Grinnell · Next-Season Outcome BandFirst game west of the Mississippi (1889)
Grinnell beat Iowa 24-0 in the first intercollegiate football game west of the Mississippi River
Grinnell2-8Verdict Begins·Offseason
The Pioneers of Grinnell, an elite Iowa liberal-arts college that played the first intercollegiate football game west of the Mississippi in 1889 — a 24-0 win over Iowa — and went perfect again in 1998.
Standard GapA top academic college whose football identity is frontier-era pioneerin…
Grinnell played the first college football game west of the Mississippi, and the sport files an elite little Iowa college away as academics-only.
low signal
Quiet weeks in Pioneers country.
Grinnell · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 0-12
Base 2-10
Ceiling 5-7
floor0-12Rebuild year. Below .500.
base2-10Mid-table finish.
ceiling5-7Conference title race. Bracket qualifier in range.
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cold
One of five. The film room is busy this week.
Streak L1Last 5 · 1-4Last 10 · 2-8
The forecast
Opens Sep 5
vs Mount Mercy · at home
Game Week
9 days
until kickoff · vs Mount Mercy · Sat Sep 5 · 18:00 UTC
The experience
The Pioneers of Grinnell, an elite Iowa liberal-arts college that played the first intercollegiate football game west of the Mississippi in 1889 — a 24-0 win over Iowa — and went perfect again in 1998.
DIVISION III · THE PATH TO THE STAGG BOWL
Grinnell sits 8th in the Midwest Conference and 217th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.
Midwest · 2025
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monmouth (IL) | 9-0 | 9-2 | 63.2 |
| 2 | Illinois College | 7-2 | 8-3 | 56.7 |
| 3 | Chicago | 7-2 | 7-3 | 56.0 |
| 4 | Lake Forest | 7-2 | 7-3 | 55.0 |
| 5 | Ripon | 5-4 | 5-5 | 47.3 |
| 6 | Cornell (IA) | 4-5 | 4-6 | 45.7 |
| 7 | Knox | 2-6 | 2-7 | 37.3 |
| 8 | Grinnell | 2-7 | 2-8 | 35.1 |
35.1 CFB Zeitgeist#217 of 240 D346.5 strength of schedule
Win the Midwest Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Source: CFB Zeitgeist — conference records + NPI-style rating from 2025 games · the field is 40 teams, NPI-selected
THE 2025 SEASON · 2-8
Signature win 63-6 over Lawrence; toughest day 0-70 against Lake Forest.
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Grinnell
—
Quiet weeks in Pioneers country.
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
"Go Grinnell"
— Grinnell fanbase · recurring line
0 mentions · awaiting signal
Player stats — 2025 season
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
Grinnell · 2025 schedule & results2-8Soft slateAverage opponent win rate 44%.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sep 6 | — | — | — | Macalester | L 15–20 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #622 | #618 | — | Beloit | W 24–0 | 1-1 | 1-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #637 | #572 | — | @Ripon | L 20–30 | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #633 | #483 | — | Monmouth (IL) | L 9–49 | 1-3 | 1-2 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #634 | #649 | — | @Knox | L 17–20 | 1-4 | 1-3 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #626 | #506 | — | @Lake Forest | L 0–70 | 1-5 | 1-4 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #627 | #511 | — | Chicago | L 7–38 | 1-6 | 1-5 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #630 | #499 | — | @Illinois College | L 7–14 | 1-7 | 1-6 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #617 | #651 | — | Lawrence | W 63–6 | 2-7 | 2-6 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #604 | #591 | — | Cornell (IA) | L 17–22 | 2-8 | 2-7 |
Home-Field Advantage · Grinnell · 2018-present
Elite
22% home win rate vs 21% on the road. margin runs +14.1 better at home. Rosenbloom Field seats 1,500.
Home4-14Away4-15
Venue texture
73°F average kickoff temp; 6% of games had measurable precipitation; 11 mph average wind.
Based on 18 home games with weather data.
All-Time Record
108-173-18
since 1892 · 55 seasons · .361 win rate
HOME
59-57-8
AWAY
49-115-10
NEUTRAL
0-1
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
2020s
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
1998 perfect season
10-0, Midwest Conference title — Grinnell's first perfect season since 1917
Moment of the Year · Grinnell · 2025
Moment of the Year · Grinnell · 2025Won 24-0 vs Beloit
Week 3 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
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