NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The league battle between the top two teams in the nation is set to be featured by the widely popular football social media platform, D1 Rejects. The brand is bringing its "Small School Saturday" live show to Naperville to showcase No. 1 North Central College hosting No. 2 Wheaton College.
This marks the 107th matchup between the longstanding rivals and 77th battle for the Little Brass Bell.
Small School Saturday puts the spotlight on small-college football, traveling to NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA campuses throughout the country for a live pregame experience. The two-hour show blends matchup breakdowns, interviews, highlights and interaction with fans to build excitement leading into kickoff.
"We're excited to welcome Small School Saturday to the CCIW for what has all the makings of a special day in the history of CCIW football," said CCIW Executive Director Lexie Vernon. "When the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country meet in the 107th chapter of a rivalry with the history and tradition of the Little Brass Bell, it represents so much of what makes college athletics special. Having Small School Saturday here to help tell that story makes the occasion even more meaningful, and it's an incredible opportunity to celebrate two outstanding programs while showcasing the tradition, excellence and national stature of CCIW football."
The pre-game show will air from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with an evening kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. The broadcast will be available on the D1 Rejects YouTube channel, and streamed live on X, Facebook and FloCollege.
"Bringing the show to Naperville this weekend was something we asked about months ago, simply because it isn't often you get to feature two top teams in the country with the added history and tradition of a rivalry like the Little Brass Bell," said Kobe Manzo, D1 Rejects Founder and Host. Our hope is to showcase this matchup, these players, and D3 Football as a whole to as many people as possible because games like this are truly where college athletics are at their best."
This highly anticipated CCIW matchup is also North Central's homecoming as they enter the game 4-0 overall and 2-0 in CCIW play after earning nonconference wins over then-No. 2 Bethel University and No. 9 Wartburg College. The Cardinals also carry a 53-game conference winning streak, the longest in CCIW history. The Cardinals are coming off a statement 35-7 win over Augustana College (RV) at home.
Wheaton enters Saturday's matchup ranked No. 2 in both national polls, setting up the highest-ranked meeting between the two programs in their more than a century-old rivalry. The Thunder moved back into the No. 2 spot they had originally earned in Week 2 following a 33-6 win over North Park University. Wheaton spent the previous three weeks ranked No. 3 in the country, behind reigning national champion University of Wisconsin-River Falls, which is now ranked No. 6.
"We've seen this North Central team in person at the Stagg Bowl, and the level of excellence Coach Spencer and company have upheld is nothing short of commendable," Manzo added. "Coach Scott and this Wheaton team on the other hand play a brand of football that we're very excited to watch from the sideline as opposed to the couch at home. This has ALL the makings of an instant classic on Saturday and we'll be there for every bit of it."
Kickoff for the 107th meeting between North Central and Wheaton, is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
For more information on D1 Rejects and its Small School Saturday coverage, visit D1Rejects.com.
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).