Wheaton
11-3 2025 final D3 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.
The Thunder hold the line.
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.
Turn perennial CCIW dominance and Top-25 standing into the program's first Division III national championship.
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
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 | 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 University (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.
The Pulse on Wheaton
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Wheaton
The baseline for a successful season.
The primary goal and national bracket path.
One of 32 national tournament entries.
The Division III national championship game.
Wheaton · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Home-Field Advantage · Wheaton · 2018-present
Above-Average
82% home win rate vs 75% on the road. margin runs +3.6 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Warming
Four of five. The board favors this trend.
Schedule Strength · Wheaton · 2025
Hard
Average opponent win rate 60% across 14 finalized games. Strong conference slate — wins here carry full weight in Super Region selection.
Moment of the Year · Wheaton · 2025
Postseason · Won 76-14 vs Crown College
Week 13 of 2025. Postseason win — the season-defining moment.
Postseason History
Recent postseason (2023-2025): 2-1
Most recent: 2025 — win 76-14 (home). Last 5 postseason: 2-1.
From the Archive — Wheaton
2023: Lost 35-54 vs North Central College
In 2023, the program lost 35-54 vs North Central College — a one to file away home result, 19 points either way.
Go Thunder.