Wheaton11-3D3 TOP 25 #7The Thunder of Wheaton, Illinois, a CCIW power that has lived in the Division III Top 25 for years on end and reached the 2008 national semifinals — a Christian-college program that wins with quiet relentlessness.
Wheaton has been a Division III Top-25 fixture for over a decade and a national semifinalist, yet gets filed as just another small Christian college.
The Thunder hold the line.
Wheaton · Next-Season Outcome Band
Wheaton · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
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
Warming
Four of five. The board favors this trend.
Opens Sep 5
vs Mount Union · at home
Game Week
11 days
until kickoff · vs Mount Union · Sat Sep 5 · 18:00 UTC
The Thunder of Wheaton, Illinois, a CCIW power that has lived in the Division III Top 25 for years on end and reached the 2008 national semifinals — a Christian-college program that wins with quiet relentlessness.
Wheaton sits 2nd in the CCIW and 11th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — in the projected field with a seedable rating.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Central College | 9-0 | 14-1 | 76.9 |
| 2 | Wheaton (IL) | 8-1 | 11-3 | 68.7 |
| 3 | Washington University (St. Louis) | 7-2 | 8-3 | 60.8 |
| 4 | Augustana (IL) | 6-3 | 7-3 | 59.9 |
| 5 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4-5 | 4-6 | 48.8 |
| 6 | Carroll (WI) | 4-5 | 4-6 | 48.3 |
| 7 | Carthage | 3-6 | 4-6 | 47.7 |
| 8 | North Park | 2-7 | 3-7 | 44.3 |
Win the CCIW 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.
Signature win 65-0 over Elmhurst; toughest day 0-35 against North Central College.
Community pulse
No high-engagement r/cfb discussions tracked for this program in the last year.
The Pulse on Wheaton
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
No player stats logged for this program yet — stats appear once the season is underway.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sep 6 | — | — | — | @Mount Union | L 29–37 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #452 | #561 | — | @Augustana (IL) | W 50–7 | 1-1 | 1-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #466 | #556 | — | Carroll (WI) | W 61–13 | 2-1 | 2-0 |
| 6 | Oct 4 | #467 | #430 | — | @North Central College | L 0–35 | 2-2 | 2-1 |
| 7 | Oct 11 | #466 | #519 | — | @Illinois Wesleyan | W 65–21 | 3-2 | 3-1 |
| 8 | Oct 18 | #456 | #577 | — | Carthage | W 47–21 | 4-2 | 4-1 |
| 9 | Oct 25 | #457 | #508 | — | Washington University (St. Louis) | W 28–24 | 5-2 | 5-1 |
| 10 | Nov 1 | #459 | #645 | — | @Elmhurst | W 65–0 | 6-2 | 6-1 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #461 | #625 | — | Millikin | W 61–14 | 7-2 | 7-1 |
| 12 | Nov 15 | #460 | #590 | — | @North Park | W 52–6 | 8-2 | 8-1 |
| Bowl Season | ||||||||
| 13 | Nov 22 | #455 | #581 | — | Crown | W 76–14 | 9-2 | 8-1 |
| Conference Championship | ||||||||
| 14 | Nov 29 | #452 | #426 | — | @Wartburg | W 28–24 | 10-2 | 8-1 |
| 15 | Dec 6 | #447 | #412 | — | @Depauw | W 49–24 | 11-2 | 8-1 |
| 16 | Dec 13 | #438 | #344 | — | Wisconsin River Falls | L 21–46 | 11-3 | 8-1 |
Home-Field Advantage · Wheaton · 2018-present
Above-Average
82% home win rate vs 75% on the road. margin runs +3.6 better at home. David Smith Stadium at Ramer Field seats 2,300.
62°F average kickoff temp; 0% of games had measurable precipitation; 10 mph average wind.
Based on 22 home games with weather data.
All-Time Record
37-10
since 2022 · 4 seasons · .787 win rate
Moment of the Year · Wheaton · 2025
Moment of the Year · Wheaton · 2025Postseason · Won 76-14 vs Crown
Week 13 of 2025. Postseason win — the season-defining moment.
Postseason History
Postseason HistoryRecent postseason (2023-2025): 2-1
Most recent: 2025 — win 76-14 (home). Last 5 postseason: 2-1.