NAPERVILLE, Ill. - After posting an 11-6 record through the first two weeks of nonconference play, College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin football teams turn their attention to the race for the 2026 CCIW Championship with the start of league play on Saturday.
The conference slate opens with the CCIW continuing to carry a strong national presence. North Central College enters league play ranked No. 1 nationally, while Wheaton College sits at No. 2 in both the D3football.com and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) polls for the second week in a row. Illinois Wesleyan University and Augustana College are also receiving votes in the AFCA rankings.
The opening weekend features several notable matchups, including Augustana hosting Illinois Wesleyan in Rock Island in a showdown of two squads receiving national attention. The Titans enter the conference play 2-0, while Augustana looks to bounce back from a narrow 37-34 loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stout. North Central also opens its conference schedule at North Park University, where the nationally top-ranked Cardinals will look to extend their league-record conference winning streak to 52 games following a pair of wins over then-No. 2 Bethel University and then-No. 9 Wartburg College.
Stormy conditions are expected in the Chicagoland area Saturday evening, prompting a pair of schedule changes. Wheaton College's matchup with Millikin University has been moved from 6 p.m. to noon, while Elmhurst University's game against Carroll University has been moved to 1 p.m. to avoid potential weather delays.
Opening Week of Conference Schedule
Current Records
|
School
|
Conference
|
Overall
|
Streak
|
|
Carthage
|
0-0
|
1-0
|
W1
|
|
Illinois Wesleyan
|
0-0
|
2-0
|
W2
|
|
North Central
|
0-0
|
2-0
|
W2
|
|
Wheaton
|
0-0
|
2-0
|
W2
|
|
Augustana
|
0-0
|
1-1
|
L1
|
|
Carroll
|
0-0
|
1-1
|
L1
|
|
Elmhurst
|
0-0
|
1-1
|
W1
|
|
Millikin
|
0-0
|
1-1
|
W1
|
|
North Park
|
0-0
|
0-2
|
L2
|
*Not reflective of actual standings. Tiebreaking precedures not applied.
CCIW Weekly Award Winners
|
Week
|
Offensive
|
Defensive
|
Special Teams
|
|
Week 1
|
Jimmy Makuh, Augustana
5 total TDs (3 pass, 2 rush); 16-of-23, 241 pass yds; 69 rush yds.
|
Phillip Carlton Jr., North Central
12 tackles (7 solo), 2.5 TFL, 1 sack.
|
Sean Ryniec, North Central
14 pts; 3-for-3 FG, 5-for-5 PAT; long of 56 yds.
|
|
Week 2
|
Dermot Smyth, Illinois Wesleyan
6 total TDs (5 pass); 22-of-39, 352 pass yds.
|
Joey DeMaio, Illinois Wesleyan
11 tackles (8 solo), 2 sacks, 1 INT.
|
Seth Kortenhoeven, Wheaton
33.0 yds/PR; 55-yd PR TD; leads DIII in PR yds.
|
National Honors
The CCIW has had four student-athletes named to D3football.com's Team of the Week, which honors the top performance at each position from the previous week.
Week One-
Special Teams: Sean Ryniec, K, North Central; Aiden Byrne, ST, Wheaton
Week Two-
Defense: Joey DeMaio, IL, Illinois Wesleyan; Matt Janiak, IL, North Central
Statistical Leaders
Through two weeks, Carroll quarterback Elisha Nieves leads the CCIW with 643 passing yards and 321.5 yards per game, while Illinois Wesleyan's Dermot Smyth has a conference-best seven passing touchdowns and a 157.0 efficiency rating. Millikin's AJ Lee leads the rushing attack with 227 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 113.5 yards per game. Illinois Wesleyan's Will Nazha leads receivers with 19 catches for 264 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, Elmhurst's Jace Zeffiro and North Park's Armando Martinez share the conference lead with 23 tackles apiece, averaging 11.5 per game. Elmhurst's Ryan Burton and Illinois Wesleyan's Marcheon Griffin have a league-high four tackles for loss, while Illinois Wesleyan's Nathan Schmidt leads with 2.5 sacks. Illinois Wesleyan's Lucas Lappin and North Central's Ethan Groark share the interceptions lead with two each.
On special teams, Millikin's Giovanni Natale has converted a league-high five field goals, while North Central's Sean Ryniec is 4-for-4 with a conference-long 56-yard field goal. Illinois Wesleyan's Matt Worthington leads qualifying punters with a 48.4-yard average, while Wheaton's Josiah Smith has recorded the conference's longest punt at 68 yards.
CCIW Network
The CCIW is proud to partner with Hudl in bringing fans the CCIW Network, the conference's digital home for live coverage. The CCIW Network is your one-stop destination for CCIW action throughout the year, giving fans the opportunity to stream live events free of charge and follow their favorite teams from across the conference.
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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.).