9. Millikin	14
10. Elmhurst	13

NCC, last season’s Stagg Bowl winner and a three-time national champion since 2019, was atop nine ballots for the first spot in the preseason poll. The Cardinals were also the top-ranked team nationally in a preseason poll released by D3football.com last month. North Central has swept the conference schedule in four consecutive seasons and has won 42 straight CCIW games overall since 2019. 
 
Monday’s announcement marked the fourth consecutive season the Cardinals have been the preseason league favorite. NCC begins the 2025 season on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Wisconsin-Oshkosh at 1 p.m. in Naperville.
 
Wheaton, ranked 17th nationally in the preseason by D3football.com, was selected second in Monday’s CCIW poll. The Thunder, 9-2 last year and the 35-32 winner of the 2024 Culver’s Isthmus Bowl versus Wisconsin-Stout, received one first-place vote and 73 points overall. WC will travel to preseason #2 Mount Union for its opener on Saturday, Sept. 6 at noon CT.
 
WashU was slotted third by the coaches with 65 points. The Bears were third in the CCIW last season and have landed in the third position in the final conference standings in five of their six seasons in the league.
 
Illinois Wesleyan was picked fourth with 53 points. Carroll followed in fifth place at 48 points, while Augustana was sixth with 43 points from the ballots.
 
North Park (34 points), Carthage (26 points), Millikin (14 points) and Elmhurst (13 points) rounded out the poll.
 
Eight CCIW teams will open the season during the first week of Division III season, starting with Carroll’s 6 p.m. kickoff at Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Thursday, Sept. 4. The first date of conference play is Saturday, Sept. 20.